Christopher Panteli’s Post

What is Ranking on Google Now? I know SERP has been volatile for quite a time now, and many of us are worried about what to post and which direction to give our website. After carefully analyzing the SERP results there are a few things that I noticed. To start with how the Google ranking is behaving now, we need to go back to 2020-2021, when SEOs started building websites on a single niche, thinking building websites on single niches would provide them authority in the search rankings. To be honest, it did. Websites that were built on single niches saw a surge in traffic. But why this chaos now? The answer is simple: we started seeing this as a growth hack, and instead of building authority, people started producing huge amounts of content using the AI tools. The maths that was used “more articles would bring more eyeballs to the website”. Hence, the quality of search results decreased. And, no wonder why Google’s U.S. search market share in the U.S. fell to 77.52% in April, down from 86.94% in March and down from 88.8% in April 2023. Meanwhile, Microsoft Bing grew to 13.05% in April, up from 8.04% in March. Yahoo (!) grew to 7.3%, up from 2.48% in March. So, it was high time for Google to take a big step towards this low-quality content. It started identifying the websites that are involved in content abuse that are producing huge amounts of content around a single topic like we do in the single niche websites and started sending them manual penalties, and those sites that escaped from manual penalties were hit by the algorithmic update followed after the penalties. So, does this mean that niche-based websites are of no use? If yes, then what should we publish? Well, to answer this we must understand what is currently ranking on Google’s search engine. There are two types of websites that are currently seen ranking for the queries, 1. The ones that are backed by the media houses provided enough evidence to Google that there are people who are actually working to provide quality content to the users. 2. The ones that are run by the experts, I tell you how Google is identifying these websites. Through E-E-A-T, you need to have the social media profile links of the author on the website, and if the writer talks about, for example, fitness, the social media of the writer should also be talking about the same niche. I have seen quite a few websites that are ranking and cover multiple niches like beauty, lifestyle, and cooking, with the same author. As the person running the website wears the clothes herself and then writes the review with the original images in the blog. The only thing we have to keep in mind while starting a website or writing a post is that we have to provide a first-hand experience to the user. Because, at the end of the day, it is the user that matters to Google. #google #SERP #content #contentmarketing #contentwriter #blogging #Googleranking #EEAT #SEO #analysis 

😱 🚨 The Flashy Title: Google Ranking Factors Leaked & Thoughts In an unprecedented leak, thousands of pages of Google’s internal search algorithm documentation have been exposed. This information reveals over 14,000 ranking factors and 2,596 modules, including data on site authority, click-based ranking signals, and the controversial sandboxing of new sites. These revelations contradict many of Google’s public statements. THE TAKE: Let's take a deep breath for a moment. Did you take it? Good Slowing down and looking at this data actually confirms what we've always known,to name a few: 👉 User-Centric Content: Create content that genuinely solves users' problems (queries) and supports their user journey. 👉 Long-Term Strategy: The short-term game is not viable in the long run. Sustainable tactics like building authoritative content and fostering genuine user engagement are key. 👉 Brand Reputation: Respecting and building your brand's reputation is pivotal. Regularly monitor reviews and user feedback, build your service/product, and maintain transparency. 👉 Quality Signals: Click-through rates, dwell time, and bounce rates are crucial. Quality content that keeps users engaged will rank better. 👉 Mobile-First Indexing: Google emphasizes mobile friendliness. 👉 Structured Data: Structured data helps search engines understand your content better. 👉 E-A-T: Demonstrating E-A-T is vital for improving search visibility. Create content by credible authors and earn authoritative backlinks. 👉 Technical Excellence: Core Web Vitals and site performance play a significant role in rankings. 🧀 SHOULD WE BE ANGRY WITH GOOGLE? Google yes, the team not so much. While more transparency from Google on ranking factors would have been helpful for publishers,I understand the Google teams stance. John Mueller, Gary Illyes and the team (bless their souls) aim to protect the integrity of organic search results and work with limited information. Their secrecy helps prevent manipulation by black hat (and gray hat) SEOs. From a business perspective,they can only share so much without being fired, right? Don't get me wrong though, I loathe the monetization part of Google results being pushed to its limit which I personally feel is detracting from organic content and becoming a pay-to-win game,unfair to the smaller startups. Imagine being assigned to deliver better results in an internet flooded with AI content. AI has transformed our world, offering new tools and capabilities far surpassing where we were. (Imagine a world without fire, and suddenly you have this new technology—how that changed things!) Our approach to SEO and internet content must adapt as SEOs. The optimistic part of me says let's give Google and the team the opportunity to figure things out and hopefully listen to our feedback. Shout out to Lily Ray, Rand Fishkin, Daniel Foley Carter and Barry Schwartz for their advocacy, quality checks and insights for the SEO industry and Google.

