Between August and November of 2023, Google released 5 major updates. Last month (March), Google released multiple major updates all at once and announced they were manually penalizing sites.
Google usually does major “core updates” a few times a year. Whenever a core update is released, the SEO professionals all go on high alert and hold their breath for a couple of weeks waiting to see if their clients have lost rankings.
This is where high quality SEO practices make all the difference.
Tricking Google Is A Losing Battle
There are many ways to try to trick Google into giving you better rankings. Some of the tactics people have tried include…
- Hiding keyword-rich text on pages
- Stuffing a ton of keywords onto pages in ways that don’t make any sense to visitors
- Registering multiple domains for links
- Buying links
- Publishing lots of AI-generated content
These are all tactics to manipulate the search results to get good rankings without doing the hard work of creating a great website with good, quality, original content that helps website visitors.
These tactics might appear to work for a while, but the organizations that used these tactics (or hired SEO companies that used these tactics) are the ones who are freaking out after Google algorithm updates because their search rankings tanked, their website traffic is half of what it was, their sales are half of what they were, and their revenue is half of what it was!
Doing the Hard Work Bears Fruit
For SEO companies that do the hard work, Google updates often prove to be good for their clients. When you optimize a website well and produce great content, Google updates move your corner-cutting competitors down which moves your search rankings up.
This is because Google wants to show quality content sites in their results. By doing the hard work of creating that quality, original content on your website, you get some great benefits.
- Visitors appreciate the content and visit your organization.
- Visitors share your helpful content.
- Other websites link to your high-quality content.
- Your rankings increase.
- Your website gets more traffic.
All this culminates in a positive feedback loop that gets more traffic, more links, and shows Google your site is truly worth ranking well in the search results.
Through the end of 2023 and now again in March 2024, OurChurch.Com’s SEO clients have experienced the benefits of doing the hard work and not cutting corners. Through each of these updates, none of our clients saw their search rankings drop and the majority have come out of the updates with better search rankings!
The Best Time to Start High-Quality SEO…
An old proverb says, “The best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago. The second best time to plant a tree is today.”
The same could be said for SEO…
The best time to start doing high-quality SEO is years ago. The second best time to start doing high-quality SEO is now.
There are other websites competing for the same positions in the search results that you want. If you take the initiative to create a great site worthy of those rankings, you will do well against the competition. And next time Google does a major update, you’ll be able to leap ahead of all your corner-cutting competitors who tried to trick Google.
Ready to take the next step to build great search rankings that stand tall even as Google continues to change its search algorithm?
Complete the consultation request form below (mobile) or to the right (desktop), to schedule a complimentary phone call.
OurChurch.Com Director of Marketing Services
Kurt serves as OurChurch.Com’s Director of Marketing Services, bringing over 20 years of expertise in search marketing, and has developed numerous marketing services and served hundreds of churches, schools, ministries, and businesses.
He has authored more than 500 articles on the subject, contributing to platforms like the Christian SEO Guys blog and Church Marketing University, and is an active participant on LocalSearchForum.com.
In addition to his professional accomplishments, Kurt is an ordained minister, serving as pastor at Faith Lutheran Church in Wesley Chapel, FL, demonstrating his commitment to both faith and community. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree and a Master’s Degree from Georgia Southern University. He also holds a Specific Ministry Pastor Certificate and a General Pastor Certificate from Concordia Seminary.