How to Prepare So You Won’t Lose Traffic

You definitely need to know that Google is making one of the biggest updates to its search algorithms in history. If you are not prepared, your business could be hurt. But, “knowledge is power,” and if you do read this article, you stand to benefit rather than losing rank.

I’m sure you know the importance of showing up on page number one of Google when people search for products and services in your area of business. You may even have invested significant cash to work your way up the pages. What a shame it would be to lose your footing now because of a lack of knowledge!

Google has highly-complex and secret algorithms that determine how they rank sites. Nobody knows exactly how the algorithms work until they see how they affect the website rankings. Google releases just enough information to help us advise our clients in order to prepare them for the changes. After that, we must pay close attention, watch how these updates affect our clients’ sites and adjust accordingly. Up to this point, the sites we manage have fared well because we pay attention and do our job right. We want also want you to fare well, so we’re glad to offer a few pieces of advice to help you get ready for the storm:

• Get friendly! If your site isn’t “Mobile Friendly,” you’re going to be in trouble. In other words, your site needs to be “responsive”: automatically adapting its formatting to the device on which people are viewing your site. If your site is out of date and not mobile friendly, then Google will penalize your site—perhaps even make it invisible for all intents and purposes. For specific things you can do to prepare, go to: http://bit.ly/1y02mh1

• Don’t assume. As www.Searchenginejournal.com says, “Mobile-friendliness is not ranked on a scale—your site is either mobile friendly, or it isn’t. Your site has to fully pass Google’s criteria in order to be considered mobile-friendly.” You may think you’re covered, but better to make sure.

• Monitor your traffic NOW. If you see a drop in website visits and page rankings, you may have slipped because your site isn’t up to snuff. Protect yourself by having your site audited for mobile friendliness.

Contact us if you have questions, and we’ll help you adapt to this latest Google update so you can stay relevant to searchers looking for you.

Kelly Walker is a veteran Bend, Oregon creative director and a trusted mentor in the art of advertising. For a free eBook with valuable marketing tips, contact Kelly at 541-419-9976 or Kelly@intrepidforward.com

(Photo above: Courtesy of Intrepid Marketing)