How to Beat the Changes to Organic Traffic Generation Rules

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We all know that organic traffic generation is one of the more effective ways to attract unlimited and good quality visitors to your site or blog. After all, if your blog ranks well in the search engine results, you’ll see an influx of visitors from search engines looking for some information about your particular niche or business.

Achieving that kind of ranking on the major search engines used to be based on choosing your keywords, tweaking your on-page SEO and getting plenty of quality backlinks pointing to your site.

The Result?

Now, this gave rise to far too many ‘content farms’ swiping those high-ranking positions in the search results. These are the sites filled with barely legible content that is over-stuffed with keywords just to get a decent position on those search engine results.

And people searching for real information and valuable content about different topics don’t like these spammy sites. So, Google decided it was time to do something about this, to encourage and reward quality content and to make their searchers happy.

They’ve recently changed the rules a bit about how the ranking algorithms work in an effort to get rid of those useless sites and replace them with authority sites instead.

Google’s Changes To Organic Search – Facts and Figures

According to Sistrix, larger content farms such as Suite101 lost as much as 94% of their previous visibility on the search engine results. When checked on Alexa.com, Suite101’s traffic numbers had also dropped by more than 19% since those new rules came into effect.

sistrix image

As you can see from above, even the prominent article directories frequented by article marketers have suffered, with EzineArticles losing 90% and ArticlesBase losing 94% of their previous high-visibility status.

Yet when you compare these results to those of eHow since those changes, you soon notice that eHow actually gained more visibility and increased in ranking for thousands of keywords across the site. This is Google’s way of rewarding those sites and blogs containing high quality, well-researched, unique content that offers value to visitors searching for real information.

So, what does this mean to you? How do you deal with Google’s new changes and still be able to grab high search engine rankings?

Here are some effective ways that you can implement to beat the new Google ranking algorithms and attract more high quality organic visitors to your blog:

1. Content Really IS King

I know, I know – you’ve probably heard this cliché 1001 times, but it is so true. It all starts with great and quality content. What’s the point in generating traffic to your site if your content sucks?

Most webmasters already know the importance of having good quality content on their blogs. People who visit your blog expect some kind of helpful, useful, enlightening and entertaining content about the topic they were searching for, so be sure you give it to them.

This means spending a bit of time researching your choice of keywords and then delivering the goods on the information you provide.

Just be sure your content doesn’t go stale. Google still tends to give preferential rankings to those blogs with fresh, unique content that is updated regularly. It is important to have a blogging schedule that you can stick to so that you can produce new content at least 3 times a week.

2. Make Your Blog Sticky
sticky image
With the changes to the way Google works out search engine rankings, it’s no longer enough to throw a few keywords around your posts and get a few backlinks happening. Google is now looking closely at other factors relating to visitor activity on your blog.

These include monitoring time-on-site and pages visited on your site.

So it’s not enough to generate traffic to your blog, sign them up on your opt-in form or page and then send them on their way. You need to make your blog sticky enough that visitors will want to hang around and read what you have to say.

You’ll also want to encourage them to dig deeper into your content archives and see what else they can learn from you while they’re already there.

Not only does this keep those people on your site longer, but it also increases your page views at the same time. These are both about to become important considerations for how Google views your site, so keep them in mind.

3. Deep or Internal Linking

One effective way to encourage readers to learn more information is to add deep-links to your content. Deep linking is simply linking to another page on your blog from the current post you’re writing.

Not only does deep linking encourage your visitors to click deeper into your site to find out more, but it also has the double benefit of helping the Google spiders to index more pages from your site more easily.

The next time you create a new post, think about how many related posts you may have written in the past that could enhance that topic and link to them using anchor text for your keyword(s).

4. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) IS Imperative
seo image
Traffic generation from search engines in the first place still relies on getting your SEO tactics right.

This means checking your title, your tags and your content for inclusion of the right keywords.

It should also mean keeping your keyword density at reasonable levels so those search engines don’t misinterpret them as being spammy.

A general rule of thumb should be that your primary keywords or key-phrases should be at around 1.5%-2% of the total content amount.

Search engines are also very aware of the value of Latent Semantic Indexing (LSI), so you can give your existing keywords a bit of a boost by adding some synonyms for your chosen keywords.

Not only will this make your content more readable in the eyes of your visitors, but it will help to keep your rankings at high levels in the long run.

5. Promote Your Content

Of course creating amazing content is not the only thing you need to do to improve your search rankings and traffic generation.

You need to boost your SEO efforts by promoting your content to put it in front of as many eyeballs as possible. Social media is red HOT right now and it offers free “word of mouth” advertising. Take advantage of that and create a buzz on your blog.

The more people share your content on the social media sites, the more it will get massive exposure and the more quality backlinks you will create.

Creating a lot of Twitter and Facebook backlinks will help you to increase your rankings since Google added these social media sites to their algorithm and use them in their rankings.

Next, let’s take a look at Article Marketing…

What’s the Verdict For Article Marketers?

Before the new Google algorithm was released, most traffic generation tips focused heavily on the benefits of article marketing. This really did give blog owners a great way to generate traffic quickly by submitting dozens of low quality articles to the article directories and linking them back to their primary blog or website.

Unfortunately, it appears the rules for article marketers will now have to change to suit these changes.

While there has been a spate of bloggers pointing out that article marketing is about to die a quick and painful death as a result, this doesn’t have to happen. In fact, it seems quite logical that if Google is rewarding well-researched, unique content, it stands to reason that they’ll reward those marketers who comply with this.

I think article marketers should consider taking more time to create better quality articles before submitting any old garbage en mass to as many directories as they can find.

This could mean rewriting original content prior to submitting it to different directories. It could also mean being more selective with the directories you choose to use.

Key Takeaway

I’m sure that you’ll agree with me that you need good quality and properly optimized content to generate an influx of organic traffic to your blog.

You’d be turning your own site into an “authority site” that Google is more likely to view favourably, especially since the new algorithm makes it very clear that the site with the best content for a given keyword will be the one rewarded.

So, what do you think of Google’s new changes and what’s your plan of action? Please leave me a comment below to share your thoughts.

This article is part of the Traffic Generation Blogging Contest, please add a comment and share it to support the author.

Mavis Nong

Mavis Nong is the creator and author of Attraction Marketing blog which focuses on the fundamental and cutting-edge strategies that you can implement right away to grow your business.

528 thoughts on “How to Beat the Changes to Organic Traffic Generation Rules”

  • Great article and insights Mavis. I’ve been saying for a year or more that the days of mass article submission being the answer to your traffic needs are numbered and the recent changes (announced by Google) have proven the point. Quality content and audience engagement is KING!

    • Thank you very much for stopping by and for your kind words, Neil.

      I agree, these changes were long overdue.

      Those who deliver the goods will get rewarded by Google 🙂

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • Great points on 1-5 and I feel you placed those in the order of importance.
    Making your blog page sticky is overlooked soo much it is a shame.

    Nice piece.

    • Thanks for stopping by and for leaving a comment, John.

      I know, there are millions of blogs out there, so it’s really important to make yours stand out to attract visitors like honey attracts bees 🙂

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • Hi Mavis,

    thanks for putting this well-researched post together.

    I haven’t done anything in article marketing and have always focused on my blog as my authority site.

    It seems that I am doing everything you mention:

    Writing unqiue posts on a regular basis, deep linking, being present on social media – overall a longterm approach.

    That doesn’t mean that I couldn’t do better 😉

    So to answer your question about my plan of action: Continuing doing what I do and becoming better at it on a daily basis.

    Take care

    Oliver

    • You’re welcome, Oliver.

      You’re already ahead of the pack and you will be rewarded for doing all these things that Google wants to see.

      Keep up the good work, Oliver!

      Thanks for stopping by and for leaving me a comment.

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • You’ve covered quite a few different things in this post. I think it’s a great example of the kind of content anyone publishing on the web needs to take note of. Google has said they’re trying to reward research, in-depth reports and ‘thoughtful’ analysis. As for article marketing, I’ve been thinking a lot about that lately and I’m taking a two pronged approach to changing my tactics. First, I’ve personally contacted my account managers at EZA and Hubpages and asked them what I can do to help. I’ve heard of a lot of people who have had their accounts suspended and I’ve tried to preempt this and make sure I’m showing I’m on board with the changes. Second, I’ve been looking into more variety in terms of where I’m posting, including a bigger push for guest posting to get more quality content onto more authoritative sites on one only topic.

    I’m watching these developments with great interest. There’s a real shake up going on, but I am confident that despite some of the initial consequences of the changes there is going to be more cream rising to the top.

    • It’s best to do things right and be in Google’s good books, James.

      Guest posting is very powerful. The key is to go for authority blogs because generating links through your guest posts and mentions from authority blogs can boost your traffic and rankings.

      Thanks for dropping by and for your input.

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • Mavis, the way I look at it is that if your primary concern is your audience, you’ll be doing all the right things regardless of what Google has to say, or what changes they implement. You’ll care about providing great content. You’ll encourage reader activity on your blog. You’ll interlink your posts to help them find what they want easily. You’ll use great keywords that they’re using, so they can find you. And you’ll promote your posts to them. Great points. Great post.

    • That’s very true, Leanne. If you cater for your audience and provide tailor-made content, then there’s nothing to fear really.

      Thanks for stopping by and for adding value to this discussion.

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • Hi Mavis,

    Wow, what an incredible thing for those of us marketers who are working hard to produce both quality and consistent content!

    I read about this recently, but I hadn’t taken the time to really study it to find out what the difference is and I’m so thankful that was the case. You provided such a thorough explanation and examples!

    I think too, that if Google is loving the people who take the time to visit our blogs and interact by visiting other pages and commenting, we’re sitting in a sweet spot with our blog commenting tribe and mastermind community! It should only help all of us who are participating it in to look better and better in the eyes of Google!

    Honestly, although the article marketing may be falling with a thud, I think that well written articles that provide true value will still be rewarded. I believe that if we’re focusing on the writing for the actual humans who will be reading the content instead of the bots who crawl the page, that Google will respect that, no matter what the platform. After all, they’re in the business of pleasing their customers and we should be too!

    WooHoo! Fantastic post! I’m off to tweet, stumble digg and share! 🙂

    Heather

    • It’s good news, indeed Heather. It’s exciting that we are already on top of the game with our consistent massive action and delivering the best and valuable content for our readers 🙂

      Really encouraging that Google will be rewarding those who work hard to obey their rules and deliver the goods. It’s only fair, isn’t it?

      Thank you so much for the wonderful comment and shares, Heather 🙂

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • I always think that there are no the real effect of the latest Google change but you prove me that I am wrong (reference to the table). It is kind a relieve for me as blogger since now, I can concentrate to the contents.

    • Well you now have the facts and figures, Dana.

      I appreciate your visit and comment.

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • Hi Mavis, what a wonderfully detailed post.

    Frankly, I like article marketing but haven’t done much of it lately.

    I’m not too worried about the changes. I think as you say if we write with care and value, that it makes not sense to run away screaming.

    I know it can be very frustrating when you are looking for something and the search engines continue to return the same low quality article in a different directory.

    I will continue to try to improve the skills that are within my control on my blog as you suggest.

    Thanks

    Jayne

    • Hi Jayne,

      Article marketing is a very effective strategy if executed properly. If you’re obeying Google’s rules, there is nothing to worry about.

      Keep going and enjoy the rewards, Jayne! 🙂

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • Because the age of my blog is too young, just a few days. I think I just can wait until Google index my blog, while I write focus contents, and try to give best contents as I could.

    • That’s a good plan.

      Thanks for the visit and comment.

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • Thanks for a great article. I have been noticing, particularly on article sites that the content could be better. Today I will be doing a bit more deep linking,
    Eleanor

    • You’re welcome, Eleanor. Have fun with deep linking! 🙂

      Thanks for the visit and comment.

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • Aloha Mavis,

    Thank you so much for your great article on the changes to organic traffic on Google. There are so many factors and keeping up with it all is a bit much for me.

    I am so glad that good content, stickyness, and internal linking all among the top 3 cause it those seem to be my strengths. I really learned a lot from you in this article.

    Thank you again,
    Kellie 🙂

    • Aloha Kellie,

      You’re welcome. Glad you found this helpful. Great to hear that you’re doing well with the top 3 points 🙂 Keep going!

      Thanks for the visit and comment.

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • I use both EZine, HubPages and Squidoo and none of my articles have gotten hit, I don’t think it was a site wide penalty but a penalty for specific content related to highly competitive niches

    • That’s interesting to hear, Nishadha.

      Thanks for the visit and comment.

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • Google changes have never, nor will ever bother me or anyone that does things right, right from the jump.

    I’ll tel ya, I’m excited right now. I’m about to start an awesome relationship with an SEO outsource I totally trust, and this year will see me start article marketing as well…quality only of course.

    • Very true, if you’re doing things right, you have nothing to be afraid of.

      Great to hear that you’ll be taking the net by storm with article marketing! 🙂

      Thanks for stopping by and for leaving a comment, Dennis.

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • I tell people to do article marketing for backlinks and not for traffic..but if you get traffic then its a A+…

    “Black Seo Guy “Signing Off”

    • Your articles must be of good quality now, not like in the past.

