Many websites that relied on weak content found that their search ranking plummeted with the Google Panda update. To rescue their online presence, these businesses had to discard their initial content and begin again. Fresh, unique, well written website content is essential for any website that wants to secure a high search engine ranking or hold the attention of potential customers.

Too Busy To Write

When you are building up a business, your time is precious. You will be sourcing materials, designing products, searching out new markets, and developing a viable business strategy. The majority of online business owners are too busy building their business to find the time required to write fresh, compelling website content on a regular basis. Professional content writers can fill that gap by devoting the time necessary to construct interesting and innovative product descriptions, articles and blog entries.

Is Your Content Unconvincing?

You may think that customers will excuse poor grammar and patchy spelling. However, content that is riddled with errors can give your website an unprofessional look and feel. When potential customers consider dealing with you for the first time, they will be wary of the possibility of fraud or shoddy service. They are likely to be put off if your website content appears sloppy or poorly written. Low-cost content writers may lack the language skills required to write well. By outsourcing your website content to professional content writers, you can be confident that you will develop and maintain a credible online presence.

Dull Content Is Not Sticky

Website visitors are likely to hit the back button pretty quickly if your SEO content is uninteresting or unreadable. This has the potential to affect your search engine ranking, because the recent update to Google’s search algorithm gives credit for the length of time visitors spend on a web page. Professional content writers can give an interesting and unique twist to your website content that engages visitors and holds their attention.

The Perils of Mass Production

Search engine algorithms penalize websites that publish duplicate content. When you purchase content at very low cost, you run the risk that it has been copied, repurposed or spun in order to make it more profitable for the content writer, who can then sell the same website content several times over. Before purchasing website content, you should take steps to ensure that it is unique and has not previously been published.

By purchasing your website content from Constant Content, you can be sure that your articles, blog entries and product descriptions will be unique, engaging, and professionally-written. Quality website content is an investment that will pay dividends.

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How to leverage articles for maximum impact:

Post unique articles on your website – Either create a prominent "Articles" section on your website or start a blog. Add content regularly to ensure that Google takes notice.

Add social bookmarking tools – The easier you can make it for your users to like, +1, bookmark, or share your content, the more likely it is that they'll do so. At the bottom of each article or post, follow up by asking your users to take a specific action.

Post links to your articles on your own social media accounts – The occasional link back to your main website is perfectly acceptable. Balance this with meaningful interactions and insights so your profile doesn't come across as self-serving. As your followers comment, share, or like your link, their followers will then be exposed to it.

Use articles in email campaigns – Rather than include the entire article in your ezine, post a summary along with a link back to the article hosted on your website. This will drive subscribers back to your website where you'll have additional opportunities to make your case.

Use portions of articles in direct mail – Not sure what to include on your next postcard? Your existing articles may be the answer. Short Top 5 lists could grab your offline prospects' attention.

Post articles on article directories – Article directories such as EzineArticles.com allow you to add a "Resource Box" complete with a link back to your website at the bottom of your articles. This helps drive traffic and can improve search rankings.

Compile related articles into an eBook or report – As you build your collection of unique articles, you may find that you have the foundation for an eBook or special report that you could later sell or giveaway. Rather than commissioning an eBook from scratch, a little editing and a few transitional sections may be all that's needed.

Buying full rights articles– If you're buying unique articles, make sure to purchase full rights so that you can repurpose those articles for maximum impact.

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Tips for Producing Unique Articles

* Pay attention to trends in your industry – Subscribe to leading trade journals, newsletters, RSS feeds, and other breaking news sources in your industry. Is a new trend emerging? Does a news story have implications for your customers?

* Introduce new concepts to your industry – Is your industry stuck in a rut because that's the way it's always been done? Introduce a new concept or strategy, or apply a concept other industries have used successfully to your industry.

* Share knowledge – What lessons have you learned recently? Share your knowledge with a unique article or blog post.

Writing unique articles is rewarding, but you may not have the time, desire, or talent for it. If you're not comfortable writing articles or simply lack the time, use an article writing service such as Constant-Content.com. The more articles you write or commission, the more opportunities you have to reach your targeted audience.

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Writing to a looming deadline can be a creativity killer. If you feel that the constant need for new ideas is putting you under pressure, take time out to plan ahead. Getting a schedule in place for your 2012 website content will relieve your stress while keeping your online presence up-to-date and interesting.

Scheduling website content for the year ahead is not as daunting as it may sound. With the aid of a calendar and access to Constant Content’s team of content writers, you can pull together your 2012 website content schedule in under an hour.

The Importance of Seasonality:

The changing seasons have an impact on many online businesses. Jewelry businesses will typically see sales peaks around Valentine’s Day and Christmas, while travel agencies are likely to experience a spike in January. A quick look at website activity over previous years will reveal the seasons that matter most to your business. Use the changing seasons to plan website content that will appeal to your customers.

Find a Unique Approach:

As your competitors will also target these seasonal peaks, your next challenge is to find a unique angle that will appeal to website visitors. You can secure innovative ideas by working with a team of content writers. Constant Content allows customers to receive submissions to public requests from a number of talented content writers, increasing the chance of a quirky, distinctive approach to your chosen topic.

Encourage Visitors to Return:

Once you have a schedule for the coming months, you can entice visitors back by trailing future website content. Publishing a teaser, such as “Next week we will reveal the secret to five-star travel on a two-star budget”, will prompt visitors to return to your website to read the new article.

Handle the Unexpected with Ease:

Planning ahead and having website content ready ahead of time will give you some breathing space if life throws some challenges your way. Illness or a staff shortage may throw you off track. However, it will have less impact if your schedule has been planned and developed in advance.

Allow for Flexibility:

Bear in mind that your website content schedule is a tool to help you plan. It should not be set in stone. If one of your content writers produces an intriguing idea, you are free to adjust your schedule and run with it. Don’t let a unique or creative piece of website content escape just because it was not on your original plan.

By planning ahead, you can satisfy the demand from regular visitors for valuable new website content, while securing a high ranking in the search engine results.

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The phrase "unique articles" means different things to different people. Someone who uses software to spin articles so that the text is "unique" to search engines has a different definition of uniqueness than we do. Here at Constant Content, it's not all about passing Copyscape.

What Unique Means To Us

While we do run all submitted articles through iThenticate, a leading anti-plagiarism tool, we expect our writers to present new, interesting information. While a given topic may be common across the Web, truly unique articles present the topic from a different perspective.

Unique articles are:

* Fresh

* Relevant

* Engaging

* Shareable

* Highly informative

The Benefits of Unique Articles

Google has always prioritized unique content in its search results and has recently emphasized the importance of both freshness and social cues such as the number of +1s and likes. With a fresh perspective, new information, and an engaging writing style, a unique article becomes a shareable article – and that's good for business.

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What is Google Search plus Your World?

Google.com can now display "personal results" when you enter a search term. These results include:

-Personal results based on your own Google identity and related Google accounts such as Picassa. Within the Google search results, you'll see personalized results including Google+ posts and photos from you and your contacts.

-Google+ people and pages related to your search phrase.

-Profiles of people. Google now offers autocomplete entries for people you might be interested in and lists them in the results.

Currently, Google gives you a choice to show or hide personal results. As a user, you might enjoy seeing what your contacts have to say on a given topic. If so, you can show results by clicking the "show personal results" icon. If you find social results distracting, simply click the "hide personal results" icon.

Google plus Your World – Implications for SEO

In either case, Google plus Your World does have its implications in terms of SEO. As a content publisher, you have no control over the choices Google users make. Some will embrace Google plus Your World while others will shun it. For those that opt for personal results, and you can expect many to do so based on the popularity of social networks, the first page of Google search results will be loaded with information from their own social circles - primarily those on Google+. Your ultra-optimized article or Web page which may have previously held the top position may be nowhere in sight! Personal results could crowd out traditionally optimized content.

Performing in a Social Search Environment

Constant Content has long stressed the importance of quality unique articles and web content. Google Panda validated this position, and now Google plus Your World is doing it again. In order to perform in this social search environment, content must be excellent, compelling, and sharable.

To take advantage of social search, follow these tips:

-Post well-written, engaging content

-Choose thought-provoking topics or tackle your topic from an unusual perspective

-Use a friendly, knowledgeable voice

-Choose content that is authoritative, yet easy to read

-Tell your visitors something that they don't already know

-Encourage comments from readers with direct calls to action to leave a comment

-Encourage comments from readers by asking questions at the end of your content

-Encourage sharing and "liking" by including social bookmarking buttons, particularly Google+ and Facebook buttons

Google plus Your World, like Panda and previous updates, will affect your world. How will you make sure your content comes out on top? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.

