On March the 7th Google confirmed the release of their latest search engine algorithm update ‘Fred’. The update is said to be focused around demoting low value content websites.
Since Google first launched in 1998, its main goal has been to deliver searchers with the most relevant and best websites based on their search query. This goal has not changed over the near 19 years Google has been returning search results. The latest update confirmed by Google employees John Mueller and Gary Illyes is concentrated at websites that offer little to no content on their site.
How to avoid be penalised by the ‘Fred’ update
Following these simple steps should not only remove the possibility of being on the receiving end of the Fred update, it should also help improve your website.
- Remove any thin or scraped content on your website. Ensure that all your content is unique and of interest to your visitors. If your website page is about a service or product, be sure to include content about the finer details of your product/service. Look at your competitors and ensure that your content offers more valuable information than theirs. A good way to generate valuable and unique content is to include frequently asked questions on your page, this will generate tones of quality content whilst also saving you the time of having to answers numerous emails and calls from potential customers wanting to know more about your products and services.
Having high quality informative content will not only help your website perform better in Google, it will more than likely increase the likelihood of visitors converting into sales.
- Reduce the number of advertisements on your website. This is more focused towards affiliate sites looking to promote other websites. However if your site includes adverts, ensure that they are not too dominant and do not negatively affect the user experience.
- Try to include over 300 words of content on your landing pages. Content only included on your website for SEO purposes with the goal of stuffing as many keywords in as possible will more than likely get you penalised.
- Think of your visitors and what they want. Not everyone visiting your website will have the same knowledge of your products and services as yourself. Think of your website as an opportunity to educate your visitors and tell them why they should be buying your products and services.
Review your websites engagement states. Are your visitors only staying on your website for a short amount of time? Identify the pages on your site that are not working for you and look at how you can improve them. If you have pages that convert well or have high visit durations, look to take inspiration from them. Can you improve the image quality of your products or include additional photos from different angles? Is there an interesting fact or function of a product that you have not mentioned? Be sure to include a comprehensive overview of all your products/services.
