Five For Friday: Paging Dr. Google, Panda 4.1 Is On The Loose, And More!
October 17th, 2014 by
1. Google Gets a Medical Degree
-Mashable
In what may prove to be the coolest Google project all year, reports have surfaced that the search engine plans to implement a feature to their already lauded Helpouts initiative. The new project will attempt to take health-related symptomatic searches and connect users with real doctors online. All costs are being covered by Google during the limited trial period, however it may cost you as the service is refined. The impact this will have on health professionals is exciting, and could transform an entire industry. The opportunities this service poses are truly endless, especially when you consider the degree of Google’s philanthropic endeavors.
2. The Forgotten Curriculum
-Moz
Carla Dawson of MobyDigital discusses the pros and cons of teaching SEO at universities.
As a recent graduate frustrated with the absence of tech-related courses being taught at my alma mater, I strongly believe in this move to educate the average university student on the subject of SEO. The article poses quite a few points of contention and agreement, here are a few that stuck out:
1) Pro: Everyone says they know SEO. Without a standard for learning SEO, there can be no true credibility among firms. Teaching these skills at universities will quell [most] questions about a persons knowledge base.
2) Pro: Today’s student is tomorrow’s potential client. Students who learn SEO in a formal setting will be able to sell [and be sold] SEO services more effectively.
3) Con: Google algorithmic changes are frequent, and transform the industry. The single most significant obstacle to teaching a standard course on SEO is the fluid nature of the industry.
3. Panda Does Not Approve of Average Content
-Business 2 Community
The most recent tweak to the Panda Algorithm is in full swing. Nothing about this update is drastically different from what we have seen before, but Google is making it clear that authentic, well-vetted content from small and medium sized businesses remains a staunch priority.
This checklist, provided by Google, is a great resource for those writing content for their business:
- Would you trust the information presented in this article?
- Is this article written by an expert or enthusiast who knows the topic well?
- Does this article have spelling, stylistic, or factual errors?
- Does the page provide substantial value when compared to other pages in search results?
- Was the article edited well, or does it appear sloppy or hastily produced?
4. The Semantic Future of Link Building
-Moz
In his most recent submission to the MOZ Blog, Paddy Moogan discusses the impact on link authority, as Google continues to prioritize semantic search over exact-match keywords. As Google continues to understand search intent more and more, the rules surrounding link building will change. Paddy argues that the quantity of links, the anchor text of the links, and deep linking will matter less and less in the coming years.
5. What Is Your Take on B2B Marketing Strategy?
-Search Engine Land
The recent banishment of the Google Authorship markup inspired annoyance in people like Derek Edmond, of KO Marketing. The impact on B2B Marketing from this discontinuation is very real to a certain niche, but as the wild world of SEO ebbs and flows, Derek reminds us of four tactics employed by B2B marketers that have had success in the past. Will marketers continue to build on these tactics, or abort them entirely?
1) Purchasers prioritizing “thought leaders” in their industry. This tactic was primarily employed by the use of Google Authorship and Derek believes some kind of platform will fill this void in the future.
2) Infographics are well respected, and oft-cited, however the market for infographics is so saturated that it is becoming increasingly difficult to create effective infographics.
3) Derek argues that guest-blog posting is tricky game. The useful expertise provided by credible commenters can boost your authority as a business. On the contrary, Google considers guest blogging to be spammy, and it is easy to have unreliable sources hurt your authority.
4) Derek warns against the dangers of spammy content, and questions the SEO usefulness of using Twitter to market your business. Matt Cutts of Google has stated that the search engine does not consider social signals when it comes to rankings. However, Derek argues that using Twitter as a tool to build relationships proves to be invaluable.
Thank you to Panda Cheese for the great angry panda commercial!