      Great to see you here, Antonio.

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • Thanks for the great article and information.. This should have been done a long time. Give the folks who are creating quality content a fair chance

    • You’re welcome, Tristan. I know, long overdue!

      Thanks for dropping by and for leaving me a comment.

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • Hi Mavis,

    I believe these Google changes are definitely a positive. For example, I’ve written and posted several articles to EzineArticles. I’ve taken great care into making sure those articles are high quality and well-researched.

    EzineArticles, however is not the place to go to find quality information. If you’ve ever tried to use these articles to research, you know what I mean. Most are barely legible, low-quality junk. I’m surprised Google didn’t jump on this earlier.

    This is great information, Mavis. Thanks for sharing!

    Gregory

    • Hi Gregory,

      I know what you mean. No wonder, EzineArticles lost 90% of their previous high-visibility status.

      It’s good news that they have finally decided to do something about it.

      I appreciate your visit and comment.

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • Hi Mavis,

    Wow, a ton of valuable information that helps make sense of what’s going on with the recent Google changes. Thanks for putting it all in easy understandable terms and laying out the steps of what to do next.

    Great stuff, thanks!

    Ilka

    • You’re welcome, Ilka. Glad you found this helpful.

      Thanks for dropping by and for leaving me a comment.

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • Hello Mavis,

    Yes, google did make a point with their algorith change and they enforced the statement that “Content is king”, but I think one of the most important factors of any blog is how you market it.

    I have seen my fare share of blogs with great content that didn’t really got the praise it deserved because the blog didn’t have any kind of marketing campaign, it didn’t stood out. I have also seen blogs that did have good content, but half of their articles were rip-offs. In spite of this people still considered all their articles as gems, just because they had a good marketing plan and they made the impression to everyone, that all their content is great.
    So, yes content is great, but better marketing is even greater.

    • That’s true, Alex. Great content with no promotion, will not get you the results that you want. You need to get your content out there and create a buzz on your blog.

      Thanks for stopping by and for your input.

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • One thing I can’t seem to easily find – who has time for a deep research? 🙂 – yes, the rankings for those sites gone down considerably, but what about links from them? Are the links discounted (read: useless) as well?

    See, I’ll just let you, Mavis, so my research :).

    • A link is a link, Ana. As you know, Google does their thing all the time and they are not particularly forthcoming with their information.

      These links might just carry less weight as seen as by Google.

      Thanks for stopping by and for your question 🙂

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • Mavis

    Great information here. I have never seen any significant changes in my traffic with article marketing anyway.

    I can see why google would take away some of the relevancy of it. I mean I have read some poorly researched blogs.

    It’s like attraction marketing in it’s prime. Everybody and his brother was posturing as an expert. But with time the fluff blew away and real remained.

    Just like with these new changes I say they are a breath of fresh air.

    Steve

    • Well said, Steve. These changes will truly separate good content from poorly researched information.

      Those with lead with quality content will benefit from this big time.

      Thanks for the visit and comment.

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • Hey Mavis,

    What an awesome post. Actually article marketing (mainly ezinearticles) never worked for me.

    I don’t think my site is effected in anyway as i’m already doing deep linking, providing quality content regularly and active on social media sites.

    Thanks for sharing this resourceful post mavis.

    Have a great time.

    ~Dev

    • Thank you very much, Dev. I agree, you’re not affected in any way – you’re doing a great job. Keep it up!

      I appreciate your visit and comment.

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • that really is posing a challenge but thanks to your post, I think a lot will benefit with this..

    • Those who do things the right way will definitely benefit.

      Great to see you here, Staci. Thanks for your comment.

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • We must take it seriously what you have written and use it. However we must always be creative and adopt to future changes with google as well. Life is not a standstill. Things constantly change. Lets take massive action with flexible planning involved.

    Lawrence Bergfeld

    • I couldn’t agree with you more, Lawrence. If we abide by the rules and implement what Google really wants, then we’ll be ahead of the pack and enjoy the rewards 🙂

      I appreciate your visit and comment.

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • Mavis,
    A well presented and well thought out post! As a relatively new affiliate marketer I have just begun the process of utilizing article marketing in my backlinking campaigns so the new Google algorithms have me concerned. I hope to provide the type of informative and quality articles that Google will favor, but it is a bit intimidating to live up to that kind of standard while still trying to fully understand the nuances of the industry. Just the same, I believe that in the long run article marketing will survive and possibly flourish now that the “junk” is being removed in favor of better content.

    Bob Wehrsdorfer

    • Thank you very much for your visit and kind words, Bob.

      I can imagine how this can be intimidating for new marketers. You don’t have to worry about this now, just implement the strategies that I have shared here, you’ll be alright 🙂

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • Hi Mavis,

    Great post indeed! I am really happy to know that those article sites have lost their visibility in google. They were just taking so much space with poor-quality content and not making the real “Kings” visible.

    I think that I am already doing fine with all the points you have mentioned. Thanks for bringing this us.

    Cheers,
    Jane.

    • You’re welcome, Jane.

      Great to hear that you’re already implementing these strategies to make sure that your content stays at the top of organic search results.

      Thanks for stopping by and for leaving a comment.

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • A really insightful post for which I am very grateful. I had pondered about article “spinning” but I have never liked anything about our industry that is “fake” and spinning for rankings always seemed fake. In a way I am glad that Google has done this – it might make it easier for people who genuinely put out good content, that people want to share, get good visibility in the search engines.

    • Thank you very much, Nicky. Glad you found this helpful.

      Same here, I have never been into spinning articles… This is good news for those putting out good quality content.

      I appreciate your visit and comment.

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • Related post plugins, seosmartlinks and much more can really help in internal linkings! 😀

    • You’re right, Navjot.

      Thanks for the visit and input.

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • You make some great points here and I agree with you. Good quality and properly optimized content is the most important thing to focus on since these changes have taken place.

    And you know with EzineArticles losing 90% of their previous high-visibility status their submission guidelines are going to be very strict. Thanks for the update on what’s been going on Mavis, much appreciated.

    • You’re welcome, Jason.

      I know, EzineArticles’ rules are going to be very strict. But I thought they were on the ball as it usually takes a few days before they approve any submission.

      It will be interesting to see how things unfold over there.

      Thanks for the visit and comment, Jason.

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • Hi there Mavis,

    I am with you. I am certain you have the most realistic, cost efficient traffic generation tips here compare to other entries. I believe that with SEO and article marketing you’ll come a long way chasing the long term traffic generation effect to your site. This is what I’m talking in my entry too but I just focused on contextual linking with the incorporation of SMO. Cheers Mavis! Good job!

    Kira Permunian

    • Hi Kira,

      Wow, thanks very much for your encouragement and support. Your article was spot on too 🙂

      I liked how you shared the benefits of combining SEO and SMO to generate traffic. Very good.

      I appreciate your visit and comment, Kira.

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • I have to agree about the content and it’s quality. I have several websites i’ve usually taken the time to hand write good content and add it periodically. It made a HUGE difference when the Google change went through recently. One site, that is all unique content, had been being beaten down by auto-sites and now, with no changes on my part, it’s number one again for the keyword. Great post!

  • That’s incredible, Ted! Aren’t we all glad that Google introduced these changes.

    You’re now being rewarded for your hard work – producing unique and quality content all the time.

    Thanks for the visit and for sharing your results, Ted.

    All the best,
    Mavis

  • Hi Mavis,

    I’m all for weeding out as much irrelevant “noise” as possible and it seems Google’s doing a lot to help this along.

    Your points above are useful for anybody wanting to contribute value and quality on the Internet. Thank you.

    ~Marcus

    • Hi Marcus,

      It’s about time Google does something about too much junk out there, not benefiting their users.

      Thanks for stopping by and for the comment.

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • Absolutely spot on Mavis. What is absolutely essential is the quality of your content you are putting out there. And, when you factor in bringing, good wholesome organic traffic, you’re bound to keep the visitors coming. And we can’t forget about frequency too. (I’ve seen/experienced being consistent and not consistent over the years, it can have a dramatic effect.)

    Really great post — thank you!
    Jerome Ratliff

    • You’re welcome, Jerome.

      Agreed. Quality content plays a major part in any piece of information you share with people. Consistency and frequency are key.

      Thanks for coming by and for adding value to this discussion.

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • Great post! Content is definitely king and that’s how Google has always wanted it. You have to think about these algorithm changes from the search engine point of view. What they are trying to do is deliver their users the best content for the keyword searched. That’s the basic function for the search engines. The algorithm is evolving to define exactly what quality content is better and better. A few years ago, you could post 20 PR 8 backlinks and you would have a top listing. Now the algorithm has learned that just backlinks aren’t a quality indicator.

    As long as you provide quality content, you will not have a problem with any Google changes. Create the best content from the start instead of losing your rankings and having to improve all your content.

  • Great post, Mavis! It is good to know what is happening with article marketing sites on Google and other search engines. Thank you for keeping us abreast of the situation and giving us some solutions!

    • You’re welcome, Steve.

      Thanks for stopping by and for leaving a comment.

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • Hi Travis,

    Thanks for stopping by and for your comment.

    That’s right – Google wants the best for their users, they are their priority.

    Agreed – producing the best and valuable content is the way to go.

    All the best,
    Mavis

  • Outstanding post, Mavis!

    And I can’t begin to tell you how thrilled I am to see you mention “Latent Semantic Indexing”!! No one ever talks about it. As a matter of fact, I’ve been using and relying a lot more heavily on LSI than SEO … forever. I’m a fish out of water when it comes to having a clear understanding of SEO but LSI is something that makes total sense to me.

    Looks like a lot of ‘heavy hitters’ are going to have to re-think their rankings strategy. Pretty amazing stats you’re sharing here.

    Thanks for a fantastic post!

    • Thank you very much, Melanie.

      I agree, using LSI is a great way to boost your chosen keyword(s). Great to hear that you’re taking advantage of this strategy 🙂

      I appreciate your visit and input.

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • Hi Mavis! Thank you SO much for this post and for all the details and explanations you provided on all the changes and the affect they will have on blogging and article marketing specifically. I feel so much more aware of what happened now and so encouraged that I’ve been on the right path with the way I’ve been optimizing my content. Thanks for laying it out so well!!
    God bless,
    Emily Stoik

    • You’re welcome, Emily. Glad to hear you’ve been doing things the right way. Keep it up!

      Thanks for the visit and comment.

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • Hey Mavis,
    Thanks for sharing this informative article about whats going on with Google and the changes that they are making. I’m always learning something new from all of your posts!
    Sherman

    • You’re welcome, Sherman. Thanks for the encouragement 🙂

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • Hi Mavis,
    I agree with you that content is really the King, and as you have added it should be quality content that engages those who are surfing in search of valuable information. I am also impressed that you have briefly explored on the need for deep linking, and the relevance of site promotion. If Google is to reward marketers based on these factors, then it would be democractic indeed. Thank you for your great leadership Mavis.

    • Hi Gichuki,

      It’s all about giving searchers what they want and these strategies are key to achieving that.

      Thanks for the visit and encouragement.

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • great post.. very interesting because it’s a new way, we usually do via LSI and SEO but you gave a new technique to innovate article marketing.

    • Thank you very much, Staci.

  • Hi!

    interesting article about blogging and I have learnt a lot and will apply tricks in my blog, and maybe tomorrow – who know – I will be submitting my article in blogzone.com for competition.

    I have seen you blog and I will follow u and other bloggers I saw at iblogzone.com how are they doing it. hang out with the best and you will be the best.

    Thanks to you and the founder of iblogzone.com. It is not about winning the title, but the difference you guy make to baby bloggers like myself and others. U already won in our minds.

    Keep well, Sesi Mavis

    Baleseng ‘Basi’ Tau

    • Thank you, Basi. Glad you found this helpful and inspiring.

      I appreciate your visit and comment.

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • Hi great post! can you think of other possible ways to generate traffic on your blog aside from social media? thanks. I think we need to talk more about innovation because technology is always evolving. Right now we really need a good way to generate traffic because of the competition.

  • A great post breaking down the changes. Content is king and it had to be only a question of time before Google found a way of getting rid of those silly pages. Thanks for sharing.

    • Agreed, Pippa. It was long overdue.

      Thanks for the visit and comment.

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • Thanks for sharing Mavis..as usual you walk the talk and lead by example. Lovely to see your growth and expansion – inspiring. Remember to take care of you and keep loving what you do. Peace. ntathu

    • Thank you so much for the encouragement, Ntathu.

      I’ll do my best 🙂

      Much success to you,
      Mavis

  • It’s an ever changing world in the websphere. I like the fact that Google keep us on our toes. It can make this a whole lot more interesting.

    • That’s what Google is known for, Marty.

      Thanks for the visit and comment.

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • Thank you for informative article. Quality content will alway be King on the internet and how you constructed that content is justed as important. The points you made are very useful in creating quality organic traffic.

    • You’re welcome, Carl. Absolutely – quality content rules.

      Thanks for the visit and comment.

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • Wow Mavis!

    The value and content inside this post should be charged to people. Information like this should have a cost as it so valuable.

    Great work once again and proud to be your business partner.

    Thanks!!:)

    Greg De Tisi

    • Wow, Greg! Thanks for the huge compliment! 🙂

      I appreciate your ongoing support and encouragement.

