Google: Make Your Site Compelling and Don’t Focus On Specific Ranking Signal

Omri Shabath

Matt Cutts- What to Focus onFew weeks have passed since Matt Cutts revealed at SXSW that Google is about to unleash a new algorithm that designated to target sites that doing overly SEO, which could turn out to be something really big, but there are still not signs for this presumably big impact algorithm.

The thing is that Google very rarely provides any early details about algorithmic changes (just ask basically anyone that been hit from the first Panda). In fact, I’m pretty surprised that we got the heads up about this algorithm.

Apparently, it didn’t left me only surprised, but maybe also a bit paranoid as I’m seeking for “clues” about this algorithm…

It happened couple of weeks ago when Google launched the common SEO mistakes video and it is also happening again now, with another video (watch it below) Google is featuring on their Webmaster Central channel on YouTube.

Even though I’m fully aware of my paranoia state, I still believe that Google is dropping small crumbs about this algorithm such as in this video- It is about ranking signals SEOs should and shouldn’t focus on. But maybe that just me…

But crumble or no crumble, there are a lot of good pieces of SEO information and insights on the video (hosted by Matt Cutts of course).

Matt is explaining that the biggest thing SEOs are probably worried about although they shouldn’t is keyword density. Matt already dedicated another full video just about this topic last year and please allow me to make it brief- Don’t worry about keyword density!

The best advice Matt is probably offering in the video (at least in my opinion) is not to focus too much about one specific ranking signal, but to really think about how to make your site COMPELLING in a way people would say it’s good and link to it.

Here are few other of Matt’s recommendations from the video:

  • Make sure the site’s content is crawlable (good URL structure, links are actually clickable).
  • Good titles.
  • Thinking about the keywords people will use when they search and making sure they are mentioned somewhere on the page.

I think that when the overly SEO algorithm will eventually roll out it will probably include all of those points, so don’t say I didn’t warn you! Here’s the video: