By Brock Thompson
Physiologist Walter Cannon helped coin the term “homeostasis” and 6th grade biology supplied us the meaning: to maintain a stable condition. To maintain a stable condition, however, often requires constant change. It is important in our world to think of this dynamic as mutually dependant rather than mutually exclusive – stability requires change.
Whether your business is SEO, SEM, Email or Display a few new variables to your business’s homeostasis entered the industry in the last couple months and the solution has a basic formula to follow.
- Panda – Google’s new algorithmic update devalues duplicate content and has affected almost 12% of search results.
- Chrome “Block” Add-On – Allows consumers to block your site from their search results using Google Chrome. While Google has stated these blocks are not affecting rankings today they are building logic to include a similar feedback loop into search results and thus far both consumer blocks and test logic mirror each other.
Original content should not be a shock as search engines have always touted unique content and consumer experience as important attributes to a successful domain. As for allowing consumers to block websites this is the next evolution to a fully consumer friendly search experience – provide the consumer the ability to see what they want and hide what they don’t.
Remember homeostasis; a steady state. As algorithms change and new features are introduced we change with it, often before it, and maintain our status. How do we change for the better?
Ensure your content is unique to you
- Use a site like www.copyscape.com to scan your articles.
- Know who is writing your content and where they get their information
- Don’t just reword, truly say it in a different way
Make sure your domains are unique to each other
- http://domain.com and http://www.domain.com are duplicates if they are not joined by a 301 redirect
- Avoid using the same design, content, layout and messaging across all your sites
- Reference Google’s Webmaster Guide to Duplicate Content
Give the consumer something worth reading
- Be informative not repetitive
- Show your flare for humor, the dramatic, facts and figures
- Offer consumer choice if they want to learn more: links to more informed sources, XML site map to find more articles on your site, areas to suggest articles or ask questions
Let the consumer understand the experience and why they need to be there
- Declare who you are, what you do and why you are there
- Walk through the steps with the consumer (great way to introduce new products as well)
- What does the consumer get – tell them
Algorithmic changes won’t stop, consumers will always expect more and the sledding isn’t going to drastically get easier but the reward for evolving greatly outweighs the process of evolution. With more and more affiliates moving on the window to advance to the next higher payout is widening – set your plan in motion and go after those dollars. Don’t feel on an island; use your resources
- http://www.google.com/support/webmasters/
- http://www.mattcutts.com/blog/
- http://www.searchenginejournal.com/
- Your Moss Account Manager
This is a great time to be an affiliate marketer. The search engines are telling you exactly what you need to get better, consumers are flooding the market and billions of dollars in potential revenue continue to grow. If it was easy everyone would be doing it – but that is what sets you apart, you ARE doing it.