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1. Google Chrome will feed the Panda

2. Google Plus makes a power play against Facebook

3. Apple and the iPhone become players in mobile search.

Panda Gobbles Up Spam Sites with the Help of Google Chrome

Google Chrome moved into 2nd place in the browser wars, passing Internet Explorer 9 in April of 2011 and beating it by a full 12 percentage points by the end of the year, with nearly a third of all internet users choosing Chrome as their browser of preference. What does this mean for search?

Because Google can now gather data about site navigation, bounce rates and referring websites from 1 out of every 3 internet users, it means that the Panda of 2011 is about to get a whole lot tougher. The Panda is a piece of artificial intelligence that can learn from users which content is high quality and which content is garbage. The Panda of 2011 employed quality-testing users to figure out how to rank websites. The Panda of 2012 will use data from the millions of Google Chrome users to make its decisions, putting an even bigger squeeze on low quality spam sites.  Ensuring your site is using high quality unique articles will be more important than ever in light of this.

Facebook and Twitter Lose Social Weight to Google +

Earlier in 2011 and late 2010, Google Local Search (aka Google Map Search) removed third party review sites from their display. While third party reviews still play a factor in local rankings, they have definitely lost a little bit of weight in the ranking algorithm compared to Google Reviews.

It is expected that Google will make a similar switch with social ranking factors in 2012 when Google Plus becomes more prevalent. Google will strategically leverage all data available to them to provide the best and most relevant results for users, so incorporating data from Google Plus is a logical step. Google made a bit of a power play by removing the relevance of Yelp and Urbanspoon reviews, and they will likely attempt to decrease their dependence on (and likely decrease the SEO relevance of) Facebook and Twitter in 2012.

Apple’s Personal Assistant SIRI Takes Mobile Search Market Share

While there has been a lot of speculation about Google losing market share to Bing and Yahoo, there is a sleeping monster that is quietly gaining traction that has the potential to beat Google at mobile search - SIRI, the intelligent personal assistant on the Apple iPhone.

The iPhone is still the most popular mobile phone available, and security concerns about the Android are enough to make industry experts wary of Google ever taking market share. SIRI, the voice activated assistant, can answer simple questions and queries. And while the 2011 SIRI is still very 'beta', the 2012 SIRI will get smarter and smarter, eventually being able to offer up suggestions that previous users laboriously screen-typed into a Google search bar. Look for Apple to make a move and cut into the profits of the very profitable and growing market for local mobile search.

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1. The Panda/Farmer update

2. The Freshness/Caffeine update

The Panda/Farmer Update

By far, the biggest game changer in SEO in 2011 was the rolling Panda updates ranging from early February all the way to November. The first implementation of the Panda update was reported to affect 12% of all search queries. Due to the very public penalization of JC Penney and Overstock.com for bad linking practices, first thoughts were that the Panda update was about off-site factors such as backlinks. However, further analysis and news has indicated that Panda is all about on-site SEO factors.

Panda is named after its creator, Google search engineer Navneet Panda, an expert in artificial intelligence and machine learning. Google had multiple quality testers look at thousands and thousands of websites and rate them. Navneet was able to create an algorithm that was able to learn from the input of these quality testers and then be able to 'rate' websites.

The presumed qualities that the Panda algorithm looks at are

o Bounce Rate - how many people leave the site after only a short period of time after arriving.

o Search impressions vs. Click Through Rate - how many people decide to visit the site compared to the amount of times the site is shown in Google results

o Number of Repeat Visitors vs. Total visitors

o Latent Semantic Index content - the percentage of content on the page that is within the LSI for the query.

o Ad Ratios - the amount of informational content on the page compare to the amount of promotional content (advertisements) on the page.

One of the unintended consequences of the Panda update is that the algorithm updated in 'waves', meaning rankings changed a lot less with each update, even though updates happened fairly often. Because of this (and also because of the release of Google +), speculation has occurred that social factors now carry more weight. This makes sense, since social factors happen in real time and can compensate for the slow updates of Panda.

The Freshness update

The freshness, or Caffeine, update was suggested to have an impact on 35% of search queries. While the queries that were most effected were typically time sensitive searches such as news items, schedules, scores and updates, there is evidence that the freshness update actually has a significant impact on most searches.

Sites that have frequent updates such as new blog posts, links or supplementary information have received a boost in rankings, while other articles that are considered “evergreen” that were written years before have received a passive ‘penalty’ by losing rankings to newer content. There is also a suggestion that newer, fresher links are also receiving an increase in value.

