When Google Penguin 4.0 was released in October of 2016, one of its main goals was to target and reduce the rank for sites that were found to have poor links. While the Internet search engine giant’s intention was to improve user experience and de-index spammy sites, some webmasters with legitimate websites took a hit. If your website was one of the many small business sites flagged by the Google Penguin update, then you may still be trying to repair the damage that was done. However, there are ways to protect your site and avoid having it ranked down further.
1. Be Diverse with Links and Anchor Text
The best way to protect your small business site from getting slapped by Penguin is to have a great deal of diversity with your anchor text and link building. Anchor text is what creates links on your page (or “clickable” text,) and this is mostly what Google Penguin is targeting. If you create too much of this text on your site and do not diversify your keywords and anchor text, there is a good chance that you might incur a penalty.
Instead of trying to use these keywords to increase your ranking, try to focus on the right kind of link building that will both avoid this problem and bring increased traffic to your site. The links that you create should be focused on quality, not quantity. This may take some more time and effort on your part, but effective Google marketing is not accomplished overnight, so building up a quality website with researched keywords will help you avoid incurring future penalties.
2. Avoid Older Link-Building Tactics
Some small business owners take advantage of forum profiles and comments with built-in backlinks for link building, but this is now a dangerous tactic with Google Penguin. It’s easy to create these links, but it is unwise to rely on them too much. Even if you are making relevant comments on a site, if you make too many, you might be targeted. Instead, focus on creating backlinks from quality sites.
Link building through social sites, such as Twitter and Facebook, is usually more effective when it comes to both increasing traffic and protecting your site from being penalized. If you want to avoid the Google Penguin slap, then learning quality link building can be one of the best ways to do so.
3. Remain in the Know
One of the most effective ways to avoid being penalized by Penguin can be to stay informed about changes to the algorithm. This can help you avoid making errors that you might otherwise make out of ignorance when it comes to link building for business.
Google creates updates at least a few times over several years and the results from previous updates may take time to show, so track your rankings carefully and set up Google alerts for keywords pertaining to Penguin algorithm changes to ensure that you’re always in the know when it comes to keeping your site on track with the company’s link building guidelines. You can also follow the company on social media to read about the latest news and updates.
4. Look To Successful People for Guidance
Proper coding, link building, and backlinking can be frustrating, especially when your business is new and there are many other duties to perform. However, you can look for guidance by following in the footsteps of other successful entrepreneurs, such as technology and communications expert Peter Foyo, who has used his knowledge and talent to build his company, Principal Standard Group, to international success. Studying his techniques and those of other powerful entrepreneurs can keep you motivated, even when the odds seem insurmountable.
Staying in the good grace of Google Penguin and its algorithms can be daunting for you as a small business owner. However, staying updated and building healthy linking practices can help you succeed.
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