      Thank you so much!!

      Mavis

  • Wow… Awesome post!
    I’ll remember all this every time I wanna generate organic traffic! 🙂

    • Thank you very much, Ramon. Great to see you here 🙂

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • Great post. I’ve been wondering what types of changes Google’s new algorithem will have on the way we do business. Now it’s time to pick ourselves up, dust off our pants, and get back to work by promoting our blogs. This seems like it’s giving the rest of us a fighting chance now.

    • Thank you very much, Michael. Yes, it gives those who put effort into creating quality content the opportunity to grab top rankings and generate traffic.

      I appreciate you visit and comment.

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • I believe that article marketing is still not dead, you just have to provide quality content on directories to make it really count. Plus it’s an advantage that almost everyone are stepping away from this method, which means those who are really smart in marketing their sites can make the most out of this technique without too much competition. You just have to provide valuable content 🙂

    • That’s right, Jason. Quality content is key. Those who have been doing things the right way, they have nothing to worry about.

      Thanks for stopping by and for your input.

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • You’re welcome, Gichuki. Indeed, these changes are great for those marketers who are already doing things the right way.

    Thanks for the visit and comment.

    All the best,
    Mavis

  • A comment of deep linking. The first blogsite I begun to visit with any regularity was Steve Pavlina’s blogsite. I would start with one article and wind up 6 articles deep without ever finishing an article. Whether or not that was totally good from Steve’s perspective I don’t know but I would spend a lot of time of his blogsite.
    Riley

    • Deep linking is quite effective if used properly. It’s a great way to keep your older posts “alive” and to get them indexed quicker.

      Thanks for stopping by and for your comment, Riley.

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • Mavis, your article confirmed what I always knew: packing keywords makes for crappy content. Readers who end up at those articles feel DUPED. I was working for a content farm for three years and it got so bad I felt dirty. I was so glad to finally find a job where I could write articles worth writing AND reading.

    Great article, Mavis. You go GURL!

    • I agree, Varda. It’s good news that Google has finally decided to do something about it, although it took them ages.

      Thanks for the visit and encouragement.

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • Hey Mavis, I missed this one. Is there a list of entries?

    You really did a great job here. You covered all aspects, from bringing traffic to keeping people around. I think with today’s attention span it is so hard to get them to click around, cause most will find the answer to the question they googled and click back to ask more questions.

    Sometimes I think us bloggers are the only ones that actually click around searching for additional tips when we discover a new blog, lol. Well, I do hope I am far from the truth 🙂

    Anyway, you got my vote here for sure!

    • Hey Brankica,

      Thanks for coming by and for your vote 😉

      Here’s a list of entries: https://www.iblogzone.com/2011/03/how-to-drive-more-traffic-to-website.html

      I think, deep linking can keep them hooked for a few more minutes if done properly. I agree that people may only be interested in finding the answer to just one question and leave.

      I know, I like clicking around 🙂

      See you around, Brankica! 🙂

  • Very enlightening and informative. Your article helped me to better understand the dynamics in the ever changing internet. Being relatively new to internet marketing, I appreciate your insights.

    Best of luck to you.
    Stan

    • Thank you very much, Stan. I’m glad you found this helpful.

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • Great post, Mavis. This recent Google change has all article marketers freaking out! It’s true that good content is key and will be rewarded. I have not seen a dip in my traffic (so far :)) and will continue to do what I’m doing! Keep bringing it!

    Steve Hawk

    • Thank you, Steve. Keep doing what you’re doing and you’ll be rewarded accordingly 🙂

      I appreciate your visit and comment.

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • Thanks for the great post Mavis. You broke the changes down well, and more importantly gave some good advice on how to deal with them…now if I just had more time in the day to create more of that unique, well written content!

    • You’re welcome, Rod. Glad you found this helpful 🙂

      I’m sure you’ll find some time in your busy schedule…

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • Once again you’ve managed to take a relatively complex issue and reduce it to terms even a computer layman like me could understand.

    Wally Pieper

    • Glad to hear that, Wally. Thanks for stopping by and for leaving me a comment.

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • Great post! A lot of incredible information here, and very helpful information at that!

    Thanks for all you do. Your Linkedin Friend.

    Michael

    • Thank you very much, Michael. Glad you found this helpful 🙂

      I appreciate your visit and encouragement.

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • Great blog. Very informative content, packed with goodies that make it easy to share. All of Mavis’s blogs are great, however this one shouldwin you a Webby Award or whatever award is used for bloggers.

    Sincerely,
    MCennimm Marketing

    • Thank you very much for the kind words and encouragement, Michael.

      I appreciate your visit and support.

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • I read this the other day but some how found my way back to it. You got a RT

    • So glad you found your way back to my article, Eric. Thanks for the RT! 🙂

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • Great way to share a lot at one place Mavis. Very informative and well written.

    To your success!

    Branka Babic

    • Thank you very much, Branka.

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • Great article and I am glad I checked it out. Content is KING! Keeping readers around is really important. The rules are changing and we have to adapt to the changing rules!

  • Mavis, this is an awesome article! I wasn’t aware of Google changing their algorithms. This really helps a lot! This is my new blueprint on promoting my site.

    Live your dreams,
    Mansuur Bey

    • Thank you very much, Mansuur. Glad you found this helpful 🙂

      I appreciate your visit and comment.

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • I couldn’t agree with you more, Keysha! Thanks for stopping by and for your comment.

    All the best,
    Mavis

  • Hi Mavis, this is great!!!!!!!!!this is so informative and helpful. Now I understand how google operates. Keep up the good work.

    • Thank you very much, Annie. I appreciate your visit and encouragement.

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • Great stuff, Mavis! I’ll be studying the changes very closely myself & really appreciate this information…all smart internet marketers will, I’m sure.

    • Thank you very much, Doug. Glad you found this helpful.

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • Hi Mavis:)

    Excellent article, Mavis. I think most importantly you point out that it’s not only about getting people to look at your blog or website, it’s even more important to link it to where they stay on there for a period of time. NOT ONLY to put a smile on the google bots’ faces, but obviously to bond and connect with your readers. Back to basics, really;) Thanks for sharing valuable insight. You continue to amaze me:) Thomas

    • Hi Thomas,

      Absolutely! Deep linking is a great strategy to promote your other posts and to keep your readers longer on your blog.

      Thanks very much for your visit and encouragement 🙂

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • Hi Mavis, this is a great quality article… with some good tips. Cliche or not, it is the truth that “Content is King” and I’m happy that Google has gone back to basics and is rewarding those who push forward in this industry and always provide incredible content for their readers. That’s you Mavis.

    Warm regards,
    Sandy

    • Hi Sandy,

      Thank you very much for your visit and encouragement.

      It’s really great to see that Google is finally rewarding those who are working hard to produce quality content regularly.

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • Thank you Mavis ,for great info .

    I know that Google changing their algorithms and it’s effect article directories but i was surprised how bad it is .Thank you for bring it out .
    Regarding good content i think it’s must !It’s pleasure to read and write too.
    When i’m writing, most of my contents can be divided to 3 different topics lol I will learn more about deep-links and stay focused on one topic.I know i will get better with practice .

    When you deep link you content do you write topics first and after post and link when together or writing new post and mention something from the old to link it together ?
    Thank you for great info you deliver .
    Success and happiness .
    Elena

    • You’re welcome, Elena.

      Practice makes perfect… When writing a post, you’d include a link to your page(s) or previous posts, where relevant.

      Check how this is done in the post above 😉

      I appreciate your visit and comment. Success and happiness to you too, Elena.

      Mavis

  • Mavis, thank you for writing this awesome post. Article Marketing is close to dead, and high quality content is king. My experience from the change Google did recently, was a increase in visitors to my blog due to unique content. Awesome Post!

    • My pleasure, Terje. Glad to hear you’re already seeing great results. Keep doing what you’re doing! 😉

      Thanks for the visit and comment.

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • Mavis is brilliant!

    Wow what a post, send shockwaves!

    Awesome Mavis as always.

    Warmest

    Phill

    • Thank you sooo much for stopping by and for your kind words, Phill 🙂

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • Mavis, as usual your posts are brilliant. It’s a must-share! and of course a must-implement-in my-own-blog…

    • Thank you so much, Cinzia. Glad you found this helpful 🙂

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • Great Mavis! What a great post,,,Im looking forward in reading your great post…Alot of great information,,, May the Lord continue to bless you in everything that you do , because it difinetely shows in your dedication and hard work, your a inspiration to me,,,Mavis

    Sincerly ,,Fred Morales

    • Many thanks for your kind words, indeed Freddie. Glad you found this informative.

      I appreciate your visit and comment.

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • Great post Mavis, once again you have excelled yourself with good quality content and information. Good Luck with your contest and keep up the good work sharing you knowledge 🙂

    • Thank you so much for your encouragement, Pam.

      Great to see you here 🙂

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • Mavis, thankyou for a really useful & informative article. As a fairly new marketer, I’m just getting to understand the importance of good quality content. I agree with a previous comment, this is so powerful we should really be paying you for it. Great work Mavis.

    Robin Whiting

    • Thank you very much, Robin. I’m glad you found this useful and informative.

      I appreciate your visit and comment.

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • Thank you Mavis for this very informative blog. A lot of small but awesome advices on how to climb the search engines. I will certainly start using this!

  • What an excellent review of the type of information I have been looking for.
    Thanks for sharing this blog
    Goodluck

    • Glad to hear that you have found what you have been looking for, Emmanuel 🙂

      Thanks for stopping by and for your comment.

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • Hi there, just wanted to say how much I enjoyed this article, will be reading more for sure!
    Namaste, Alexandria

    • Glad to hear that, Alexandria 🙂

      Thanks for stopping by and for leaving me a comment.

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • You’re welcome, Liv. This will definitely help you to grab the top spots! 🙂

    Thanks for stopping by and for your comment.

    All the best,
    Mavis

  • Super info Mavis!

    I definitely got some work to do to get a blog up and running now that I have read this.

    Keep up the great work.

    Kobus

    • Thank you very much, Kobus. All the best with your new blog.

      Thanks for stopping by and for leaving me a comment.

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • Great piece Mavis.
    It is all to true that content really is king for those truly bringing the goods these changes should not be so difficult to overcome.

    Ed.

    • Thank you very much, Ed. Yes, those who deliver quality content have nothing to worry about.

      I appreciate your visit and comment.

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • Hi Mavis, you’re making me hungry with those delicious looking sticky buns! LOL
    I came by to show my support for your contest entry and you did not disappoint – great job! I’m really surprised to see this panda update make such a big difference in these article marketing sites. Thanks for all of those stats and the valuable insights.

    • Aww, they look really good, don’t they? 🙂

      Thank you so much for coming by to support me, Ileane. I know those sites got hit hard.

      I appreciate your kind words my friend.

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • Great blog Mavis, you clearly have done your homework and research. I will defiantly pass on to my contacts; this is something they can add on to their knowledge management tool kit.
    Consider loading your content with free things also; this will keep them coming back to your Blog.
    I wish you great success with the contest Mavis.
    Andre

    • Thank you very much, Andre. I will really appreciate you passing this on to your contacts 🙂

      Thanks for your visit and encouragement.

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • Great post Mavis,

    I think the really interesting change in SEO terms is Ezine Articles demotion in authority. Who thought they would see the day when Ezine was dubbed a content farm? Not CEO Christopher Knight that’s for certain.
    The Ezine Articles blog shows the sense of shock felt by people at this site which has always had pretty high submission standards.
    For SEO this directory has always given really good back-links with the opportunity for two anchor text links from the resource box to two different pages of your own website.
    Research seems to indicate this benefit hasn’t changed but the instant front page results for a keyword optimized in an article at this site has gone – probably forever!
    This is the way of the Internet. As they say “If you want to play in Google’s sandpit you have to play by their rules!”
    …and they can change the rules without warning at any time they choose.

    Thanks for the excellent research Mavis.
    All the best
    Mike

    • Many thanks, Mike.

      I know, who would have thought? Ezine Articles of all sites! Most people, including me, wonder what was going on as they have high submission standards.

      It takes almost 7 days before an article gets approved. So, this demotion shocked everyone.

      Thanks for the visit and for adding value to this discussion, Mike.

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • Thank you Mavis, some really great information here, not that I understand it all, but definitely going to research more and begin to use different strategies.

    • You’re welcome, Wendy. Hopefully, it will all come clear for you.

      Thanks for the visit and comment.

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • Thank you for sharing the facts and figures. Those changes were one of the biggest reasons I pulled one of my best selling products off the market. The rules changed so much that my videos would seem to be misleading… they weren’t at the time they were recorded. As they used to say on the Saturday morning commercials, “Back to the drawing board.”

    • You’re welcome, Stan. The changes call for some adjustment and it’s great to hear that you’re reviewing your videos.

      Thanks for the visit and comment.

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • Lots of good information that I will use daily. Thanks

    • You’re welcome, Gerri.

  • Well researched, Mavis. Excellent content and guidance for bloggers and article writers to help conform to the new algorithms.
    Quality content was and always will be king.
    Thanks for the information.
    Paul

    • Thank you very much, Paul. Agreed – quality content is the way to go.

