Marketers and communicators seem to be asking the same question after Google once again updated its Panda algorithm: “Will this affect how many people see my press releases?”
The simple answer is that it determines how effective your communications are.
Panda was first released in February 2011 with the intention of lowering the rank of “low-quality sites” or “thin sites” with the intention of delivering higher quality content to users. Shortly after Panda 4.0 came out, a report by Search Engine Land claimed that wire sites lost “significant rankings” due to the update.
This got us thinking, what are the top three most common press release red flags that Panda will be looking out for or, alternatively, what can you do to help ensure your content is seen:
1. Garbage In – Garbage Out
The purpose behind the update is to limit those who use press releases as an SEO tool rather than as a viable communication vehicle. Relevant and well-written content still carries the day – in press releases and anywhere else online.
2. Keep it Clean
Now, more than ever, it’s important to dissuade the use of links that look like spam or back-linking.
3. Share What’s Shareable
The key to staying successful with your releases? Make sure you are sharing news that people want to see – and hopefully share. Don’t be shy about including rich media such as video and graphics that are more likely to engage the viewer. If your content gets picked up by other third-party sites…even better!
Isn’t that what we are supposed to be doing anyway?
There are numerous articles being published about Panda. I found the one on PRWeek of interest, you can read it by clicking here.
