Posted April 18th, 2012
by Diane Kulseth
In March, the head of Google’s web-spam team, Matt Cutts, announced that Google would be releasing a new algorithm to target sites that have been overly optimized for search, in order to make it fair for the rest of the web.
What does the new Google Algorithm mean?
Google passes many algorithm changes throughout the year to consistently provide the best search results to its users based on a variety of factors. However, this algorithm can certainly provide a negative effect to businesses with a number of dealer websites, as it is believed to specifically target sites with (near) duplicate content. We’ve seen many businesses that will purchase unique domains for each of their locations and then publish their content to each domain with the same links, similar copy, the same images, everything duplicate.
Ouch!
That’s exactly what the web spam team at Google is working to prevent. So how can you save your websites and your search rankings before the algorithm takes place?
Quick fixes for the new Google Algorithm
Check out your anchor texts –
For example, let’s say you’re a national chain of hair salons with similar websites. Do your Austin and Dallas, TX sites both link to Houston with “Premier Houston Hair Salon” as the link’s (anchor) text? Change one of them so that way they’re not identical.
Make your content unique –
Continuing with the national chain salon idea, if the content for all of your pages is identical, or very similar, consider giving the pieces some variety. For example, add special facts about your hairstylists, the location, and what you love about life in that area. If all of your salons are going to use the same blog, link to the blog as opposed to publishing the content on each unique domain.
Go for the geo-targeted keywords –
If all of your salon pages are going for the keyword of “best hair salon in Texas”, you’ll all be ruining each other’s chances of making it to the top. Instead, focus your efforts on geo-targeted keywords, such as region/city names or zip codes. After all, would your Texas residents drive all the way across the state for a haircut, or would they travel to the reputable neighborhood stylist?
Deeper fixes for the new Google Algorithm
Of course there are a variety of deeper issues that websites will face as a result of this algorithm change. If you’re concerned about the state of your dealer website system, please feel free to contact Crossfuse. We would love to help your business develop your websites into unique lead generation tools for your business.