      I appreciate your visit and comment.

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • Hi Mavis,
    This is a wonderfully written post with lots of good content. It just shows why you are the queen of blogging! Now to take some of your advice back to my blog.
    Thanks,
    Jan

    • Thank you very much for your kind words, Jan 🙂

      Your visit and comment are greatly appreciated.

      All the best,
      Mavis

      P.S. I like your gravatar 😉

  • Awesome post Mavis,

    Great information for people that want their site seen on the search engines.I use many different methods for traffic and will use this information as well.

    Originality and valuable Content I always been a big fan of versus sites and blogs that are a dime a dozen.

    • Thank you very much, Joe. Glad you found this information helpful 🙂

      I appreciate your visit and comment.

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • Hello Mavis,

    This post is very very informative. Awesome! Thanks for sharing. I started learning about seo and article marketing way back January this year in the attempt to use this strategy for lead generation. But when I am about to apply the method, it was also the time of the new algo was born… 🙁 So I have to go back to my original strategy which was blogging and social media which I had success with for the last 12 months. The article you have written here is so valuable. You should deserve a #1 spot on Google on this 🙂 Thanks again.

    • Thank you very much, Sonny. Glad to hear that you found this valuable.

      It would be nice to grab the #1 spot on Google 🙂

      I appreciate your visit and comment.

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • Hi Mavis,

    Enjoyed your post, it has been interesting to see what’s happened since the algorithm change. Pleased that we hooked up on YouTube and I look forward to reading more of your posts.

    Take care,

    Joanna Foley

    • Great to see you here, Joanna. Also pleased that we met on YouTube.

      Glad to hear that you enjoyed my post 🙂

      Really appreciate your visit and comment and look forward to seeing you at my blog.

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • Great post Mavis – i’ve learnt something new. Thanks, Regards, Gareth

    • Great to hear that, Gareth. Thanks for the visit and comment.

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • Mavis,
    This is the most understandable article about Google’s de-spamming campaign. you have covered all the highlights in a readable manner that makes their impact very clear. You deserve to win. Good luck!

    • Thank you very much for your encouragement, Sallie.

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • Hi Mavis,
    It’s good to see you take such a fantastic challenge on blogging.
    Your article is fabulous, and well researched! I appreciate your work.

    Would you review my site; I would appreciate tips or changes that you recommend to improve my blog. I enjoy writing; I wish I had more hours in a day because there is so much I want to share!

    Doris Hullett

    • Thank you very much, Doris.

      Sure thing – I’ll take a look at your blog.

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • Hi Mavis,

    What wonderful value you’ve just delivered. I had heard a little about the new changes, but you broke it down and made it all so easy to understand.

    I love the tips you included on how to keep ranking your site. I agree, content is king. All your suggestions are super valuable, thank you!

    Susanna

    • You’re welcome, Susanna.

      Thank you very much for your visit and kind words.

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • Hi Mavis,
    I think that the change was necessary, and I’m happy to report that I think it’s having a positive effect on my site and I haven’t really been on top of my SEO – I’m making small improvements with this and I’m glad that they seem to be working.

    • Hi Kiesha,

      Great to hear that the change is having a positive effect on your blog.

      Thanks for the visit and comment.

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • Great job Mavis

    This article shows that you really know what you are talking about. When the day come that I am going to make my own, then I know where to go for god advice and help:-) I really hope you win Mavis, you deserve it.

    All the best
    Tone-Britt

    • Thank you very much, Tone-Britt.

      I appreciate your visit and best wishes.

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • Hey Mavis,

    Thanks for an excellent post on the latest Google algorithm changes and how to possibly address these changes to still get good positions in Google´s SERPs.

    Would you have any prove to offer as to why you recommend a keyword density of between 1,5 and 2 percent?

    I´m asking because there is wide range of information on this specific SEO topic and it´d be great to have further evidence to prove your point.

    Keep up the good work

    Mirko

    • Hi Mirko,

      Thank you very much for your kind words.

      I learned this on the SEO courses that I have done and I have a friend who is a SEO nerd. He recommends not going over 2% as he found that if the density went over 2% his and his clients’ rankings went down.

      When it comes to Google, there are things that you learn by experience – if they work and bring you results, you use and recommend them.

      People go by what works for them. Sorry I haven’t got the proof you’re looking for.

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • Thanks for this article. I did a similar article recently and I must say what google is really looking at right now is the user experience. Do something about it and google will reward you great!

    • You’re welcome, Chadrack. Do what Google wants, then you’ll be rewarded. Period.

      I’m off to checking your article.

      Thanks for the visit and comment.

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • As always, Mavis, great ideas and great content. The good news. Most bloggers still don’t know how to take advantage of all the tricks.

    • Thank you very much, Scott. Great to see you here 🙂

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • Hi Mavis,

    I very much enjoy and embrace the change. That is a very good thing that has happened to the internet as a whole (and not just with blogs).

    You have made very good “timely” points. Good luck for your winning.

    Cheers,
    Jane.

    • I agree, Jane. It’s good news for all of us.

      Thanks for coming by and for your best wishes.

      Good luck to you too!

      Mavis

  • Great post Mavis,

    You covered some very key points and you did an exceptional job with this post.

    Change is inevitable and personally, I’m glad it happened. I’ve always done my best to write unique and quality content so to know that these sneaky SEO experts have been getting around all of this by grabbing stuff for content farms has always been very disappointing to me. I’m tired of searching for information online and receiving nothing but junk results. I think this is an improvement and just hope that we start seeing the results from this recent change.

    Thanks for this post Mavis. You really did your research and I will be more than happy to share this will all my friends.

    Adrienne

    • Thank you very much, Adrienne.

      I know, this change was long overdue and is very welcomed by most of us.

      It’s about time people get rewarded for working hard and producing unique and quality content.

      I appreciate your visit and comment, Adrienne. Glad to hear that you’ll be sharing this with all your friends 🙂

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • Hey Mavis… I agree with you about on-site time and number of pages viewed.

    I recently noticed that one of my articles was getting a lot of pageviews from Google, but these people were only staying 10 seconds. I realized that the beginning of the article didn’t seem like it matched the actual content in the article (it was more like a lead in). So I changed the intro, and people started staying on the page longer. A very easy fix IF you monitor your analytics.

    • Thanks for sharing your experience with us, Dahlia. That goes to show the importance of checking and monitoring your stats. A great way to reduce your bounce rate and keep your readers glued to your content.

      I appreciate your visit and comment.

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • Hey Mavis…looking great in the contest…although I’m not surprised with incredible content like this. I am rooting for you and hope you’re the winner! Keep it up…I’ve shared, tweeted, stumbled, digged, and buzzed your post! 🙂

    Woo Hoo!

    Heather

    • Woo hoo! Thank you so much for your support and encouragement, Heather.

      I’m having fun here! 😀

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • Hi Mavis,

    Great article! I like what google is doing. Now authority sites like yours and mine will get the attention they deserve, instead of these sites who don’t offer anything but bad content and advertisements everywhere.

    I personally need to spend some more time looking at my google analytics, so I can figure out where vistors go and what keeps them on my site the longest. You have offered me some new ideas on this subject, so Thank You!

    Good luck in the contest Mavis!

    • Thank you very much, Ian. Yep, it’s our turn to grab the top spots and drive lots of traffic – we deserve it!

      Make Google Analytics your best friend. It knows what’s happening on your blog more than you do 🙂

      I appreciate your visit and best wishes, Ian.

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • Hi Mavis,
    I have read your article with great interest. It is very good information for me that is quite new ” in this game”. Thank you for sharing this information.
    Good luck!
    Audhild

    • Hi Audhild,

      Glad to hear that you found this informative 🙂

      Thanks for the visit and comment.

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • Great tips,

    Thanks for sharing Mavis. I was really surprised to see ezines drop indeed.

    Cheers,
    Togrul

    • Thanks, Togrul. I know – who would have thought?

      I appreciate your visit and comment.

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • Content is king and new algo from Google tells everything.
    Organic traffic is necessary becuase without this no blog survive.
    thanks for sharing these tips

    • I couldn’t agree with you more, Vivek.

      Thanks for coming by and for leaving a comment.

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • Mavis, aloha. What a terrific article. Because I know I will want to refer to it for easy reference, it is now “living” on my computer.

    In the past, I have done quite a bit of article marketing and still see it as a viable way to drive traffic. Too many people, in my opinion, are responding with knee jerk reactions as opposed to letting the pendulum swing back. Quality content will always make a difference no matter the algorithm.

    Your points on twitter and fb are right on and so easy for people to do.

    As you know from your success level, if people want to be seen as an authority, they need to be willing to invest the time and build the relationships as you have, Mavis.

    Thx so much for another well researched and crafted post. Aloha. Janet

    Your advice on deep internal linking as well as the back links from twitter and fb

    • Aloha Janet,

      I so appreciate your visit and encouragement. Glad to hear that you found this helpful and you’ll be referring to it 🙂

      I couldn’t agree you more – it’s all about leading with valuable content all the time, whether there are algorithm changes or not. You can’t go wrong when you do that.

      Aloha,
      Mavis

  • Great information Mavis, it’s good to know that Google is rewarding the right people for their content!

    • Agreed, Gary. Thanks for stopping by and for leaving a comment.

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • Mavis,

    Fantastic in-depth look at the post-alg change recently. You’re absolutely right that content quality is of utmost importance. Aside from all the SEO best practices, we’ll also want to do as you advised about generating sticky traffic.

    Things such as videos, podcasts, engaging comment threads and even surveys could help keep visitors on site longer. It’s all about making the visit to our sites “an experience,” not just another click.

    Thanks for the wisdom!

    Jon

    • Well said, Jon. It’s all about creating a buzz on your blog with great content and making the experience of your readers memorable.

      Thanks for stopping by and for leaving a comment.

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • Thank you Mavis for sharing this valuable information. I had an idea of almost everything you have mentioned except for Latent Semantic Indexing (LSI). That is new to me. I’m going to look into it.

    ~Tisha

    • You’re welcome, Tisha. LSI is basically about using your keywords in a natural way when you’re writing content.

      You need to include your main targeted keyword as well as synonyms and some relevant expert terms.

      When you do your keyword research, think of the synonyms and common sense as well as your own basic knowledge will help you to come up with the other phrases.

      You can learn more about this by just doing a search.

      Thanks for the visit and comment, Tisha.

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • Hey Mavis,

    Your commitment to research and development is worth emulating!

    Great piece. Got work to do on this! Thanks for sharing!

    Tosin

    • Thank you very much for your kind words, Tosin.

      Great to see you here 🙂

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • Hi Mavis,

    I agree with everyone else’s comment that it is good news for clever marketers as it is high time they get rewarded for doing marketing the right way. As Heather said (on her recent post), this only makes the clever marketers more attractive and it makes easier for them to stand out.

    I personally haven’t used article marketing, and these recent changes would definitely allow me to now explore this option as more and more spammers are weeded out of this strategy. I’ll definitely be on the lookout for your updates about this very topic.

    Well, it is always a challenge for me when it comes to SEO. I believe that with this recent change, I am ‘forced’ to look at SEO more seriously.

    Thanks for this fantastic post, Mavis!

    – Rowena

  • Hi Mavis,

    With all the negative attention things like “the Google Slap” has received in the past, it’s good to hear about them taking a step in the right direction.

    Great post. Thanks for sharing!

    Gregory

    • I agree, Gregory. It’s good news indeed.

      Thanks for the visit and comment.

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • Hi Mavis,

    wow, that’s terrific, 214 comments and counting ! Well deserved.

    Take care

    Oliver

  • Thanks very much for the encouragement, Oliver. It’s fun watching the numbers! 🙂

    All the best,
    Mavis

  • Mavis,
    Great post. A couple of items I would like to share here. The Associated Press just recently (officially) recognized bloggers as an official source of news and information – which I thought was pretty cool. Also, I started out (and still do) own article marketing sites, and believe me, Copyscape gets a fare share of visits from me. I suppose this is why both of these sites have remained on Google page #1 (even higher too!). The greatest concept that I need to take away from this post that I have had a terrible habit of NOT doing is deep-linking to other posts, or having much concern for archives. Need to fix that!

    Bryan

    • Hey Bryan,

      I’m not surprised by the recognition of blogs as an official source of news and information. Blogs rule! So, your blog is the most important and powerful marketing tool!

      Have fun with deep-linking!

      Thanks so much for your visit and for adding value to this discussion, Bryan.

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • This is a really surprising and eye-opening post Mavis and I’m glad you are sharing with us these tips! I thought article marketing was the big thing to do! Just goes to show how you can’t put all your eggs in one basket…diversification and consistency are key!

    • The key is to do what Google wants, then you’ll be okay.

      Thanks for your visit and comment, Kesha.

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • Hi Michelle,

    Great blog post with extremely valuable information. I will be able to use this information as I continue to improve my blogging skills. Thanks so much for sharing this valuable information.

    Carolyn Johnson

    • You’re welcome, Carolyn. Glad you found this helpful 🙂

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • I did not know time on site mattered to google. Makes sense though. I guess that is yet another reason why you need longer posts and why sites like ehow should just go die.