Conclusion – 2011: The year of On-site SEO

The Freshness and Panda updates have been focused almost exclusively on on-page factors that webmasters have control over. In order to summarize the effect of these updates, one should remember one old cliché and forget another one. For the Freshness update, remember the phrase, “what have you done for me lately,” and for the Panda update,remember the old adage that “content is king”… Google is trying to make the user king, and users want engaging and informative unique content. The secret of 2011 SEO is to engage in practices that keep your visitors engaged and your website fresh.

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Once upon a time, in the early days of SEO, black hat tactics could be used to convince search engines to give your site greater prominence than it deserved while posing little danger of any consequence. Such techniques could be used because there was nothing to lose and lots to gain.

Today, though, search engines have advanced to the point that using black hat tactics can have an adverse impact on your site's position on the search engine results pages (SERPs). They can even result in your website being banned from the search results altogether.

Because the success of websites depend on how search engine treat them, it is imperative that webmasters understand the difference between the two approaches to SEO. Examples of white hat tactics include:

*  Using relevant keywords in your content. Search engines encourage the use of keywords (and keyword phrases), as long as they fit the context and allow the content to flow naturally. Keywords can be appropriately used within your site's text, image descriptions, titles, and meta tags.

*  Building credible links. Submit your URL to relevant directories, incorporate your address in comments on blogs and message boards, and encourage users to link to your site from their sites. These are all legitimate ways to build links and positively influence your site's performance on the SERPs.

*  Adding new seo content on a regular basis. Search engines will reward you for frequently updating your site with content that is useful to your visitors. The more current the content, the better your site will perform.

Employing any or all of the above white hat practices will have a positive impact on SERPs. In contrast, the harmful black hat alternatives to these approved practices include:

*  Keyword stuffing. Needlessly repeating keywords, hiding keywords in invisible text, and forcing keywords into your content in such a way that it becomes nonsensical may have achieved the desired results in the past, but those days are over. Nowadays, your keywords should fit the content and be limited to 2 to 5 per cent density.

*  Exchanging links with (or buying links from) link farms. While it is important to SEO for your website to acquire links from external sites, it is essential that those links come from credible sites. Links to your site from websites known to be link farms will not help your site's ranking in the SERPs, but it could harm it. If you reciprocate by using your site to link to link farms, the results can be devastating.

*  Posting duplicate, near-duplicate, or "spun" content. If search engines find the same or almost the same content on your site as elsewhere on the web, it can adversely impact your position in search results. The content that will most benefit your SEO will be unique, whether you create it yourself or hire article writers to create it for you.

If you hope to achieve SERP success and draw traffic to your website, avoid black hat tactics in favor of white hat ones. It is simply not worth the risks to employ techniques that the search engines have expressly forbidden. Instead, play within the rules and use them to your advantage.

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There are some tips you can use to increase traffic to your blog and get the attention of web searchers. Some of these tips seem like common sense, while others may not occur to you, especially if you are new to the world of blogging.

Provide Daily Updates

This tip may seem like common sense, but it is surprising how many new bloggers fail to follow this simple rule. Failing to update your blog on a regular basis is a real no-no, especially if your blog is new.

Strive to provide at least one update to your blog every single day. One of the best ways to do that is by updating the blog first thing in the morning, or as soon as you get home from work. Making your daily blog updates a part of your regular routine is the best way to give your visitors fresh information and boost the reputation of your online site.

Tag Your Blog Posts

Tagging your posts can take a few minutes extra, but it is also one of the best ways to increase page views and help your site get noticed. If you fail to tag your blog posts, it will be difficult for web users to find your post and your site.

Taking a few minutes to tag each post will make it much easier for visitors to find you and comment on what you have to say. When tagging your posts, be sure you cover all of the topics in each post. For instance, if your blog post is a note about a political candidate, your tags should include the name of the candidate, as well as his or her party, along with any topics covered in the post.

Use the Power of Social Bookmarking

Social bookmarking sites allow people to share links to their favorite online stories, including the posts in your blog. Submitting your blog to popular social bookmarking sites is one of the best ways to grow your page views and enhance the visibility of your site.

Some of the most popular social bookmarking sites include Reddit, StumbleUpon and Digg, but there are more of these sites popping up every single day. Learning to make the most of these sites can help your business grow and establish you as an expert in your niche.

Incorporating these tips into your new blog can help you grow your page views while establishing the reputation of your site at the same time. As those page views grow, so too can the ad revenue you can receive from the site. While starting a blog should be something you do for love, having the site generate some additional revenue certainly does not hurt.

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