FEATURE
algorithmic metrics in recent times,
Google opted to alter the way in which
the two updates would operate, formerly
running on a periodic basis before
integrating the two updates into its
ranking algorithm, allowing more frequent
detection of infringing websites in its
mission to improve the quality of the search
engine rankings.
Just as website owners were beginning to
alter their working practices to ensure that
their websites were in compliance with the
new Panda and Penguin updates, Google
announced further changes to its search
results, introducing localised search queries
and a new Hummingbird update that was
designed to try to handle spoken language
queries better through the automatic
detection of keyword elements and showing
results based on them.
Was 2013 the death
of black hat SEO?
The lucrative reward of holding a top
position ranking for high value keyword
terms seems to be too much for some
website creators, and that means that they
are still willing to try to manipulate the
Google ranking algorithm at any given
opportunity, regardless of the release of
new rolling anti-spam updates.
Black hat SEO has never been
about complying with Google’s best
code of practice or even sparing a
thought towards the quality guidelines that
the search engine assures users it is looking
to enforce. Instead, the sole aim of black hat
40
iGB Affiliate FEBRUARY/MARCH 2014
SEO is to manipulate, and in many cases
dominate, within the organic search results
in order to benefit financially in some way
or another.
Over recent years, we have seen
Google displace itself from the fact that its
ranking algorithm operates with a specific
focus towards the backlinks that a website
holds; however, no matter how many videos
or blog posts they release, Google continues
to fail to identify websites that are ranking
in positions through pure manipulation.
Although black hat techniques are still
clearly evident today, Google is making
slow steps towards the elimination of
some of their more historic practices,
such as backlink purchasing, large link
schemes and use of low quality directory
sites in order to increase the number
of referring domains that are linking
into a certain website.
While Google is continuing to use
links as a metric within its ranking
assessment through its algorithm, black
hat SEO will always be just around the
corner and as these schemes and services
are being shut down, another one exactly
the same is being created the following
day, forcing Google to play a costly game
of cat and mouse in which its always
seems to be chasing.
the articles continue to offer compelling
evidence about the demise of search engine
optimisation based on one reason: they
have no evidence.
The reason that there is no evidence
is because search engine optimisation is
becoming a term that is known to be broad
in definition, being applied to various
practices that seem to be compiled under
what people conceive SEO to be.
Regardless of the changes that Google
makes to its search engine algorithms,
the basics of SEO will always be evident
and will always need to be addressed by
anyone that is looking to own a website that
ranks within a position that is designed to
generate traffic and income; after all, search
engine optimisation is about aiding the
search engines to find your site and better
understand the relation of that site to the
search queries they are trying to answer.
Smaller elements of what people believe
to be SEO, such as link building, could be
facing tough times at the moment but that
will continue to be the case, with keywordspecific links becoming a thing of the past
as natural linkage becomes more proficient,
and generic and branded links become
more evident through the industry, so the
need to adapt and evolve as a website
owner becomes vital.
Is SEO still relevant in 2014?
SEO is changing,
with diversity the key
You will have seen hordes of articles,
news stories and blog posts that have been
designed to shock you with headlines
such as ‘SEO is DEAD!’ and others, but
Amid changes to search engine ranking
algorithms, search engine optimisation is
becoming about more than simply altering