    As far as SEO every one says 1-2% I really do not count my words, i know there are tools for that but I stick my keyword in the title, 1st sentence, last sentence and 1 or 2 times with in the body of the post depending on length.

    I also put it in my image alt text and then link back to the post from a newer post using the keyword as the link text, seems to be working.

    I also do not really change anything because of google. My site is not big enough and i doubt Google penalized me for anything. I mean… i do not have short posts.

    • Yep, that’s one of the important factors. You need to have some activity on your site and get people to hang around for a while.

      It’s all about implementing different strategies to promote your posts, so your visitors can keep on reading and leaving you comments.

      The length of your post doesn’t matter, the key is to provide quality content.

      With regard to keyword density, being natural helps, stuffing your content with too many keywords makes it ugly and less appealing and you’ll be seen as a spammer.

      Thanks for the visit and comment, Eric.

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • I’m pleased with these changes that encourage great quality. Thanks for your post!

    • You’re welcome, Leanne.

      Great to see you here.

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • Some very good and important information re blogging. We differently need to keep up with the changes. It is important to have good context to hold your readers. I know when I read I blog, I want information that I can use for myself or pass onto others for help.

    • Agreed, Helen.

      Thanks for coming by and for leaving a comment.

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • Mavis,

    Thank you for making the changes so clear! Not only do we know what is going on now but we also know what to do in light of these changes!

    Thank you!
    Stacy | Grow With Stacy

    • It’s my pleasure, Stacy.

      Thanks for stopping by and for leaving a comment.

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • I have to hand it to You Mavis, You always over deliver on these posts , You write a book every time You post. Am speechless, great content, so much passion , keep em coming girlfriend!

    Jonathan

    • Wow! Thank you very much for your kind words and encouragement, Jonathan!

      Thanks for stopping by.

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • Hey Mavis,

    I came back to check out information on the article directories. Do you think it’s worth my time to continue to submit stuff to ezine articles or would I be better using hub pages, squidoo, document sharing sites, or something else like that?

    Heather

    • Welcome back, Heather! 🙂

      Most Web 2.0 sites (Hubpages, Squidoo etc.) have been demoted as far as page rank is concerned.

      I would still submit quality articles to these sites to build backlinks. I have heard that Ezine Articles is very strict now, rejecting a few articles.

      I would use two anchor links on two keywords in each article in the resource box depending on the article site and then have each link going to a different post/page on your blog.

      The backlinks will help your blog to rank higher.

      Hope this helps, Heather.

      Thanks for coming by and for your question.

      Mavis

  • Mavis,

    Great tips! Time on site is something I hadn’t considered a great deal but now that you brought it to my attention, I will certainly make it a focus.

    Thanks for the value Mavis!

    Roger

  • Great stuff Mavis.

    It really is an ongoing task to keep up with developments like these. At the end of the day, as the Google algorithm gets more and more advanced and subtle, the only measure which is going to get your page ranked is quality content which continues to attract readers and provide them with what they want.

    I appreciate you putting this clear update together Mavis, well done!

    Jym

    • You’re right, Jym. Google says, we do. Oh, there’s a saying: “every time Google sneezes, we are catching a cold.” LOL!

      Quality content rules indeed.

      Thanks for the visit and encouragement, Jym.

      All the best,
      Mavis

      P.S. Welcome back! Can’t wait to hear about your retreat 🙂

  • This article was an eye opener for me. I can believe all the famous article directory where hit. I have learnt to write articles that give valuable information to my audience. Like @eric I stick my keyword in the title, 1st sentence, last sentence and 1 or 2 times with in the body of the post depending on length. I also put it in my image alt text and then link back to the post from a newer post using the keyword as the link text, seems to be working.
    I still post articles to all the famous article directory but I use a tool to do this automatically. I also have my articles posted on most of the social media sites too and this has brought me a lot of traffic.

    • Hey Joyce,

      Great to hear that your keyword density and positioning is working well for you.

      It’s best practice to include your primary keyword in the title, the image, the first and the last sentence, and sprinkle it throughout your article using synonyms and expert terms.

      Thanks for the visit and for your comment.

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • Hey Mavis, I always look forward to reading your content. You’ve certainly delivered on this one. Your strategies here are spot on.
    I’ve been a biggie on article marketing and submitting to hundreds of directories but perhaps I need to reconsider that strategy.
    Thanks for your insights.

    • Glad to hear that, Ruth 🙂

      I think the information I’m sharing here will help you to make some adjustments in your strategy,

      Thanks for stopping by and for leaving me a comment.

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • You’re welcome, Roger. Thanks for coming by.

    Glad you found his helpful.

    All the best,
    Mavis

  • Hi Mavis,

    Fabulous post. What I got from this is that it pays to have your own voice when it comes to blogging. Write from your heart, guided by keywords and seo and stop trying to be like the “gurus”.

    I have recently started paying attention to deep linking and I believe that has helped bring my alexa ranking down some more (10k in the last 2 weeks).

    Relevancy and consistency are also key but at the end of the day, what matters are the rules that google sets forth.

    Golda

    • Thank you very much, Golda.

      You’re right, trying to outsmart Google will not be a wise move. The key is to play by the rules and stop on top of the game.

      Deep linking is powerful – great to hear that you’re already seeing results.

      I appreciate your visit and comment, Golda.

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • Great post Mavis,

    I completely agree, content is king! When I first started internet marketing I was shocked to see how easy it was to rank on google just for writing and posting a few articles on directories. Now I am more focused on blogging which I knew was the right path to get the right kind of exposure and professionalism to my viewers.

    Aidan Gibson

    • Thank you very much, Aidan.

      You’re right – your own blog is the most powerful marketing tool you can use to build your brand and generate maximum exposure.

      I appreciate your visit and comment.

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • Mavis,

    I was intimidated by all the comments, I usually don’t bother after 25 or so. But I feel the need to speak. Lol.

    I am fairly new to all this, still learning the basics of SEO and social media. I was just going to start writing for Hubpages and/or Squidoo when I read about all the Google changes just a few weeks ago. It scared me so I waited to see what my next step should be.

    I am glad I came here and read many of your comments. I think I will move on and still write some articles. I would have never written bad articles so I am not worried about quality content, I worry more about repeat content. So I just need to find my voice and spin on the facts.

    This is a very informative post and I am saving it to read again in more depth. THX!

    • Lol, Allie! You have the freedom to speak, use it! 🙂 Thanks for leaving me a comment.

      Glad you came by and great to hear that you found this informative.

      All the best with writing your articles!

      Mavis

  • Hi Mavis,

    Very well-said! You’re absolutely right; I’ve been hearing from the bloggers I trust that article submitting is going to die quickly, so when I go to other blogs and see “how to submit your articles to sites” and I see the same tired, old information, it lends even more credence.

    However, that was one big to-do on my list of action! However, I think I may still continue to write those articles, only for now I might not branch out into places like Squidoo and Hubpages just yet and stick with guest posting. That’s been very successful. I can put my researched, referenced, quality posts on others’ sites and gain traffic that way for now. I’ve already had one blogger say my guest post was among his most successful!

    Delena

    • Thank you very much, Delena.

      Great to hear that you’re doing well with guest posting. That’s one powerful strategy that bloggers need to pay attention to.

      It helped me to attract new audience to my blog and I’d recommend it any day.

      I also go for top blogs when doing guest posting.

      I appreciate your visit and comment, Delena.

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • Mavis,

    You’ve given people a lot of great advice on some of the things that they need to do if they want to continue to make Google happy and in turn make themselves happy with all the traffic they’re going to get! 🙂

    Bottom line is that Google’s a business and their objective is to make the searchers happy. If everyone just makes everyone happy, then their won’t be anything to worry about.

    I think too many people are out there always looking for shortcuts and ways to “game” the system.

    Keep on Rockin’

    – Yo

    • Thank you for your kind words, Yo.

      You’re right – Google is on a mission to make their searchers happy and they will do anything to make sure that they have a pleasant experience when using their service.

      Trying to outsmart Google is not cool at all.

      I appreciate your visit and comment, Yo.

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • Hey Mavis,

    I hope you win this contest! That would be awesome!

    This article was very very kick butt not gonna lie. I love reading your content because you get down and dirty, tell it how it is, and are straight to the point. That is what we need when it comes to getting information.

    I totally agree with your point that content is key! Google prides itself in being able to find THE BEST content for your search. We need to show Google that we have the best content for the keyword.

    I didn’t know that Google really cared about how long people stayed on your blog. That is a very interesting point and I will have to work on that. I have the related posts plugin and I do the interlinking for other relevant posts. I’ll have to come up with some more ninja tricks for this tip.

    Thanks for sharing this post with me, I really appreciate your awesome content you pump out!

    ~Erin Smith

    • Aww, thank you, Erin. I hope so too! 🙂

      Thank you so much for your kind words and encouragement.

      Swing by my blog tomorrow as I’ll be sharing some effective strategies that you can use to get your visitors glued to your content 😀

      I so appreciate your visit and comment, Erin.

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • The one constant is change, right? Social media is definitely ever changing and I appreciate having an authority to turn to Mavis to learn how to keep up! Great way of outlining what we can do and a reminder that content is always key.

    Dani

    • Wow, that’s a huge compliment, Dani – thank you! 🙂

      Thanks for coming by and for leaving me a comment.

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • Hi Mavis,

    Whoa! Thanks for this info, very helpful. i did n’t know google cared about the blog, I always thought what you post its your business. & It is your duty as individual to attract viewers with a good material.

    Thanks again & I hope you win. you the best.

    Lorato

    • Glad you found this helpful, Lorato.

      Thanks for the best wishes 🙂

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • This post gives so much value if people can’t take their time to come and read it then you don’t know what they are missing even I got something that I could use of it, thank you so much for sharing the info with us all Mavis.

    Mike

    • You’re welcome, Mike. Glad you found this helpful 🙂

      Let the people come and check this out…

      Thank you so much for stopping by and for leaving me a comment.

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • Hey Mavis,
    You have written some valuable points over here regarding generating traffic after the changes. I didn’t have any idea though regarding the sticky part. The time spent by users on a blog is a matter to be kept in mind.

    • Thank you, Shree. Yep, it’s important to keep your visitors longer.

      I appreciate your visit and comment.

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • Fantastic article Mavis..very well written!..You highlight a very important point about the blog being sticky i.e. attractive enough for people to spend some time on it , rather than just opting in to a form and receiving stuff from email..And well it makes sense to me..You put up a very valuable blog for your readers and Google will reward you for helping them!..:)

    Adil

    • Thank you very much, Adil. Yes, Google is already rewarding me 🙂

      I appreciate you coming by and leaving me a comment.

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • Hey Mavis,

    I learned so much from this post! While I had heard a lot of rumblings about the changes in Googles algorithms focused around search engine rankings and keywords, I didn’t know all the details until now.

    I’m happy to say that these changes don’t affect my daily operations too much. I have always focused on quality rather than quantity, but I will obviously have to rethink my use of some of the article directories, at least until they’ve straightened things out.

    Thanks as always for your quality, informative posts.

  • Hey Dr Clarke,

    So glad to hear that you found this informative 🙂

    I know, you have nothing to worry about – keep doing what you’re doing and you’ll be rewarded.

    Thanks very much for coming by and for leaving me a comment.

    All the best,
    Mavis

  • Mavis,
    Hi, Came via Blog Interact. Just came off of writing a bunch of boring articles for article marketing (which is what I do to pay the bills!) Anyhow, I got the greatest impact from your post about the article marketing. As you would expect, I have to stay on top of this subject. I have instructed clients not to submit content to “farm” sites. If they submit my content, they must sign a waiver that my pen name be excluded, and that it is posted under a “ghost-writer”. Some don’t learn! Great article, Mavis…
    Naqncy

    • Hey Nancy,

      Glad you found your way through to my article 🙂

      Great to see you taking this seriously with article writing business. It’s really important to stay on top of these changes.

      Thanks for your visit and comment, Nancy.

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • Hi Mavis,

    I thought I had already commented on this, but I guess not.

    I totally agree with what you said about article marketing. In a way, Google did us bloggers a big favor. Because now we have a fair chance to get ranked higher as long as we keep putting out quality content. Of course on-site and off-site SEO still plays a major role. I am getting better at that, thanks to you 🙂

    All the Best,

    Ilka

    • Great to see you here, Ilka.

      That’s right, many bloggers are already seeing great results since these changes.

      Glad to hear that you’re getting better with SEO :). Thanks for the visit and comment.

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • Mavis, this is incredibly useful information as Google throws another of their spanners in the works, but hey, change is good and I never liked article spinning anyway – all too “fake” for me. Must remember to deep link more – I usually forget to do this!
    Just another great article from you and your blog – long may they continue!

    • Thank you very much for your kind words and encouragement, Nicky.

      I know, I have never done article spinning – I’d rather write another good quality and unique article.

      Have fun with deep linking! Great to see you here 🙂

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • Hi Mavis, thank you for putting up this well researched bit of info. I get many people writing to me assuming they know what they need to do to ‘get more traffic’ and they just want my SEO services, and yet in the background I’m looking at their content and linking strategy and shaking my head. Now I have a site to point them to!
    I have a little quiz in my site I’ll be putting a tracker on to see how many people pay attention: Social Media SEO let me know what you think of the quiz idea.

