Last updated on October 27th, 2015
Google recently issued a stern warning to webmasters who repeatedly violate the Google Webmaster Guidelines and get caught spamming, saying “In order to protect the quality of our search results, we take automated and manual actions against sites that violate our Webmaster Guidelines.”
By “manual actions,” they are referring to manual penalties doled out by Google Search Quality reps, not automatic penalties inflicted by the algorithm. In cases where Manual Action notifications are issued, websites who are repeat offenders and get caught may suffer “further action” by Google against their site and find the reconsideration process more difficult.
Clearly this announcement is intended as a word of warning for webmasters who practice “black hat” SEO tactics. Why now though? That’s anyone’s guess. As long as your internet marketing strategies are in line with Google’s Webmaster Guidelines, you should have nothing to fear.
Check out the links we’ve gathered for you below to see what else we, and the industry as a whole, have been reading this week.
Search Engine Optimization
- Generating high value keywords is step one on the path to SEO success. These tools and tips can help you get started right on the keyword research process.
- The 2015 Local Search Ranking Factors report is out! Check out a high level summary of this extensive report here. You can also read some important takeaways from the report here.
Social Media
- Instagram is now the world’s second most popular social network in terms of monthly users – and it keeps growing! The company recently reported 400 million active users, less than a year after hitting the 300 million mark.
- When it comes to search and social, you shouldn’t have to pick one or the other. In fact, social media and SEO go together quite well.
- According to WordStream, “Facebook is innovating faster than Trump is gaining traction in the polls.” Read their recent article to get the scoop on what has changed with Facebook advertising.
- Google+ reviews and links have officially been cut from Google’s search results. As one marketer put it, “Google+ seems like the uncle who you have to invite to Thanksgiving, even as you gently suggest he might be more comfortable elsewhere.” However, not everyone thinks Google+ is slowly being phased out. Some marketers suspect Google is figuring out a way to repurpose its beloved social media platform.
Content Corner
- If you pretend you are writing copy for Mr. Spock, stick to something logical and you’ll be alright. Read this article to find out how writing logically and persuasively may go hand-in-hand.
- Including images in your content is going the right direction, but not all photos are equal. Selecting the most persuasive images is definitely an acquired skilled with a great reward.
- Content curation is an important part of content marketing, but how do you walk that fine line between “curation” and copyright infringement? Read more…
For the latest SEO news, tips and resources, join us again next time for another roundup! In the meantime, stay tuned to our blog and browse our knowledge center to continue your SEO-Education.
