Trying to get the most out of the search engine optimization (SEO) of your website has always been difficult. It has become even more complicated in the last couple of years, however, with AI innovations forcing Google and all other search engines to start updating their algorithms even more frequently. As a result, millions of websites lose their Google rankings due to a lack of adaptation.
So, in order to always rank your website highly, businesses need to stay on top of Google’s algorithm shifts as well as possible, and that requires a lot of know-how, and sometimes, a bit of outside help. So, to help you figure out how to keep your website relevant and valuable, here’s how navigating Google’s algorithm shifts works.
How Google’s Algorithm Is Evolving?
From Google’s point of view, its search algorithms are evolving to understand user intent better, improve search quality, and deliver more relevant results. And that is a perfectly valid standpoint, even if it makes the SEO of users’ websites more difficult to rank.
To achieve its goal of better search quality, Google employs tactics, such as offering more helpful content updates, introducing the E-E-A-T principle (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness) to its search algorithm, as well as AI-detection tools to address the increasing AI content challenges.
This is a lot to adapt to from a website’s point of view. However, that is exactly why it is important to be proactive, rather than reactive, when it comes to Google’s SEO rules. If you are constantly trying to just dodge their new rules and regulations in real time, then you are forcing yourself, your website, and your business into a never-ending “rat race” with Google’s algorithm.
However, through understanding the basic principles driving these algorithm shifts, you can proactively adapt your website’s SEO to future changes. In that way, your website will always rank positively, regardless of how Google chooses to change its SEO algorithm in the future.
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What Makes a Website “Valuable”?
It is easy to get confused and scared by all of Google’s SEO updates in recent years. However, what is key is to understand that there is always a logic behind the madness of each of those changes (even if they don’t always adhere to that logic as well as possible).
In other words, Google may change a lot, but it is always trying to make sure it helps users get to the most valuable websites out there. Or, at least, to the websites Google deems as “valuable.” Yes, ads always come first, but after that, Google does attempt to rank the most “valuable” websites as high as possible.
So, here are the factors Google looks at constantly, as it shifts its algorithm:
Content Quality & Relevance
Google always tries to prioritize original, user-focused, and well-structured content above all others. This may seem simple and intuitive, but the fact of the matter is that most online content out there meets none or only a few of these criteria.
Most modern content is AI-generated, which usually makes it well-structured and user-focused, but it also makes it anything but original. On the other hand, much of the rest of the content online is written by freelancers or interns, which does make it original, but it is usually far from well-structured or user-focused (or written in a user-friendly manner, at the very least).
So, as simple as this criterion sounds, it alone actually disqualifies the vast majority of websites and businesses out there.
Topical Authority
There is an infinite number of topics discussed out there on the internet. And search engines have the tough job of figuring out how well and how authoritatively each piece of content covers each of them. This usually includes factors, such as semantic depth and how interconnected the content is. And those are complicated, but the good news is that they are relatively constant. Meaning that, if your content has topical authority from the get-go, it will usually rank quite well in the future too.
Backlink Profile Quality
Backlinking is a controversial topic in SEO. On the one hand, there are lots of backlinking strategies that are blacklisted by Google and many other search engines. That is because these strategies employ methods that are inorganic and utilize unauthoritative sources.
However, proper “white hat” backlink services specialize in offering organic, contextual, authoritative links to websites in businesses that offer excellent value for both the user and for search engines, such as Google.
Technical Performance
The technical side of things is also complicated, but it is even more consistent when it comes to enduring Google’s never-ending algorithm shifts. In other words, if you make sure that your website has fast load times, proper mobile optimization, and good HTTPS optimization, this will always rank high with Google’s algorithm.
User Experience Signals
The key metrics that help SEO specialists figure out how well a website is doing are the ones Google is also looking at. Metrics like bounce rate, dwell time, click-through rate, and others are not only good for the website’s owner, but they are also highly valued by Google’s algorithm.
Actionable Steps to Stay Ahead
So, with all of the above out of the way, what are some practical recommendations every website’s owner needs to follow to always stay ahead of Google’s impending algorithm shifts? Here are a few suggestions:
Build topical clusters, not isolated articles
This is to say, don’t just hire a content writer to produce random content that’s loosely connected to the topic of your website. Instead, make sure that you create content that shapes up into topical clusters that are related to each other (both through internal links and through logical content connections).
Regularly audit and improve your link profile
Regardless of anything we have talked about here, the fact remains that Google’s algorithm shifts are always going to be a bit unpredictable. That is to say, you should regularly perform audits of all your content and ensure that it adheres to Google’s current regulations, that its backlinks are up to date, and so on.
Optimize site speed, structure, and mobile-friendliness
The technical aspects of online software are ever-evolving as well, and any website owner should frequently run audits on the technical side of their sites and make sure that their speed, structure, and compatibility are up to date as well.
Focus on long-term value rather than quick SEO wins
If there is a single conclusion from all of the above, it ought to be that the best way to navigate Google’s algorithm shifts and keep your website relevant and valuable is to focus on the long-term value of your site rather than on short-term SEO “wins.”
Yes, there will always be some short-term quirks and fixes that need to be done, but the better your site is made from the get-go, the better it is going to perform in the long run.
