Google Panda and Penguin UpdatesIf you’re remotely interested in Search Engine Optimization (SEO) by now you’ve probably heard a number of times over the past few months the terms “Panda” and “Penguin.”  Indeed, Google pretty much turned the SEO world upside down last April with the first Penguin update and the various new versions and algorithm variations that have followed since then.

It would be impossible to summarize in just a few lines what these updates will mean to your website.  But overall, Google is telling developers to make their websites attractive to their “visitors” and stop worrying about making them so attractive to Search Engines (or to Google in particular).

I will have more comments about Penguin, Panda and the entire Google “zoo” in future posts, but for now, be sure to check your Analytics reports to see how your website has been affected.  Any significant drop in Search Engine traffic means that some adjustments will be necessary.  The good news though is that if your website is attractive and easy to navigate for your visitors, it has clear content and well written copy, you should be fine and even benefit from future Google updates.

But above all else, don’t create any type of optimization that Google may consider suspicious.  If it seems a bit unnatural to you, chances are it will look unnatural to Google too and it may not work as you expected.