    • Hi Juliana,

      Thanks for your kind words. That’s a great idea, I’m sure the’ll find this helpful.

      I appreciate your visit and comment.

      All the best,
      Mavis

    • P.S. I’m off to check your quiz, Juliana 😉

    • Hi Juliana,

      Great blog you have there. I like the quiz idea 🙂 It will definitely help people to determine where they are in terms of generating traffic.

  • Mavis,
    I am not sure if you are aware of this, but I actually work with Bryan from Blog Interact – I use his seo site, along with two other writers, to network and well, we pretty much work together and catch each other’s “overspill” of work. My point here is that as freelance writers, we have been keeping tabs on this subject like it was our mother’s birthday! You have made some really good points here. Some that I’ll even have to take note of. It’s still hard to get clients who just want the exposure to understand the detriment they could cause themselves in the long run. Mikel

    • Yes, Mikel – we’re friends over at Blog Interact. Glad you found your way here 🙂

      I agree, it’s important to play by the rules and stay in the game. I appreciate your visit and comment.

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • Great points Mavis,

    Google’s farmer update did hit the article sites and that’s unfortunate but I think it’s all in an effort for Google to live up their quality standard.

    Unfortunately I’ve heard talk of some good sites that have dropped in ranking because of it. I’m sure as all this fleshes out things will normalize a bit but as you say, the bottom line is develop good, usable, well researched content that people want to read and you’ll be rewarded with good ranking.

    Great post Mavis, another great job you’ve done 🙂

    • Thank you very much, Liz. Yes, Google wants to maintain their good quality standard. These changes are long overdue.

      I appreciate your visit and comment.

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • Hi Mavis,

    Was absolutely sure I had already commented here too (like Ilka…????)

    Anyway…. here I am… again… regardless, just to say that the information you have provided here is top class.

    I for one am pleased that the changes will put an end to the “article noise” of the past which did nothing more than result in poor quality article vomit all over the place.

    ~Marcus

    • Thank you so much for your kind words, Marcus. Those who have always been leading with quality content feel the same way about these changes 🙂

      I appreciate your support, Marcus.

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • Great post Mavis…as always! 🙂

    One thing that you do need to appreciate with Google is that they keep pushing us to learn and grow. Nothing is stagnant in this industry. And for those of us who enjoy “the thrill of the hunt”, I couldn’t think of a better place to be!

    Cheers,
    Karen

    • Thank you so much for your kind words, Karen. You’re right, things are ever changing so we need to keep up to stay in the game.

      I appreciate your visit and comment 🙂

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • Hi Mavis,

    Wonderful article. I have done a research on this article marketing websites myself and its so true that they got affected by this panda algo update from Google. But still IMO article marketing is worth it, if we choose the right one.

    Sathish

    • Hi Sathish,

      Great to see you here 🙂 Thanks for your kind words. Yep, the got affected big time.

      I appreciate your visit and comment, Sathish.

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • Hi Mavis!

    Here to cheer you on and share you again. Followed you here from the post you wrote on your blog about the contest (great way to generate traffic for your post!)

    Keep up the great work!
    Heather

    • Hey Heather,

      Great to see you here 🙂 Yes, it’s a great way to drive traffic to this post – it works well!

      Thanks for your support and encouragement.

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • Hey Mavis,

    Thanks for the awesome article!

    You have really promoted the heck out of this post! I really hope that you win. Your ideas here are wonderful. I know that content is king, but for a while I was focused on other less important things. Since then I have re-directed my focus to my content. I have also been doing so good deep linking throughout my blog. I started that right from the start to help the spiders crawl my blog.

    Thanks again!

    God bless,
    William Veasley

    • Hey William,

      Thanks for stopping by and for leaving a comment.

      I’m doing my best to promote it 🙂

      Glad to hear that you’re on track, doing all the right things.

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • Hi Mavis!
    It was always said that the the good original content should be rewarded , but it wasn’t always the case .
    Google favorited sites like ezinearticles.com that doesn’t accept any doubled content but now it was ‘banned’. Google reins and marketers are forced to accept new rules and adjust to them. Hopefully all these changes are to the best – the time will show.
    Wish you to win the contest ! 🙂
    Hugs/Elena

    • Hi Elena,

      Agreed – Google says, we do! These changes are long overdue and are for the best.

      I wish so too 🙂 Thanks for stopping by and for your comment.

      Hugs,
      Mavis

  • Hi Mavis, great post. This new update favors the blogger or IMer that is serious about becoming an authority in their niche. Quality, well-researched content is more likely now to rank better than before. The other good news is that the amount of backlinking work required will be diminished, which is really great IMO 🙂

  • Hello Mavis

    Good job posting the data table. It shows how hard these sites will have to fight back and demonstrates why they are making changes to the way they operate and for good reason.

    I had heard some time back about these changes and how the “goal posts were being shifted”. Google still has some surprises in their future plans. One category not hit so hard is the “How To” videos and articles so Youtube is still a good option for backlinking as well as Ehow.com.

    And I had not known about this site before so well done because you are a fine writer and I myself learned much from your blogging style 🙂

    Dennis

    • Hi Dennis,

      Great to see you here 🙂 No surprises about YouTube still being a good source to use.

      I appreciate your visit and kind words, Dennis.

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • I’m all new to this SEO stuff and I have to say that I learned a whole bunch just from your post Mavis. Thank you for sharing and keep up the great work!

    Great, Great info!

    Aloha from Maui!
    Norman

    • Aloha, Norman

      Glad you found this helpful. You can check out my link below to learn about SEO basics 😉

      Thanks for the visit and comment.

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • Hey Mavis! Excellent post!

    Wow, with content like this you’ll have no problem with SE rankings.

    Your post is a good reminder that consistent, rock solid content still rules.

    All the little fancy tricks to fool the mighty Google are simply a waste of time. They might work for a while yes, but so will a house built on sand, just for a little while.

    Thanks for the excellent post!

    • Hey George,

      Thanks very much for stopping by and for your encouragement.

      Trying to outsmart Google is not a wise move, it’s better to do things the right way and reap the rewards.

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • This was a very comprehensive and useful post Mavis!

    Indeed I agree that quality will prevail. It’s just logical that Google would want to give the best results to its users.

    I think article marketing sites will still be out there. They will just have to increase their editorial standards and accept only exclusive content.

    Good luck with the contest!

    • Hi Cosmin,

      Thanks very much much for stopping by and for your kind words.

      Ezine Articles is already working on very strict editorial standards, rejecting a few articles.

      Great question in your ComLuv link – guest posting is a hot trend with many benefits including quality backlinks. I’d do more of guest blogging than article marketing.

      Thanks for the best wishes 🙂

      All the best,
      Mavis

      • Thank you, Mavis.

        Indeed Ezine has upped their editorial guidelines for a bit, but I’m still waiting for them to accept only exclusive content.

        I also think investing your efforts in guest blogging can bring better results.

        All the best!

        • You’re welcome, Cosmin. We’ll watch Ezine Articles with interest…

          Agreed – guest blogging is very powerful and it offers great results.

          Thanks for stopping by.

          All the best,
          Mavis

  • Hey Mavis – Great breakdown. Sticking to the things that come naturally is really the best way. If we avoid trying to manipulate search engines and instead simply communicate with them, we’ll all be alright!

    Cheers,

    Tia

    • Thank for stopping by and for your comment, Tia.

      True, if we’e doing things the right way, we have nothing to worry about.

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • Hi Mavis,

    Woops, I thought I left a comment on this already. Weird! But anyway, as always very useful information. And you are absolutely right, the online world needs to know about these changes. So consider it shared and re-tweeted 🙂

    All the Best,

    Ilka

    • Thanks for stopping by and for your shares and RTs, Ilka 🙂

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • Maybe a spinoff of the Panda Doctrine will be actually talented freelancers getting paid more than $5 an article like the crap-load of article spinners out there. Wouldn’t that be novel?!

    • Getting paid well for quality articles, Gibson.

  • Hi Mavis,

    Now this post is a great example of the content that will make out well in light of the changes to the organic traffic generation rules. 100% quality.

    As a fairly new blogger I was guided to follow these new rules. I didn’t know to what extent that these content farms were hurting quality blog writing, however. The table says it all – thanks for including it because you really brought that point home.

    So, what will I do now? I’ll be sure to implement ALL that you’ve outlined. I’ve considered using SEO Pressor – your thoughts on that tool?

    I will certainly bookmark and share your post – I love to pass quality content along.

    Dena 🙂

    • Hi Dena-Lynn,

      Thanks for stopping by and for leaving a comment.

      Glad to hear that you found this helpful. You’re welcome to stop by my blog (AttractionMarketingOnline.com) as I share amazing blogging tips there 😉

      I use SEOPressor and I love it!

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • Hey Mavis,

    I have to say you did an awesome job breaking this down. It goes to say that well thought out original content always win. Now, with the Panda update. The window for SEO has opened up if you know how to target keywords.

    I’m going to share this great post!

    Have a great day…
    Josh

    • Hey Josh,

      Thanks for coming by and for leaving me a comment. You’re right, original content rules!

      I appreciate you sharing my article 🙂

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • This is good stuff across the board. Probably the only one I don’t worry about as much is the SEO part, since I figure if out of 750 words or more if I haven’t specified somehow what the post is all about, then it probably shouldn’t have been written to begin with. :_)

    • Thanks very much for stopping by and for leaving me a comment.

      Do you mean you don’t do SEO at all?

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • Fantastically researched and delivered Mavis. Things online are really changing at warp speed! I used to do some stuff with ezine articles but they take for ever to approve seem to get less clicks and are starting to look pretty ‘yesterday’ bland and advert laden definitely worth the effort of seeking alternate strategies

    Cheers Kiaran

    • Thank you very much, Kiaran.

      I know… who would have thought Ezine Articles would get hit as well?

      I appreciate your visit and comment.

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • Hi Mavis,

    Great information here. You definitely are one that shares quality content and I like the way you deliver the message with the supporting resources along with suggestions.

    Thank you very much for what you do here to educate.

    Aloha,

    Nelly

    • Thank you very much for the visit and encouragement, Nelly. Glad you found this helpful 🙂

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • Those are great tips, Mavis! Just today, I added an internal link within my blog post and from what you are saying, will need to do that more often.

    Jeanine

    • That’s right, Jeanine – you’d need to do that more often.

      Thanks for stopping by and for your comment.

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • Hi Mavis,
    Again, a very meaty, informative post. Well, my plan is to continue to create original, valuable content with the right selection of keywords, and keyword synonyms, in order to capture my market properly while keeping in mind these changes. Changes mean adjustments for greater opportunity!

    We plan to do just that. Our blog is becoming more defined in its purpose and scope, these new changes we will take advantage of.

    Thanks for sharing this.

    Joe

    • Thanks very much, Joe. Glad you found this informative 🙂

      Keep doing what you’re doing and you’ll be rewarded. Implementing these strategies will definitely take your blog to the new level of success.

      I appreciate your visit and comment.

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • Mavis,
    What an excellent post!
    I was greatly helped by reading through this information, even though alot of this is over my head. Such as, LSI, and some other concepts that I don’t understand.

    However, the point of having good quality, original content came through loud and clear. I like the point of having a site that is “Sticky”.

    This is really good information, and has helped me a lot!

    Thank you,
    Martin

    • Thank you very much, Martin. Glad you found this helpful. Please feel free to ask me any questions…

      I appreciate your visit and comment.

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • Hi Mavis, the point here that I was most curious about is article marketing, and how the recent google changes have impacted those sites significantly. I’ve been weighing for myself whether it is still valuable to put so much time into the article marketing aspect of blog and niche site marketing. My own conclusion is that by following the advice you’ve given article marketing still has value. By investing extra time, writing quality (original) articles (if you do spin them do it MANUALLY!), and submitting to specific directories you will still have success with article marketing.

    However I think perhaps more beneficial even then that, is guest blogging on high PR blogs and posting in-content links with your keywords in the anchor text, this could perhaps be more beneficial then article marketing given the recent google changes.

    • Hey Daniel,

      I would still submit quality articles to good directories to build backlinks.

      You’re right, I also believe in guest blogging on top ranking blogs. This is a more powerful strategy.

      Thanks for stopping and for your input, Daniel.

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • Thank you for all you do. You are right on about the changes that Google has made with the non-quality-content sites. Your advice is like manna to me. I value what you say. I am trying to follow you to Bizsugar, but the referral link doesn’t appear to be working very well, can you advise. Would love to join. Thx

    • Thank you very much for your visit and comment. Glad you found this helpful 🙂

      I’m surprised you’re having problems accessing BizSugar.com. What error message do you get?

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • Nice post Ms. Nong. I have been reading your information for awhile and as always, you are on top of the game. Keep up the good work. Your informative and insightful posts are helping many people reach the goals and dreams. We love your knowledge of the industry and as always, look forward to more.

    • Thank you so much for your encouragement, David. Glad you find my posts informative and helpful 🙂

      I appreciate your visit and comment.

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • Yes, I do believe posting pictures of cinnamon rolls will keep me around! It’s to close to lunch, and they look very good!

    Thanks for the information. You have presented it, well. And it’s very practical and easy.

    It will just take a little more time and effort to create a great site. I’m sure the rewards are worth the effort, though.

