One only has to mention the possibility of an algorithmic change of some kind and many online marketers run screaming for cover. Avid Internet marketers know only too well what may happen when the great guru Google decides to change its tactics and move the proverbial goalposts to one side. Many websites which might have ranked quite high prior to the adjustment might suddenly shift down the list, to the following page or even vanish entirely.
Google, just like the other dominant search engines, utilizes a complex proprietary system for ranking websites according to their assigned relevance and authority. Volumes have been written to try and break down the reasoning that goes into Google’s methodology and to try to decipher the algorithms used. To this day, no one outside of corporate HQ is 100% certain how the system works but we have a fairly good idea about the fundamentals.
It’s common knowledge that Google intends to ensure that when it has a request to search for information about specific keywords through its search engine interface, it returns the most useful and relevant information in the form of a list of the most appropriate websites. Don’t forget, that as Google makes so much money out of its Adwords initiative, it is in their best interest to select the most relevant information to ensure that they earn the most money from those ubiquitous pay-per-click ads.
When Google said recently that they were rolling out what they called “under the hood” revisions to their search technology, many people stood up and took notice. Code-named “Caffeine,” Google simply refers to it as next-generation. “It’s the first step in the process that will let us push the envelope on size, indexing speed, accuracy, comprehensiveness and other dimensions…. most users won’t notice a difference in search results.”
It is too early to say whether the proposed changes will have any significant effect on positioning or whether, as some fear, wholesale changes to the science of search engine optimization or content creation may be necessary once again. Early results appear to show a change in the way that different media are represented within a typical search results page. For example, video and news story items may now appear towards the center of the page instead of towards the top.
As Google has become very adept at what they do, it seems unlikely that there are any wholesale changes to come and that “Caffeine” may not make you feel jittery after all.
Adam Toren, Co-Founder of Young Entrepreneur, specializes in maximising the profitability of failing businesses with his own unique ‘bottom line’ method. Adam, along with his brother, have established, bought and then sold on an assortment of companies in recent years. At present, they own and operate a very successful publishing company and variety of online businesses.