🔍✨ The Evolution of Search Engines: The Secrets Behind Google’s Dominance - (my two cents from being there at the beginning) Search engines have become our trusty guides, and Google reigns supreme. 🌐🤖 But how did we arrive at where Google is not just a company but a verb for searching online? I'll share my thoughts on this from when I first started at Backrub and what I saw in 1998. 📖 The Revolution of Information Access Remember the days of flipping through encyclopedias? Thomas Guides, payphones, pagers, and brick phones. 📚 Now, we have the world's knowledge at our fingertips! But how did we get here? 🤔 ⏳ From Archie to Google’s Empire For me, it all started in the early 1990s with AltaVista, Excite, Archie, and AliWeb. Then, by fluke, I got a job working for Backrub in 1997. In 1998, 💥 Google's Rise: Enter PageRank—a revolutionary algorithm that changed the game by ranking websites based on relevance and authority. Suddenly, finding the right answer became infinitely easier. However, this was still the wild wild west days when SEO was a free-for-all. (so much fun) 🔍 Why I Think We Trust Google with Our Searches Unmatched Algorithms: Ever-evolving and always anticipating our needs, Google’s algorithm ingeniously connects us to the information we seek. Comprehensive Indexing: From scholarly articles to breaking news, Google’s infinite database ensures we’re never at a loss for knowledge. 🧠🗞️ Seamless Experience: Its uncluttered interface and personalized search elements make finding answers a breeze. 🌟👌 ⚡ How to Become a Gangster at Google Searches Get Creative with Keywords: BE SPECIFIC! Instead of “best books,” try “top historical fiction books of 2024” for more targeted results. 📚🔎 Google Puts Advanced Features at Your Fingertips: Narrow down results using filters for date, region, or file type—precision is power! 📆🌍 Exact Phrases Matter: Use “quotation marks” for precise phrase searches, ensuring accuracy. 👌🔍 ❓ FAQs About Using Google for Searches 1. How does Google ensure the quality of search results? Google employs a sophisticated algorithm that factors in relevance, content quality, user behavior, and over 200 other indicators to prioritize the most reliable sources. 🏅 2. What are Google search operators, and how can they be used effectively? Search operators are special characters and commands that refine searches. They include using symbols like “+,” “-,” and “~” to include, exclude, or find similar terms, helping users obtain more targeted results. 🔍 3. How often does Google update its search algorithms? Google frequently rolls out minor algorithm updates, with major updates occurring several times a year, aiming to enhance the security, relevance, and quality of search results. 🔄 🔮By understanding the evolution of search engines and leveraging their features, you can vastly improve your search experiences.💡 #GoogleSearch #SearchEngines #DigitalRevolution #TechTips #InformationalJourney 🌟🔍

🔍✨ The Evolution of Search Engines: The Secrets Behind Google’s Dominance - (my two cents from being there at the beginning) Search engines have become our trusty guides, and Google reigns supreme. 🌐🤖 But how did we arrive at where Google is not just a company but a verb for searching online? I'll share my thoughts on this from when I first started at Backrub and what I saw in 1998. 📖 The Revolution of Information Access Remember the days of flipping through encyclopedias? Thomas Guides, payphones, pagers, and brick phones. 📚 Now, we have the world's knowledge at our fingertips! But how did we get here? 🤔 ⏳ From Archie to Google’s Empire For me, it all started in the early 1990s with AltaVista, Excite, Archie, and AliWeb. Then, by fluke, I got a job working for Backrub in 1997. In 1998, 💥 Google's Rise: Enter PageRank—a revolutionary algorithm that changed the game by ranking websites based on relevance and authority. Suddenly, finding the right answer became infinitely easier. However, this was still the wild wild west days when SEO was a free-for-all. (so much fun) 🔍 Why I Think We Trust Google with Our Searches Unmatched Algorithms: Ever-evolving and always anticipating our needs, Google’s algorithm ingeniously connects us to the information we seek. Comprehensive Indexing: From scholarly articles to breaking news, Google’s infinite database ensures we’re never at a loss for knowledge. 🧠🗞️ Seamless Experience: Its uncluttered interface and personalized search elements make finding answers a breeze. 🌟👌 ⚡ How to Become a Gangster at Google Searches Get Creative with Keywords: BE SPECIFIC! Instead of “best books,” try “top historical fiction books of 2024” for more targeted results. 📚🔎 Google Puts Advanced Features at Your Fingertips: Narrow down results using filters for date, region, or file type—precision is power! 📆🌍 Exact Phrases Matter: Use “quotation marks” for precise phrase searches, ensuring accuracy. 👌🔍 ❓ FAQs About Using Google for Searches 1. How does Google ensure the quality of search results? Google employs a sophisticated algorithm that factors in relevance, content quality, user behavior, and over 200 other indicators to prioritize the most reliable sources. 🏅 2. What are Google search operators, and how can they be used effectively? Search operators are special characters and commands that refine searches. They include using symbols like “+,” “-,” and “~” to include, exclude, or find similar terms, helping users obtain more targeted results. 🔍 3. How often does Google update its search algorithms? Google frequently rolls out minor algorithm updates, with major updates occurring several times a year, aiming to enhance the security, relevance, and quality of search results. 🔄 🔮By understanding the evolution of search engines and leveraging their features, you can vastly improve your search experiences.💡 #GoogleSearch #SearchEngines #DigitalRevolution #TechTips #InformationalJourney 🌟🔍

