The much unplanned Google Page Rank update took place in December 2013 and it basically shocked (partially) the search engine communities around the world. This update is said to be the toughest or strictest for most of us; I saw several PR 8 sites dropping all the way down to PR 3 and brand new blogs achieving PR 2 and 3's.
With that being said, what would possibly be the next ‘big' thing Google had for us all in 2014? For once, Google is always changing their algorithms and it is proven multiple times that doing ‘what worked yesterday' could probably not be the best technique after all.
By now, most of you are already searching for terms such as ‘SEO tips 2014' or maybe, ‘2014 SEO tips'. Prove me wrong and tell me (using the comment form below) that you had not searched for that … at all. Be truthful guys!
How do you prepare (your blog) for the next Google Page Rank update?
1. The ol' and almighty backlink strength
I would start off by listing backlinks as the most important factor. Google loves natural backlinks and it was proven when those bloggers who really worked hard for guest postings on high Page Rank sites got rewarded. A handful of bloggers who I know (highly active in guest posting community) were getting at least PR 1 for their blogs and some of the blogs are as new as 2 months old.
Before your mind starts to wander around, I don't mean any type of guest posting.
Instead, high quality guest posting to be exact. Imagine submitting 100's of well spun articles and what's next?
Nothing!
Chances are most of them are going to get rejected by webmasters and blog owners. Therefore, the moral of the story is simple; If you want to get good backlinks from guest posting, make sure you are really contributing to the readers.
For me, guest posting is not about backlinks only. Instead, it is a great way to build traffic and influence over time.
If you have no idea where to start, you can do so by checking out my guest posting guide here (Guest Posting Guidelines and Checklists).
2. Focusing in diversified traffic
Do you believe in social media SEO?
Personally, I do and I strongly believe that it would be one of those metrics used to judge a website's Page Rank. One of the most common quotes I hear from fellow bloggers are strong SEO techniques will guarantee traffic flow to the blog. Sadly in today's world, you need more than SEO techniques to build traffic.
Social media marketing is probably the latest form of blog traffic generation that has a significant impact on Google Page Rank. So, how do you really kick start social media marketing from scratch?
In easier terms, the more social media shares you get, you stand a better chance to get rank higher on search engines (and ultimately getting a higher PageRank).
Now, take a moment and have a look at any of Ileane's blog post. On average, she would be getting at least 200 social shares on each post.
Using your imagination, could you image how many social signals that will hint Google that this blog is probably ‘The One‘?
When it comes to social media marketing, you need to ensure that each social share are genuine. Well, I wouldn't say you shouldn't use 3rd party services such as JustRetweet but use them with caution. Don't even think of blasting 10 or 20 articles per day to get those numbers.
The most important part sharing the right social update at the right time. If you want to read more on the topic, I suggest you to head over to this article, Case Study: How To Increase Google+ Traffic Over 700%.
3. Optimization for search engines users
Gone were the days where you write only for search engines. Start writing for humans and start right now!
You want your readers to stay put and come back for more instead of the one time “Hi and bye” type. Optimization for users usually start with:
- Using catchy titles
- Providing interesting images
- Proper segmentation and sub-categories for longer articles
Not convinced? Let's take a look at Ms. Ileane's image on Pinterest:
Just like titles, the better images there are, the better the click through rates (CTR) will be. As majority of the readers are skimmers, having eye-catching images could ‘bribe' the readers to continue to stay on for a longer period.
*Now, you would be wondering – why do I keep mentioning Ms. Ileane? Could it because this is her blog?
The answer is simple. I choose Ms. Ileane because she is the diva (in a good way) when it comes to social media marketing. She is everywhere especially Facebook and Triberr which I highly look up to.
4. Participating in various blogging communities
Being active in various blogging communities could actually boost your traffic and even chances of backlinks. As you can see, Ms. Ileane has a Facebook group where members are able to post Q&A's.
Now, think back and think real hard. What does all these lead us to?
The above will build brand name and indirectly, readers will keep coming back for more. And if you think that's all, you are terribly wrong!
They create chances of having more trackbacks and even yes, you got it right now; link building. Also, don't forget as the brand name grows, your reputation grows as well.
Not sure what a blogging community is? Have a look at this article, RSS Syndication by Blog Engage.
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Tell me what you think
While we all know the importance of Google Page Rank, I would love to stress that you should not overdo it. Avoid pulling your hair out just because you want a higher PR. Instead, focus in building your influence, providing better information and start building connections with the rest of the bloggers out there.
How about you? Do you have any other SEO techniques to share to prepare yourself for the next Google update? Tell us using the comment form below.