Beat The Google Penguin Update with Social Media in 5 Simple Steps
So you will have probably heard about the recent Google Penguin update to their search engine algorithm. But what does it actually mean for your website and social media? Well, Google is always trying to make the Internet a better place, with an emphasis on quality and relevancy. So if you have poor content on your site that is either duplicated, keyword stuffed, spun or have used any other grey/black hat technique to boost your ranking, your site will suffer a rankings drop.
For more of an intensive look at how the Google Penguin could affect your business and what to look out for, click here >> What Google Penguin Means for Your Business.
How can social media help?
Google is now placing more emphasis on social media, because if a post is successful with lots of shares then this validates the quality of the post with social proof. Let me run through 5 simple steps that if implemented, will make your site more ‘Penguin’ friendly!
Step 1
Social Media Integration
If you don’t have any sort of social media on your site/blog, make sure you add icons with links to your Twitter and Facebook. If you’ve not got a Twitter or Facebook Fan Page then I would strongly recommend you sign up now and start building an audience and promoting your content through those networks. For those using WordPress you can find my top 5 social media plugins that will help your site become more social.
Step 2
Start spending more time on your social media accounts
If you’re like me, there are never enough hours in the day, managing your social media is just another time drain for some. But by scheduling updates at the start of your day for 10/15mins you can have a profile that looks active all day! This will help with links from others who share and RT your content, proving to Google it’s worth reading. Join a blogger network to get more exposure on your posts, read more about Triberr here.
I have prioritized my social media activity because I know it’s important for my reputation and content distribution, you should think about doing the same. Or if you’re stuck for time, a social media manager could help!
Step 3
Blog Commenting
What I want you to do is pick 5 popular blogs in your industry and subscribe to their RSS feed. Everyday, head over to their blog and read the content that appeals to you and write a thoughtful comment adding your own point of view to the conversation, then leave a link to a relevant article of your own. If you leave 5 comments a day then your backlinks will start to build, set aside 15-20 minutes for this process.
Step 4
Guest Posting
This is a powerful technique when executed correctly. Firstly you need to contact a number of popular bloggers in your industry, lets go with 10, then e-mail them with 2/3 headline ideas and links to your previous articles, offering them an exclusive post. Getting involved with guest posting is not quick and easy, building relationships and trust takes time so connect with them on social media too to carry on the conversation. Once you get a post featured you will benefit from the traffic from their readers and the link juice from the authority of their site! Do this once a week and you will see your web traffic skyrocketing! Check out my guest post on Social Media Today.
Step 5
Start Creating Videos
Create a video and upload it to YouTube and other video hosting sites. With video becoming more and more popular on the Internet, you need to get involved! Video content has the highest value in the eyes of Google, so get creative and start filming today! Screen capture videos with a voiceover work well as a low cost option, but if your budget allows, try push the boat out with an animation or a professional viral advert.
I hope these tips help you to improve your ranking alongside the Penguin update. Remember to sort through all your old links to ensure there is nothing that might look like spam, otherwise you will be penalized.
Please leave your comments below to let me know how your site was affected.
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