Google still uses an algorithm they developed 27 years ago And this is how you can optimize your site for it: (Based on a recent Ahrefs study) Google’s co-founders developed an algorithm 27 years ago: PageRank And according to a recent study by Ahrefs, Google still uses PageRank to rank websites. In fact, it is one of the algorithms comprising EEAT. How do we know this? Gary Illyes, from Google, has confirmed this. PageRank (PR) is considered one of the top reasons that made Google the most powerful search engine in the world. This is because even though many new search engines emerged at the same time, yet Google was the best at showing the most authoritative and relevant results to the users. → And how did Google do this? By evaluating the quality and quantity of links to a page. The more the number of high-quality links to a page, the higher it ranked, thanks to PageRank. Essentially, it all comes down to this—links still matter for rankings. And, Ahrefs tested this by removing the links using a disavow tool. It led to an obvious drop in the rankings: → Why should you care about PageRank? Here are 3 reasons why: 1. Google has been using PageRank for 27 years 2. Understanding PageRank can help you rank higher 3. With AI in the picture, PageRank has become even more important → Here’s what you need to know: 1. Google’s algorithms like Penguin, and the latest one, Spam Brain are detecting and neutralizing the value of unnatural links. 2. PageRank has evolved over the years, and today some links are valued more than others (based on the relevancy and quality of links) 3. Some links are completely ignored—like the ones with Nofollow, UGC, and Sponsored attributes. And the ones that are deemed unnatural by Google’s algorithms. 4. Until 2016, it was possible to view the PageRank score on the toolbar, but Google soon removed it. Today, the closest that comes to the PageRank score is the URL Rating (UR) score by Ahrefs. → 3 ways to improve your website’s PR score: 1. Redirects The easiest and the lowest-hanging fruit to help you improve your PR score is implementing proper redirects. - identify broken pages - redirect these to current pages on your site This will help you reclaim authority from PageRank. 2. Internal Links The next easiest thing to implement is internal links. Backlinks are not always in your control, so strategic implementation of internal links is the best way to make PageRank work in your favor. - assess the internal linking structure of your site - finding opportunities to add internal links to the most important pages 3. Backlinks Of course, the last way to improve PageRank is through backlink building. - perform competitor link analysis - find ways to gain links from authority sites - publish resources/tools that will act as link-baits —-- PageRank is a black box and its workings are still a mystery. Why do you think Google stopped revealing PageRank scores? 

#PowerofSEO Indexing + Structured Data = More Visibility The keys to better search performance were ensuring that Google is able to crawl the URLs, which is something that can easily be overlooked in the rush to correlate a drop in rankings to a recent algorithm update. Never rule anything out during a site audit. Another thing that is important is to assure that the proper structured data is being used. Using the appropriate structured data can help make a webpage qualify for improved search visibility through one of Google’s enhanced search features like featured snippets. Read the case study - https://lnkd.in/gvzfdtJ2

In the midst of the constant need to learn new tools, we just focus on developing the standard know-how, but it's imperative to understand the new trends as well. A free market invariably puts you against everyone else, so whenever there's a new update in the Google search algorithm, abiding by good practices is just one part. Learning from experiences that constantly evolve is a very big factor too. One thing is certain, it takes time to settle down, and Google's support for a healthy open web has to mean something. #SEO #Google #SearchEngine #Algorithm #PageRank #DigitalMarketing https://lnkd.in/gpHkUA4Q

Just finished reading an eye-opening piece by Roger Montti on Search Engine Journal about the seismic Google March 2024 update. Trust me, it's a major league game-changer in the world of SEO! 🌍💻 Roger compares this update to the monumental shifts we saw with Florida, Panda, and Penguin. It's a clear signal that Google is doubling down on quality, expertise, and relevance. 📈 What's truly fascinating is how even sites that previously slipped through are now facing scrutiny. The algorithm's evolution means it's getting smarter at spotting and sidelining low-quality, AI-generated content. And yes, even the veterans aren't safe. 🎯 The pace at which these manual actions are being implemented is nothing short of astonishing. It's a wake-up call for all of us to reassess our content strategies, focusing more than ever on authenticity and value. 🚀 But here's the good part: this challenge is also an opportunity. By understanding the traits of penalized sites, we can fine-tune our strategies to meet Google's new standards. 🌱 Let's view this as a moment to pause, reflect, and pivot. The digital landscape is in constant flux, and staying adaptable is key. Let's embrace this change, learn from it, and grow together. 💪 https://lnkd.in/eAgtp8vM #seotips #googleupdates #contentstrategy

🕵️♂️ How Google Search Ranking Works! Ever wondered how Google decides which pages to show first? 🤔 It’s a mix of tech wizardry, user behaviour, and constant updates! Here’s a quick breakdown: 📚 Indexing: Google's "Alexandria" system indexes web content for searchability. 🎯 Relevance Filters: "Twiddlers" adjust search results based on relevance and other factors. 👥 User Behavior: "NavBoost" analyzes how users interact with results to refine rankings. Curious to learn more about Google's secret sauce? Check out the full article. How Google Search ranking works - https://lnkd.in/dN2fVzTt