What the Panda update means to small businesses

After knocking out some well established e-businesses in the US, Google’s well publicised Panda update has now caused fun and games over the pond here in the UK. Recognised brands have been hit such as Ciao and Play.com (see this list for the winners and losers) leading to development/marketing teams frantically working around the clock to show Google that they are the good guys when it comes to producing high quality content.

Google’s algorithm does favour the big brands but however significant the fall out demonstrated last week, there has to still be room for a budding internet entrepreneur who can create unique, high quality content that has a high propensity to be shared via social media platforms and as a result acquires a link footprint of high quality.

If you are in a position where traffic has been lost and you currently outsource SEO services then I am sure that you will have a list of recommendations that you are in the process of taking action on. You will be taking a strategic change in your approach to search marketing and website development if you are committed to developing your small business into a genuine online brand. This could include seeking copy-writing services or even taking these skills in-house to commit to providing your consumers (and then internet in general) with great content that doesn’t clutter up the super highway with only commercial gain as it’s motivation.

I have experienced no downturn in any sites that I provide SEO services on but nonetheless there has never been a better time to refresh content strategy and this will set the theme for so many .coms – as well as having immaculate onsite SEO.

To understand more on this significant change to the search space on Google, read this official Google blog: http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2011/02/finding-more-high-quality-sites-in.html.