Search Engine Optimization

SEO or Search Engine Optimization is the process through which websites or webpages get high ranking and visibility in search engine results.

Main SEO processes are :
 1) On Page  Process :
It is the process of Editing or modification within the SEO webpages by the webmasters.
2) Of  Page Process :
It is the process of doing modification outside the SEO websites by the webmasters.

HISTORY OF SEO

Google has an inevitable role in the history of SEO. Google, the biggest search engine, was founded by Larry Page and Sergey Brin as part of their university project. This search engine was not popular at its earlier stage due to its inadequate search results which became the key barrier for their acceptance among users. This happened because Google had insufficient data in their database, so they decided to find solution to this problem.  The following details below clearly explain how they overcame the concerns.

The Google search engine is performed through three main processes. They are:

i. Crawling:
          It is the process by which the Google search engine scan new webpages and understand about the pages.

ii. Catching:
          This is the process through which the Google search engine saves snapshots of the new webpages  according to the category they belong to.

iii. Indexing:
          It is the method of organizing the webpages in search results page.

The Google search engine failed to provide best results while searching because they were not able to crawl all the webpages due to the large size pictures and videos used in their websites to make it more attractive. When Google understood this problem, they decided to surpass it by sharing their secret document named "Search Engine Optimization Starter Guide” to the webmasters of all websites. It is known as the dictionary of SEO and by following the practices outlined in the guide, the websites were optimized and crawled by the Google search engine. As a result, the database of the Google got filled with all the information available in the internet.

 SEO STAGES:

Google gives more important to the trust value of the information in their database. When webmasters got the SEO starter guide they started optimizing  their websites to achieve high ranking in search results. The webmasters did not concentrate on the contents of their webpages, instead of that they did different black hat seo techniques to lead their websites to the top rank.Due to this types of practice the Google decided to make slight changes in their algorithm in each time periods :

[Note : Black Hat techniques are the unethical practices SEO.
             White Hat techniques are the ethical practices in SEO.]

I. Niche Specific or Content Specific :

All websites will have particular keywords using which they optimize their websites. In the early stages, Google consider the number of this keywords in the website as the criteria for ranking of the websites. In content specific the webmasters stuff  keywords more than a limit in their websites to reach in top rank. It is also known as Keyword Stuffing. For instance, the webmasters stuff the keywords in the blank spaces of the webpages and fill that space with background colour so the user were not able to see that.

II. Link Specific :

Google recognize that the webmasters are doing  keyword stuffing  for optimizing their webpages, Google  change their algorithm for optimization and introduce Link Specific. This is the method by which the websites is optimized by counting the back links , ie the links that a website get from other websites . Google consider this links as a link recommendation from other websites.

III. Quality Link Specific :

Increased number of low quality links in the websites forced Google to change their algorithm again. The quality link specific is the method by which the websites reaches the top rank of the search results according to the number of quality links they received.

The quality of a website is rated through Page Rank method. The page rank is given to each websites by Google. Highest page rank score is 10. Last page rank updation was in December 6 , 2013 and from April 2016  Google hide the page rank. Now the page rank is not available.

• Passing the Juice :

When a website with high page rank pass more number of links to the websites with low page rank, their equity will pass along with the links. Gradually, the high page rank website will lose their page rank. This is called Passing the Juice.

To prevent the passing of equity through links we can use command called  “nofollow “.

 Eg: <a href = www.softloom.com rel=”nofollow”>softloom</a>

ALGORITHM UPDATES OF GOOGLE:

Google made strong updations to prevent the malpractices done by the webmasters to reach their websites in top rank in search results page.

a) Google Panda Updation :

In 2011, Google introduce their new updation called Panda updation. This updation is  against content spamming. Different content spamming methods are:

• Content Plagiarism or Content Duplication.
• Low Quality contents(spelling mistakes or grammer mistakes)
• Content Spinning(content repeatation).
• Thinny pages(very little content).

Panda 4.0 Updation :

Google came up with new Panda updation in 2014 May and it is known as Panda 4.0 updation. Google attached this updation  to their algorithm as a permanent filter. So that when Google crawl the contents from a new websites, it is filtered by Panda 4.0 and then it reaches the cache.

b) Penguin Updation :

Google  introduce another updation in 2012 , it is known as Penguin Updation. It is against Link Spammimg methods.There are several link spamming  methods ,they are:

• Paid Links
• Link Exchange
• Link Farming
• Comment Farming
• Wiki Spamming
• Guest Blogging

 

  Penguin 4.0 Updation :

Google’s updation called Penguin 4.0  is a real time punisher. It punishes the website instantly when they did any link spamming.

c) Parked Domain Updation :

This updation is introduced in 2010 – 2011 period. This updation is to remove the incomplete or parked websites from the search results. ie, some user purchase the domain without completing the webpages and this websites will appear on the search results. This will make inconvenience to user. Therefore this websites are removed by Google.

d) EMD Updation :

Google introduced this updation is to remove incredible EMD or Exact Match Domain websites from the search results page. EMD websites are the websites which have same domain names.

e) Pirates Updation :

This updation is to punish the websites that violates the DMCA (Digital Millennium Copywrite Act). The complaint can be given through the webmaster tools.

f) Humming Bird Updation :

This updation is introduced in 2013.The purpose of this updation is to provide semantic search results to the users. Semantic search results give deep results to the user even with a single keyword. User accepted facts are considered in top rank while searching in Google.

g) Pigeon Updation :

Pigeon updation is mainly for local audience of the websites. This website is introduced in 2014. Local SEO is done for the optimization of websites for local audience. Local SEO process contains :  

• Place marking or verification
• Valid Address Entry(pin, phone number)
• Make Address visible in local Dictionaries.
• Geo tagging
• Websites social media should get positive responses.(likes or comments).

Google  gradually removes the websites that have not perform any local SEO practices in their websites.

h) Rank Brain :

Rank Brain is introduced in 2015. It is the advanced version of Google search engine. In this updation Google uses artificial intelligence of the advanced search results.

i) MobileGeddon Updation :

Mobile friendly websites are ranked high in this websites. It is introduced in 2015.This updation gradually remove the websites that are not mobile friendly.

                To know more about Google updates : link

                                                                                              Anol Elizabeth Varghese