    • They will definitely do, Tim. Glad you found this helpful 🙂

      Agreed – the rewards are worth the effort.

      Thanks for stopping by and for your comment.

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • What a great post I almost missed I was away for my birthday and just got back. Good job Mavis.

    • Thank you very much, Melva. Hope you had a great time.

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • Wow great content and technology changes so much you have to stay on top of it. Glad you brought this to my attention Mavis. Hope you win the contest

    • That’s right, Tanisha. We need to stay on top of things to reap the rewards.

      Thanks for stopping by and for your best wishes 🙂

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • What an excellent article. We’ve been focusing our energy and attention on keywords, backlinks, and SEO more than article marketing for this very reason. Thank you for the confirmation that we are on the right track 🙂

    • You’re welcome 🙂

      Thanks for stopping by and for your comment.

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • There are so many changes going on with google thanks for the great pointers here Mavis and well written How to Beat the Changes to Organic Traffic Generation Rules.
    Definately a post to share ….on….

    You definately ROCK Mavis!!

    • Yes and it’s important to stay up-to-date. Thanks for stopping by and for your encouragement, Maria.

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • Hi Mavis, I am impressed how comprehensive this post is and as a person who is new to blogging, it’s so easy to understand. I have heard about the new changes to Google and have an idea that they are rewarding sites with unique content. I don’t have plans to do otherwise but I have to start working on my keywords.

    Regarding article marketing, is it still worth pursuing and does this mean writing a unique article which will only be submitted to one directory? I would appreciate your insights into this.

  • Hi Mavis,

    your article is very thorough and informative. It is impressive how much the traffic to article farms (like Ezines and Wizegeek has decreased) as a result of the recent Google changes. So, really unique content and quality backlinks are the two pillars of online success.

    • Hi Matthew,

      Thank you very much for stopping by and for your kind words. Agreed – unique content and quality backlinks will put you ahead of the pack.

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • Hi Diana,

    Unique and quality content is the way to go.

    I would still submit quality articles to a few good directories to build backlinks. Google will pick whatever version they want to display in their results.

    Thanks for stopping by and for your comment, Diana.

    All the best,
    Mavis

  • Hey Mavis,

    Great stuff, fantastic article!

    Just what I needed to hear; It is always good to be reminded about good practise. I just need to ensure I implement all your advice!

    Thanks, and best wishes,

    Ross

    • Thank you very much for the visit and comment, Ross. Glad you found this helpful 🙂

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • Hey Mavis,

    Thanks for your wealth of information. While I am not currently performing SEO work for anyone, I will in the near future follow your guide in doing SEO work for myself in my own self promoted project. Again thanks for sharing and I look forward to reading more from you.

    • You’re welcome, Barry. Glad you found this informative 🙂

      Hope to see you over at my blog…

      Thanks for the visit and comment.

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • Mavis,
    Thank you for the enlightenment. I heard about this Google algorithm change and needed to find out more. I have heard at lease half of your recommendations. Luckily, and like most sincere bloggers, that is what I have always done.

    In light of this do you feel there is still value in writing articles and submitting them for the value of the backlinks and the potential viral nature of the content?

    Selina

    • Hi Selina,

      You’re welcome. Glad you found this enlightening 🙂

      I would still submit quality articles to good article directories for building backlinks.

      Thanks for the visit and comment.

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • Hi again!

    Mavis you did a great job and I was back to your article for several times, to “grab” all so precious info you shared.

    Thank you my friend!

    Best wishes,

    Branka

    • You’re most welcome, Branka. Glad to hear that you find this helpful 🙂

      Thanks for the visit and best wishes.

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • Mavis,

    You say…we all say…content is king…but it is true.

    High quality unique content is a must. Plus I would mix up the format a little. Include videos and a video sitemap.

    Since the rollout of Panda, my visitors have increased by over 18% and the number of visitors direct from a Google search has increased by over 30%.

    It could be a coincidence but it started happening on the day of the rollout. So I’m happy!

    Andrew

    • I know – it’s very true, Andrew.

      Glad to hear that you’re already seeing great results since the changes – very good.

      Thanks very much for stopping by and for leaving me a comment.

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • Phenomenal blog post Mavis. I personally have been trying to keep up with all the changes and you have simplified it in this post. Thanks a bunch for sharing.

    ~Yvar

    • Thank you very much, Yvar. Glad to hear that you found this helpful.

      I appreciate your visit and comment.

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • SEO and deep linking have always worked great for me even when I was too lazy to promote my posts online. One big mistake some folks make is that they don’t optimize their images for the search engines @ all. I always make it a point to add keyword phrases to every image in my blog posts and boy does that help a lot 😉

    • Great to hear that your SEO efforts are paying off, Udegbunam.

      I couldn’t agree with you more – it’s important to have a keyword in your image and the actual file name. This helps as spiders have a hard time reading images.

      Thanks for stopping by and for your input.

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • Excellent post as usual, Mavis.
    Thanks for sharing….I really didn’t realise how bad some of these sites were hit till I saw the table above!

    Fantastic job, thanks again! Let those who have ears (and eyes!) learn from this.

    • Thanks very much, Remi. Glad you found this helpful 🙂

      I appreciate your visit and comment.

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • Mavis.. awesome post.

    I don’t focus much on SEO, but you made some really great point in this article that made me think twice about that. For now, high quality (and unique) content is my focus, as I’ve seen Google never change that about their rankings.

    thanks for sharing

    • Thanks very much, Hector. Glad to hear that you got something out of this 🙂

      I appreciate your visit and comment.

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • Thank you for pulling all the recent Google changes into a great blog post!

    My first thought when I heard about Google’s changes were the article sites and how the changes would affect all the articles that people have written and posted on multiple article sites over the years. People quickly learned how to take advantage of those sites with the hopes of driving traffic to their own site. Plus the owners of those sites have built large businesses. In the long run what will happen to those sites…

    My second thought was what about all the online companies that sell PLR. Yes many people that purchase those articles do some editing and modifications, but most just copy and paste the articles to their blog, hub or mini-site. I wonder if these changes will decrease the number of people that buy PLR content…

    I guess time will tell.

    Best wishes,
    Darlene

  • You’re welcome, Darlene.

    Most sites have been affected by these changes as the table above shows some.

    Your own site is now the most powerful marketing site you have access to.

    Thanks very much for the visit and comment.

    All the best,
    Mavis

  • Outstanding post Mavis! As always, well thought out, useful content. Personally, I find it refreshing to learn that Google is working toward rewarding original, high quality content. I particularly like how you consistently pack your blog content with valuable tips. Thank you Mavis for sharing your expertise!

    • Thank you very much for your kind words and encouragement, Dan.

      Agreed – those who lead with quality and original content will be rewarded 🙂

      I appreciate your visit and comment.

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • I’m a sponge for this kind of learning. The backlinks to twitter and facebook are something I should definitely be improving on. I like your theory on article marketing too and I hope that that continues to be a viable way to reach more people. Blessings, Amy

    • Glad to hear that you liked this, Amy :). Yes, take advantage of those social media sites – very powerful.

      Thanks for stopping by and for leaving me a comment.

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • Mavis,
    I really liked this post. It means that what I’m doing is more apt to work than the things that cost me a fortune and I don’t have time for it. I love blogging and it will help me in the process.

    One question I had was you talked about twitter and facebook backlinks. I think I’m already doing this, but could you explain what you mean?

    Thanks,
    Tammy

    • Glad to hear that you liked this post, Tammy :). A blog is your most powerful marketing tool. I love blogging too.

      When you post your content links on those sites, you are creating links backs to your blog/site.

      These links are like votes – the more you build, the more Google is going to view your site as an authority and popular and give you priority over the other sites. And that means more traffic to you! 🙂

      Thanks for stopping by and for your comment, Tammy.

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • Even though it say have been heard 1001 times, it seems that a lot of people are not listening. What is interesting to me is that people are so eager to find a way to generate organic traffic…

    …yet do so little work to get the traffic

    Having read your blog a few times, it is quite evident that you put in the time to make sure your content is superb. As a result of the quality of information you provide, I am sure to see better results in my own blogging efforts.

    • Very true, Eric. If people take action, they will see the results. Period.

      Glad to hear that you have learned a thing or two on my blog 🙂

      Thanks for stopping by and for leaving me a comment.

      All the best,
      Mavis

    • Great post. After reading your latest article on blog article promotion this isn’t only a good read – it actually becomes a bit hilarious. 🙂

      Let’s call this one a brilliant “quod erad demonstrantum” kind of post. 🙂

      I’ll definitely stay tuned to your copy!

      • Thanks, Stephan. How do you mean “a bit hilarious”? You lost me there…

        Mavis

        • Well, I first read your article about your contribution to a blog commenting contest, which you appear to win (rightly so). Then I clicked the link to the article in question and find it to be an article about the changing rules and challenges of article marketing itself. I like that. 😉

    • Eric,

      I can attest to Mavis’ hard work promoting her posts. I often wonder where she finds the time, being a mom, business owner, and blogger…but she’s everywhere at once. It seems like every blog I visit, she’s commented first, and her shares in social media grace my time-line much more frequently that most. She’s on other sites like hub pages, articles, press releases, etc. All in all, Mavis is definitely a top notch marketer (as you know!) 🙂

      Heather

      • Wow, wow, wow! Amazing testimonial this is, Heather. I’m taking a screen shot 😉

        You have me left speechless… Thank you soooo much for your appreciation and encouragement, Heather 🙂

        Warmly,
        Mavis

  • Great post!
    Content will always be king, hopefully this switch will help make it so that “good content is king.” Thanks for your tips on making a blog sticky. It’s important to keep new readers engaged with different content when they find a new blog.

    • Thanks very much, Paul. I couldn’t agree with you more.

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • Hi Mavis,

    Spot on. No matter how many bloggers tell me “Content is King” is a myth but i still believe Content is what that matters. A in depth and valuable content not only has the potential to go viral, thus bringing tons of traffic. This is Google’s main purpose. To remind us we need to produce awesome at all times.

    The rest are also critical such as promotion. Promotion and producing your content need to go hand in hand. Both are essential for the blog growth.

    Regards,

    Lye

    • Very true, Lye. It all starts with creating valuable content, then the rest follows. Content will always rule.

      Thanks very much for your visit and input, Lye.

      All the best,
      Mavis

    • Lye, you bring up a great point! Content is king, but how many awesome blog posts sit out there not getting any traffic because the blogger doesn’t know how to drive traffic to it?

      I think it’s an example of the old debate that a great product with lousy marketing won’t be successful, a mediocre product with great marketing will do okay, and a great product with great marketing will always win!

      Great content + Great marketing = Google’s Love

      Heather

      • Very true, Heather. Most people miss this important point – they think great content brings traffic. Content promotion does!

        Thanks for your input.

        Mavis

  • Great article and it is essential to have original quality content on your own blogs, it is no longer acceptable to submit the same article to multiple sources for either a backlink or increased exposure as only the first article to index and get recognized as the source will rank in the SERP.

    It is still somewhat valuable to use most of these article directories on occasion, but you do need to make sure you give those sites original articles as well.

    • Thank you, Justino. Google will simply pick the best version of your content to be displayed in the SERPs and ignore the rest.

      I appreciate your visit and comment.

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • Wow! I am actually really excited about these changes! I did not realize they were including Twitter and Facebook into the new algorithm.

    • They are exciting, Kristy, aren’t they? Thanks for stopping by and for leaving a comment.

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • Hi Mavis,
    Up to date post if you ask me! My take is on the article marketing issue…this is my recommendation

    1. Change your article marketing tactics- article syndication/distribution is the way forward
    2. Social media will determine your traffic future…
    3. Over-dependance on the search engines will not help. Diversify your traffic portfolio.

    Mavis, you’ve done a great job!

    Tim

    • Makes sense Tim! I agree…putting your eggs in one basket is asking for trouble. Multiple sources of traffic are just as valuable as multiple sources of income!

      Heather

      • Agreed, Heather. It’s all about diversifying your marketing efforts.

        Thanks for adding value to this discussion.

        Mavis

  • Thanks very much for your visit and encouragement, Tim.

    As far as article marketing goes, I stand by recommendations above 😉

    Agreed – every serious marketer/blogger should take advantage of the power of social media and not put eggs in one basket.

    All the best,
    Mavis

  • Great article Mavis

    Transparency is what it’s all about and comes through putting out great content.

    Best

    Mark

    • Agreed, Mark. Thanks for stopping by and for your comment.

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • Content will always be king no doubt and Thanks to google for making changes and I think Google has now made changes worldwide as I had noticed a lot of spammy site wipeout from search results.

    • That’s true, Nick. These changes are long overdue.

      I appreciate your visit and comment.

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • Hi Mavis,
    Great post.Very well structured and so much valuable information here.All the things that you pointed out here are like a chain.They cannot bring great results if you apply them individually. So good content with a seo campaign plus blog promotion will lead to hordes of traffic.
    Thanks for sharing this.Really helpful!

    Have a great day,
    Radu

    • Hi Radu,

      Thanks for coming by and for your comment. You’re right, it’s important to implement all these strategies for maximum results.

      Good quality content needs to be optimised and promoted.

