You’re surely quite familiar with just how important Google and the company’s traffic dominating search engine are to those that are trying to build their website traffic...right? The leader in search by a long shot, trying to do business on the web without being as attractive as possible to Google is like trying to operate a brick and mortar store that’s tucked away in an alley somewhere with literally zero drive by or foot traffic—the traffic and exposure that Google provides websites is just absolutely essential.
Google has a tradition of creating a fair, level playing field.
It’s very true that many have historically observed that Google has generally been very fair to all websites—big or small—as long as they play by the rules, provide quality content, and have a certain degree of link popularity. In fact, this level playing field alone is what has likely given Google such a significant share of the market over the years.
However, things are apparently beginning to change. Just recently, with one of their latest algorithm changes, it’s become obvious to many search engine experts that the search company is now automatically giving preference to websites that are associated with a major brand. While Google does not make public the proprietary information they use to rank and position website listings, there have been a few highly placed clues offered that help to confirm that this branding bias is indeed the case.
What does this all mean for the average website owner?
First, let’s acknowledge that the reported branding bias might not entirely be factual—there could be something else related going on, or the whole thing could just be a big coincidence. With that out of the way, it’s still rather safe to assume that the average website owner is likely to face more fierce competition than ever these days as they try to promote and encourage their site to achieve the best possible search engine rankings.
The average website that wants to appreciate the incredible traffic benefits that come with the quality traffic that relevant Google rankings undoubtedly produce will need to pay even more savvy attention to what it takes to succeed. With ever growing and fierce completion, little is left up to chance or plain old good luck anymore. Succeeding in today’s search environment takes a well thought out plan for achieving results.
In the past, nearly any amateur to the web was able to achieve decent rankings with a little luck. Unfortunately, this is just no longer the case—but achieving respectable results is still very doable. Playing by the rules that the major search engines like Google set forth is essentially important. And bringing in a little help from the experts is certainly recommended for those looking to compete in a game continuously morphing to favor the biggest players.
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