Were You Bamboozled by Google?

It’s still happening. "Florida," "Boston," "Ginger," and "Brandy" are just a few of the many Google updates that have hit within the last few months. And Google is still issuing periodic updates as we speak. No one can say for sure what’s going on or what to expect. One thing is for sure... unless you want to get bamboozled by Google (again!), you’d be wise to take action to prevent it now.

So many people were screaming (and still are) about losing tons of business due to Google’s updates. Some have reported 30%, 50%, or even total losses. What can you do? After all, you’re at the mercy of Google, right? WRONG!

Why Do Rankings Keep Changing?

Google, like many other engines, changes its algorithm (formula for calculating who ranks where) from time-to-time in an effort to filter out spammers and deliver the most relevant search results possible.

Google has had updates since its very beginning. But now, depending on which theory you choose to believe, they are making more advancements that require more updates. This means, even if you rank at #1 this week, you might not make the top 30 next week.

How Do You Protect Yourself From Updates?

Diversify! It is never a good idea to have all your income generated by one source. You wouldn’t depend on having all of your retirement savings from one source (that’s exactly why mutual funds are so popular), and you wouldn’t have all of your money in one bank. I mean, really! What if that one source went under? The same principle applies to Internet marketing.

While search engines are a phenomenal way to drive traffic to your website, they are most certainly not the only way. In order to ensure you are protected should Google (or whoever is the next "big" search engine) change their formula yet again, you need to create a diversification plan.

Think of all the outlets that reach your target audience. Investigate each one to see how feasible it would be to market your site through those channels. Then implement a plan that includes several advertising avenues (including search engines) that - as a whole - generates as much (or more) business as you originally received from Google. That way, should one of these channels go down, your business would only be slightly affected.

Don’t stop there! Twice a year you’ll want to go over your plan and be sure that everything is working, as it should. If one outlet begins to dwindle in its response, look into finding a replacement. This way you are never taken by surprise.

Once you have your diversification plan working for you, you will be in a much better position to be rest assured that the business you receive will be there for the long haul. You will also feel more comfortable that no one organization can cause the tremendous damage Google has caused and could cause again.