There is another black-and-white monster on the horizon for SEO specialists to deal with, and this time Google’s algorithm update is expected to target the social media strategies employed by SEOs and marketers. For months, rumors have been swirling on the web about a new algorithm update entitled Google Zebra that will target the world of social media in an effort to wipe out shady practices and protect Google’s ranking system.
Little is known about the true workings of the Zebra update, or if the Zebra update is fact or fiction to begin with. However, many SEO specialists and marketers are still trying to catch up to and abide by the algorithm changes that have taken place under the Penguin and Panda updates rolled out over the past 18 months. Given the learning curve with Penguin and Panda, it is probably a good idea for SEO specialists and other professionals to read up on the Zebra rumors and consider changes now to avoid growing pains later.
What Will Zebra Target?
To be clear, a lot of the chatter on the web about Google Zebra is speculation at this point. Google only confirms algorithm updates, such as those for Penguin and Panda, after they have been released and even then there are certain updates the search engine giant doesn’t confirm at all.
After tackling so called “black hat” tactics (shady strategies that provide a false ranking boost) with Penguin (off-site issues) and Panda (on-site issues), the rumors are now swirling that Zebra will target social media practices. Many bloggers and SEO industry watchers have cited information from a blog post by The WebMarketing Group which included the targets of Zebra’s wrath.
In that blog post, it is stated that Zebra will apparently focus on cleaning up some of the following social media activities:
– Twitter: Zebra would target links that are re-tweeted too much with the same keywords attached to them. The goal here would be to target constant posting of the same link over and over.
– Facebook: There are a number of concerns here. The existence of fake business and personal profiles gaining attention through “likes” and “shares” is a real concern for Google. Additionally, too many “likes” and “shares” from people outside your industry is apparently a concern.
– Google+: Naturally Google doesn’t want its own pet project targeted by spammers, so Google+ is bound to get attention from Zebra.
– Pinterest: Reportedly, simply owning a Pinterest page is going to at the very least garner the attention of Zebra, though deeper specifics are not available.
When the Penguin and Panda updates hit the web, SEOs and marketers were sent reeling as tried and true practices for increasing page rank came under attack. While many individuals using “white hat” tactics adjusted their strategies, “black hat” strategists in particular looked to social media as a forum for getting the word out no matter the tactic.
Social media has become perhaps the most important tool SEOs and marketers can access in driving rankings. Getting people talking about a business or product on social media can drive them to that business’ site, providing a boost to the rankings for that page. Once Penguin and Panda were released, social media became an increasingly popular tool for “black hat” tactics.
Spammers created false profiles and accounts on sites like Facebook and Twitter and began sharing, liking, re-tweeting, and posting links like it was going out of style. The goal was to get their message out as much as possible and drive interest, regardless of the quality of the information.
Coping with Zebra
If, and when, Google unleashes Zebra on the web it is important for every webmaster to be prepared to cope with the aftermath of Zebra’s targeting system. Whether you employ “white hat” or “black hat” tactics, you’ll need to be prepared to adjust and weather the storm. So how can you do this?
The best way to cope with the impact of Zebra is to ensure your social media strategies are genuine. Sounds simple right, well it should be. First and foremost, ensure that your business stays away from fake social media accounts on any and all social media sites. Zebra’s intended purpose will be to crack down on fake accounts, so any association with those could damage your rankings.
Be vigilant and engaging on social media. Creating a social media account and paying little to no attention to it is surely going to affect your ranking because you won’t know until it’s too late that those fake accounts and users are associating with your business or brand.
Engage with customers via social media and encourage their participation in return. When negative reactions to your brand come up, don’t simply start bombarding the web with posts, tweets, and shares about your brand. Again, be active and engage those customers to resolve issues and protect your brand actively.
Most importantly, avoid spamming your business and brand all over social media. Adopting an “automated” measure that simply posts and tweets the social media realm to death is surely going to attract the kind of attention your site doesn’t want from Google.
In the End
At this point there is no solid proof on the web or confirmation from Google that a Zebra update is coming. Even the idea that social media will be Zebra’s target is speculation, but it never hurts to be prepared. By all means, take this news with a grain of salt. At the same time it would be wise to start reviewing your social media policies now and altering them if necessary because we all know the shady tactics discussed earlier exist all over social media. It may only be a matter of time before Google acts to protect its rankings just as it did with Penguin and Panda.