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[Patrick Vesperman]

So apparently Google released some Panda update a while back. When I first heard this, I thought, oh, a cute, cuddly little update that will make everyone smile (like an actual panda does at the zoo when you see them). Well much to many people's surprise, that was NOT the case. I think the name was actually short for Panda-monium (source: Me)….which is what the update created among website owners.

I keep seeing many posts about Panda come through now and again and wanted to give some of our affiliates what I think are the best 2 changes you need to make to your site to "comply" with Panda going forward. These two items are good regardless of if the Panda update ever happened, but more important since it did.

1. Limit Banner Ads - From a visitor's view, an abundance of banner ads are distracting, annoying and a cause to exit your site. However, a couple (note I said a couple - not 5, 6 or more) well-placed and relevant banners can help if they support the subject matter on the page they are on. The visitor is on that page for a reason - and it isn't to look at your banners. It's to read/watch/interact with the content. If the banners support the content, they are helpful.

With that said - it is unlikely you have much hard-hitting content on your homepage. Logical conclusion - you should be very careful of putting banners on your homepage.

2. Create Fresh Content Regularly - Keep the content rolling. I don't think I really need to explain myself here. Google likes to see that you are an active website owner who is creating value regularly. I originally typed Often instead of Regularly, but chose to delete it and go with Regularly. Why? Often means Often - daily, or every other day at least. While that is great, it isn't necessary. Try to update your content as much as you can as long as it is unique. Don't repost similar articles or re-edited videos.

So these are my two best bits of advice for you. Do you agree? What is the one or two things you have found that work well after the Panda update to get the traffic back?

For more tips from ABW members, see This Thread.

[Convergence]

Well done, Patrick...

[CanadianDave]

Thanks for taking a poke at Panda Patrick! I am curious about how you arrived at these two recommendations. It is great to see an Affiliate Manager speak about the subject. Most that I know have been silent so far...

I am struggling with Google algorithm set-backs (note that I didn't use the term "Panda"). I didn't use the term Panda because (apparently) the algorithm regularly undergoes tweeks and minor changes. After many hours of reading and regularly visiting forums and blogs seemingly dedicated to the subject, I can only conclude that no one outside of Matt Cutts and his circle of "helpers" really know what makes Google tick. What I have been reading has taught me this: too much has changed, too quickly and many of the old rules no longer apply. Not enough time has pasted to really analyze where things now stand. I now see scraper sites replacing quality and daily change-ups in the SERPs. So, I am cleaning-up my sites, getting rid of garbage pages, adding new content and fixing what ever Webmaster Tools suggests.

I do agree with your point that fresh content is a great step towards better ranking but I am not sure if there are any "magic bullets" that can help us recover from what has happened in the past few months. Personaly, I am trying to reduce my reliance on search traffic. The way I see it, this is the only way to truly insulate my income from the "whims" of the search engines.

[Patrick Vesperman]

Dave -

It is based on two things.
1. Readings and research I have done on the topic. None of it is scientific or experimental, but rather second-hand research from experimenters like SEOmoz and other industry leaders.

2. My preference as a consumer. Google wants to reward sites that are valuable to consumers/visitors. That means they should reward sites that are helpful, easy to navigate, have a healthy content-to-crap ratio, etc. #1 annoying thing as a consumer to me is banner ads. #2 most annoying thing is outdated content on a topic.

I think you're on the right track that we can't rely on search traffic only and need to create a mix. Search, paid, social, links, etc. Affiliates need to continually work on their marketing abilities. So many focus on coding and building sites but forget or ignore marketing.

[CanadianDave]

Originally Posted by Patrick Vesperman

content-to-crap ratio

That's great - can I use that?

Thanks for the background. I like to know my sources.

[Patrick Vesperman]

Blogs are a notorious for too many ads. I see some who's sidebars are filled all the way down both sides with banners and adsense. BLOGS ARE NOT IMMUNE TO PANDA!!! Take down those banners and use a few….A FEW. Just because you publish regular posts doesn't mean you are immune.