So, Google has been busy over the past two months with their algorithm updates.
We’ve had the page experience update, a link spam update, and of course, their broad core algorithm update.
Shit’s been real. Eventful.
Now, you see, this is one of the 3 types of events I talked about a couple of months ago – an algorithm update.
An algorithm update, of any sort, brings about change in the SERPs.
It brings about a shake-up in the SEO industry.
It brings about an opportunity to make changes in your business to help you improve your SEO.
Typically, when an algorithm update rolls out, there is panic within businesses.
You see this panic show itself in the SEO industry as a whole.
Bloggers still roll with the ‘SEO is dead’ rhetoric when an algorithm update is released.
I propose to you that an algorithm update could be the perfect opportunity you need to make the changes you need to better optimise your website.
Here’s why I say this…
Optimisation brings about changes to your website.
As such, there is an inherent risk that comes with it.
Now, in most cases, the risk to optimisation is very low.
Why?
Because the optimisation is more evolutionary.
It’s carried out little by little over many months and years.
You’ll notice, the high risk optimisation projects, those recs SEOs make that would have a high impact on business, tend to be put off, put to the side.
A business tends to be less confident in signing off high risk optimisation projects because the changes they’ll cause may be too disruptive to the business.
Frankly, no single person wants to be the one who sign-off a piece of project that sees the website lose significant traffic.
Optimisation that will be more revolutionary tends to not be undertaken – at least not from a BAU point of view.
However, when there is an event caused by outside forces, i.e. an algorithm update, this type of change forces you to make changes – if you’ve been negatively affected by it.
It’s at this point that a lot of businesses, do indeed, make changes – they action those high ticket changes internally that revolutionise their websites.
You see, the reality of search, the reality of Google, is that they require websites to play a part in their business objective of creating a great web experience for all.
How do they achieve this?
They achieve this by exercising the influence they have on websites.
By updating their algorithm, they shape the expectation people have when they browse the web.
By updating their algorithm, they lead the users’ web experience for websites to follow suit.
By updating their algorithm, they set the rules for websites to follow should they want to continue to attain traffic from search.
Whilst some marketers like to see algorithm updates as an attack on their business, I see it more as Google’s attempt to influence websites in one of two ways.
If the algorithm update does not negatively affect you, it’s a reaffirmation that you’re headed in the right direction.
If the algo update affects you negatively, it’s a chance to review best practices and consider whether you need to make adjustments.
This consideration – of adjustments – should have Users at the heart of the decisions you make.
If you find that you’ve been ‘hit’ by an algorithm update, it may be the perfect opportunity to tackle those high impactful web changes that’ll improve your organic search presence.
It may be the perfect opportunity to revolutionise your website, rather than evolve it.
Revolutionising your website is not an every day project.
This is more of a one shot deal, an activity carried out once every couple of years, which of course, in the online world, is like decades in real life.
What kind of work is carried out to revolutionise your website?
Revolutionary work tends to be things like website migrations, brand redesign, CMS updates or changes.
Revolutionary work tends to be more systemic work.
It tends to be work that needs to be carried out to streamline the optimisation of one’s website.
You may find that such work has been needed for a long time.
You may find that it’s been a barrier for SEO all this time.
You may find that SEOs have been working around it all along.
And whilst you’ve been getting by there’s always been an underlying risk of regressing in the SERPs because of it.
In situations like these, you’re very likely to be negatively hit by an algorithm update.
At such point, when this drastic change occurs, your best option, by far, is to respond, in kind, with a drastic change from your side – on your website.
This wouldn’t be the time to make little changes.
It’ll be the time to be bold, to take a risk, a big risk with changes to your website.
An algorithm update sends shivers to many people.
The fear of change, of losing rankings, is frightening.
I want to challenge you to reframe your thinking upon an algorithm update.
Rather than viewing an algo update as an attack on your website, your business, think of it as an opportunity to take bigger steps in improving your site – for Users.
Also, if there is ever a time to show the board why investment on the site, for SEO purposes. is essential, it’s when there is an algorithm update.
You don’t even have to have been negatively affected by it.
Simply showing the drastic changes that have taken place, and correlating them to threats that websites face, that you also face, is a damn good motivator to get the board on-board with making changes for SEO purposes.
