In recent months I have written several posts on the Panda Update Content Farm , and many of these I asked a question (actually 2): It ‘can prevent a site ends up being hit by Panda Update? Google Should not give precise instructions to webmasters on what you mean by “quality content”?
Amit Singhal, in a recent article titled More guidance on building high-quality sites , has (finally) tried to answer these questions, to frighten (and in some cases the traffic and therefore the money …) to many webmaster.
Panda Update and other changes to the algorithm
Singhal begins with a clarification: The Panda Update is just one of 500 “search improvement” that will be made by Google during the year.
Since it was launched Panda, have already been implemented more than a dozen other changes to the ranking algorithms, and some have mistakenly thought that all fall under the umbrella of the Panda Update.
As if to say: Do not blame the Panda for all the variations that can affect the ranking of your site. Maybe it’s launched a change in much the same period, but not correlated (see, for example, the ” Scraper Update “, which in late January has penalized a few aggregators and sites with original content).
How to evaluate the quality of a site?
The Panda has the difficult (perhaps impossible?) Algorithmically to assess the quality of a website.
Google does not (and probably never will) Update precise details of the Panda, Singhal, but invites you to an argument to the contrary, that from these 23 questions, which are the basis of algorithms that attempt to assess the quality of the contents of a site:
1. Would you trust the information included in this article?
2. This article is written by an expert or an enthusiast who knows the topic well, or is the superficial nature?
3. The site has articles or redundant duplicates of the same or similar themes, with only slight differences on key words?
4. Would you feel comfortable in leaving your credit card number to this site?
5. The paper introduces errors in spelling, style, or fact?
6. The themes reflect the real interest of the readers of the site, the site generates content or trying to figure out what might get a better ranking on search engines?
7. The article provides information or content, reports, original research and analysis?
8. The page provides substantial value compared to other pages included in search results?
9. What kind of quality control is done on the contents?
10. The article describes both sides of a story?
11. The site is recognized as authoritative in its field?
12. The content is produced in outsourcing on a large scale, a large number of people, or spread over a large number of sites, so that individual pages or sites do not get the same attention and care?
13. The article was written well, or seems to care little or product quickly?
14. To a query relating to health, you trust the information on this site?
15. You can recognize this site as an authoritative source when it is mentioned the name?
16. The article deals with the issue in a comprehensive or detailed?
17. The article contains an analysis insightful or interesting information that go beyond the obvious?
18. This is the kind of page that you put in your Favorites, share, or would you recommend to friends?
19. This article has an excessive number of ads that distract or interfere with the main content?
20. You expect to see this article in a print magazine, in an encyclopedia or a book?
21. The articles are short, however, inconsistent or no useful details?
22. The pages are produced with great care and attention to detail?
23. There are users who complain when they see the pages on this site?
What you can do?
Singhal’s call is to focus on producing high-quality content, keeping in mind the questions above.
Another suggestion is to remove all content from the site of poor quality, as these can negatively impact on the ranking of the entire site. If you want to avoid removing the pages of low quality, an idea is to change by improving its content, to “merge” with others, or move them to a different domain.
And if you have any other questions / concerns / doubts, the reference point is always the Webmaster Forum Google.