Use News Content to Increase Traffic in a Post-Panda World

The web continues to adjust to a post-Panda world, and one of the lessons learned is that evergreen content has been penalized, while websites incorporating frequently updated content such as news have seen a surge in traffic. SEO veteran Troy Ireland’s comprehensive guide to publishing news content shows how to take advantage of Google’s Panda changes while engaging visitors.

February 1, 2012 -- Google rolled out its Panda update in 2011, an enhancement to its page-ranking algorithm intended to improve search results. There was an immediate impact on many websites, and the search engine giant continued to roll out incremental updates throughout the year (eight altogether). As the dust settles, it’s become clear that websites incorporating frequently updated content such as news are winners, while evergreen content has taken a hit. After the initial Panda rollout, it was estimated that 12 percent of US search queries were affected, meaning that web traffic directed by Google searches was being significantly redistributed.

To understand the impact of the change, consider the numbers. After Panda 2.5 was released, websites and blogs featuring evergreen content (such as how-to guides and reference material) dropped in search engine rankings, with some suffering a decrease in online visibility of 80 percent or more. In one case documented by the UK’s The Guardian, an established website specializing in medical information (i.e. evergreen content) saw its Google search rank drop from the top ten to 300th place after Panda, with a resulting 75-percent drop in traffic and 90-percent loss in revenue. On the other hand, sites featuring constantly refreshed content got a boost. While Google’s own YouTube was up 10 percent in post-Panda visibility, websites for newspapers such as the Wall Street Journal and the Washington Post also gained.

However, simply pasting a news feed on a website isn’t going to cut it in terms of boosting traffic; neither will slapping up poorly researched or badly written content masquerading as news. One of Google’s goals with Panda was to filter out poor quality content, and besides, visitors won’t stick around if the content isn’t relevant.

Troy Ireland, an SEO veteran with experience in analyzing the effects of multiple Google algorithm changes has this advice: “You shouldn’t even think about the search engines until you have a well-written news story your readers will find useful.” In a recent guide that outlines seven steps for increasing web traffic by means of news content, Ireland explains the benefits of incorporating this type of content. More importantly, he lists seven steps that detail exactly how to do so in order to make the most of Panda.

Troy’s guide can be found at http://www.theseoagency.com/2011/12/how-to-increase-your-web-traffic-by-publishing-news-content/

About the Author: Troy Ireland is a well-known web analyst with years of experience in the fields of SEO and search marketing. To read his posts on Google, Panda and other SEO-related topics, visit his blog at www.theseoagency.com. To contact Troy with any questions or suggestions, please call 1.877.405.6613, write to 1001 W. Southern Ave., Suite 118, Mesa, Arizona 85210 or e-mail Troy.Ireland@theseogency.com.

Contact Information:
TheSEOAgency.com
Troy Ireland
1001 W. Southern Ave., Suite 118
Mesa, Arizona 85210
Telephone #: 1.877.405.6613
Email Address: Troy.Ireland@theseoagency.com