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • Hi Mavis,
    This was a long time coming. Frankly I am glad of it too (algorithm changes) I do writing and article marketing for a living, and I think that there is still a place for it, we’ll just “trim the weeds”. I also agree with your response to Tims comment about not putting all your eggs in one basket. Social media is on a level playing field with search engines!!!
    Best, Abby

    • Hi Abby,

      This is great news indeed. Yes, with a few tweaks, you can still succeed with article marketing.

      Social media is very powerful and every marketer should take advantage of it.

      Thanks for stopping by and for leaving a comment, Abby.

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • I’ve got a lot of work to do based on what your article has given me. Having over 500 articles on a site and not generating traffic from the initial posts are killing me.
    I’d love to get my hands on a certain plugin that this site uses.

    • This will keep you busy, Tony. Thanks for the visit and comment.

      All the best,
      Mavis

      P.S. Which plugin are you referring to?

  • Mavis,

    Excellent article, so many people have opinions on what is the right and wrong way to generate traffic and we miss out on the basic common sense things to do just that. Many try to find away around it by buying this tool and that tool but to just post good quality content get it out there for people to see and add lots and lots of value is a sure fire way to generate all the traffic you need.

    Great job!

    Lori

    • Thank you very much, Lori. Agreed – it’s all about leading with good quality content.

      I appreciate your visit and comment.

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • Hey Mavis,

    As expected great content as well as useful information. Did I say as expected… I meant beyond expectations.

    I particularly liked “Make Your Blog Sticky” and “Content Really IS King”

    Sometimes people forget that the way the make money is by helping people through their content and often times adopt a mantra of “Sell, Sell, Sell!” when it really should be “Content, Content, Content!” which obviously should be high quality

    Giles invites you to check out What You Don’t Know Could Hurt You

    • Hey Giles,

      Thanks for stopping by and for your kind words 🙂

      You can’t go wrong if you lead with quality content. The rest will follow.

      All the best,
      Mavis

    • Hi Giles,

      I agree with you that we need to keep in mind that our focus is on helping more people by sharing what we know. That’s the whole foundation of Attraction Marketing (the focus of Mavis’ blog) and the sell, sell, sell, comes from the loyalty and trust that is developed by giving value first!

      Great comment!
      Heather

      • Well said, Heather. You know how passionate I am about Attraction Marketing – it’s where it’s at! 🙂

        Thanks for you comment 😉

        Mavis

  • Hi Mavis!

    What a great post. You’ve really brought out the key issues with the recent changes, and have some good, practical advice here. I’ve always believed in quality content and by the feedback I’ve received along with the traffic, I’ve been validated. I have a good percentage of return visitors, and have implemented a few ‘sticky’ strategies as well. Content syndication is where it’s at though, and you can’t have that without quality!

    Thanks for a fabulous post, I’m definitely Tweeting this one! :D)
    Vicki

    • Thanks a bunch for your visit, kind words and for sharing this, Vicki 🙂

      Great to hear that you’re seeing great results by implementing the strategies that I’m sharing.

      Keep up the good work, Vicki!

      Mavis

  • Mavis,

    Just finally got over to read this post. I knew that Google had altered their algorithms due to some insight I gleaned from a friend who’s an SEO guy.

    This post was one of your best. It really helped point me in the right direction in regards to some of the tweaking I have to do on my own site in order to attain the goals I have (i.e., increased conversion and visitor retention).

    Congrats on a job well done with this one!

    • Hey Steve! Great to see you here 🙂

      Glad to hear that you found this helpful. Thanks for stopping by and for your kind words.

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • Wow, Mavis! Great article! I’m infinitely surprised that eHow made it out of the Google changes alive. It says a lot about the articles there!

    I have a research background and I try to implement the same values in my freelance writing. So glad to hear that it’s worth it! =)

    Good luck, Mavis! =)

    • Thanks very much, Samantha. Yes, it does say a lot about the articles there.

      You’re doing great, keep up the good work.

      I appreciate your visit and best wishes, Samantha.

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • Another great article Mavis, keep up the good work.

    • Thanks very much, Mike. Great to see you here 🙂

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • Mavis,

    I’m beyond BLOWN away by your marketing of this post! WAY to go girl!

    I’m excited for you and I hope you’ll win! 🙂

    Hugs,
    Heather

    • Woo hoo!!!! Thanks a bunch, my friend. I’m getting there 😀

      I can’t thank you enough for your massive support throughout the contest. You ROCK, Heather!

      Big hugs,
      Mavis

  • Aloha Mavis, great post and so much valuable tips to absorb on your post. The statistic are crazy with the decline, these companies must be scrambling for Google Luv. I wonder if it effects, social media the same way or not, since there are constant traffic on social media. Well very cool and so much to learn and you definitely narrowed up some great tips here. Glad I came by and thanks for sharing! Mahalo, Lani 🙂

    Ps..hope all goes well as the race goes on. You go girl! Come visit me some time.

    • Aloha Lani,

      Thanks for coming by and for your kind words. Glad you found this helpful 🙂

      The more presence you build on the social media sites, the more you will improve your SEO. Search engines are now considering social media shares/votes in their rankings.

      Mahalo,
      Mavis

      P.S. I did pay you a visit and leave you a comment today ;).

  • I appreciate your information, I am really not interested.

    Thank you.

    • You’re welcome, Aaron.

  • Hi Mavis,

    I do like you, although I was slow commenting because I don’t really have anything to add to the discussion. I’m someone who writes, not an expert on internet marketing. I have been able to implement much of what you mentioned, just sort of feeling my way. I wish you success in your goals. Oh yes, the post below is the conclusion of the story you were reading on my blog, so…if you want to know the ending…

    Lou Barba

    • That’s great to hear, Lou. Implementing is so key to reaching one’s goals.

      Cool, I’ll check out the conclusion of your story 😉

      I appreciate your visit and comment, Lou.

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • Sounds like some great changes to me. I really like the idea of deep linking, I love some of my previous articles and want to share that info also. So I will do more of that! Great point! I am still working on Social Media connections but still overwhelmed by the SEO world!! Getting there, great article, Mavis!

    • Thanks for stopping by and for your comment, Holly.

      These tips will definitely help you a great deal if you want to take advantage of the organic traffic.

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • Love this, very informative, looking forward to using all the advise

    • Thanks very much, Annie.

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • Thanks my dear Leader Mavis for this great piece that is just like you.The passion, love for your readers’ success inside the blog itself draws me stronger to your articles always, because you tell me in them you really want me to succeed. GOD bless you.

    • It’s my pleasure, Dan. So encouraging to hear that 🙂

      I appreciate your support and best wishes.

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • Nicely done, Mavis! Very informative and well researched article regarding changes that shows how Google has changed the way it ranks website content. Keep up the good work, looking forward to more on your Blog!

    • Thanks very much for your visit and kind words, Mike.

      See you at my blog! 🙂

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • Sorry for the tardy reply. I have been wrapped up in my venture and getting the motor home ready for a trip to Illinois for the summer. Like all you other posts, you have succinctly expressed your position and ideas. Keep up the good work, so even a slow learner like me can follow.

    Wally

    • Wow, I’m sure you’ll enjoy your summer holiday, Wally 🙂

      Thank you so much for the encouragement. Glad to hear that you’re able to follow my teachings 😉

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • Hi Mavis,

    Sorry, I thought I had replied to and shared this already. Guess not. But I sure will now 🙂

    Have an awesome rest of the week!

    Ilka

    • I’m sure I have seen your comment before, Ilka – it’s now tucked in somewhere among the 435+ comments, lol! 😀

      Anyway, always great to see you here my friend. I appreciate your continued support.

      You have a great one!

      Mavis

  • Great and value post.Very well structured and so much real valuable information here. I’ve always believed in quality content. I think that every serious Marketer must take note about google movements.

    All the Best,
    Geo

    • Great to see you here, Geo. How have you been?

      Glad to hear that you found this valuable and informative. I couldn’t agree with you more re quality content.

      Thanks for stopping by and for your comment, Geo 🙂

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • Hi Mavis, I loved this article. It was obviously well research and well written.
    Excellent content, with some great tips I can apply immediately. I will definitely share this with my circle.

    • Glad to hear that, Eric. I appreciate your visit, kind words and you sharing this with your circle 🙂

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • I do like you! And your article!
    Well, you definitely know how to promote your posts Mavis. 🙂

    Anyway, about the whole Panda update thing:

    Matt Cutts once said in a video that website owners shouldn’t be pursuing what Google wants, but what users want. Because Google itself is trying to figure out what users want.

    In other words, be fair and think about the user and his needs because Google is also trying to do the same.

    And also, thanks! If it weren’t for you I wouldn’t be participating in this contest. I hope you win!

    • That’s great to hear, Cosmin. I did my best to promote this article, that’s all what I can say :).

      Agreed – it’s all about making the users happy.

      I missed your contest entry… Please share it here, so I can support you too 😉

      Good luck, Cosmin!

      Mavis

    • Hey Cosmin,

      I have managed to locate your contest entry, commented and tweeted.

      Excellent tips on targeting your traffic and knowing your audience. And thanks for the kind mention 🙂

      All the best with the contest, Cosmin.

      Mavis

  • Hey Mavis, another awesome job. Thanks for putting this out there so completely and professionally.

    Here is my take on Google’s changes — I feel it gives smaller blog sites more of a fighting chance to rank high for their main keywords, something that may not have been possible before. As you say, the key is providing terrific content that people want to comment on and share with others.

    Once you’ve got that combination, you’re got a great shot at being on the first page of Google for your main keywords and driving targeted, free traffic to your website.

    And that is a pretty awesome thing! 🙂

    Good luck with your contest. Whatever happens, you are definitely #1 with your fans!

    • Thanks very much for your appreciative comment, Dr Clarke 🙂

      Agreed – that’s the recipe for success for even smaller blogs.

      I appreciate your visit and continued support. Glad to know that I’m #1 with my fans :). Will keep you posted.

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • On Mavis Nong’s My FREE Online Marketing Training there is so much good information on blogging from someone who knows how. ANY ONE WHO HAS PUT AS MUCH AS MAVIS HAS INTO THE RESEARCH OF HER SUBJECT deserves to win the golden prize…AND the inclusion of her family letting the reader know her better and trusting her like a close ally is the coup of greatness..Thanks Mavis for all your help in training and education.

    • Wow, wow, wow! That’s a huge compliment, Jen! I truly appreciate you 🙂

      Thank you so much for making it here and for leaving your kind words – I’m deeply touched.

      Have a great weekend, my friend!

      Love and big hugs,
      Mavis

  • Mavis- great post as usual. And, given what you found, it may force eZine to change its policies, since linking to other articles is frowned upon.
    I have never really linked to other articles on my blog, since folks can easily search for keywords they want or use the menus for the 7 areas I discuss… but, it seems that it’s time to change that.
    Thanks for the lesson.

    • Thanks very much for the visit and comment, Roy.

      I have heard that Ezine Articles have tightened up their submission rules, rejecting a few articles.

      Linking to your other posts is a great strategy indeed.

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • Hey Mavis, you did a great job. Well done!

    It’s a real fresh idea to me. I will follow your steps to work on my own businesss. As well as your 7 days online training. It’s fantastic and helpful.

    Good luck with your contest. 🙂

    Sandy

    • You’re most welcome, Sandy. Glad to hear that you found this and my 7-day training helpful.

      Thanks for the visit and best wishes.

      All the best.
      Mavis

  • Mavis,
    What a valuable post you have written. So much new information that I was not aware of. However, having just completed 101 articles and planning to complete 2 more before the deadline of the ezinearticles.com challenge of 100 articles in 100 days (6 days left), I just checked their PR. It is “105.” Another site I write for is Examiner.com with a PR of 617. Unless that will change in the next few days, those are quite high rankings for 2 major article cites. They do not allow poor quality articles. Those get rejected quite quickly.
    Erica

    • Thanks so much for your visit and comment, Dr Goodstone. Glad to hear that you found this informative 🙂

      Interesting challenge that is – I wasn’t aware of it. Yes, those are their Alexa rankings. Not bad.

      I have heard that Ezine Articles have very strict submission rules than before and they are rejecting poor quality articles – which is good really.

      All the best with the challenge. I’d love to know how it goes for you 😉

      Mavis

  • Mavis, how could I not share your quality Blog articles?? You are very consistent, VERY hard working and you write useful stuff, that’s what it’s all about. Plus you have a spark of originality, which a lot of Bloggers seem to lack! I must say though good content now, to me, is a given. The consumer is KING as I say in my ‘permission marketing’ article, because Social Media has empowered the consumer!! Great work, don’t you love StumbleUpon?? All the best, Peter

    • I always appreciate you sharing my content, Peter ;). Thanks for coming by and for your encouragement.

      That’s true, although some people seem to miss that about content and customers.

      Have a great weekend! The weather is supposed to be glorious in Bristol – how about over there?

      Mavis

  • A very comprehensive article, Mavis.
    I have come to realise the importance of providing what my readers are asking for. I shall make ‘notes’ on all your points here and constantly refer to them. Thank you for making it so straightforward.

    • Thanks very much, Linda. Great to see you here 🙂

      Glad to hear that you found this helpful.

      I appreciate your visit and comment, Linda.

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • Mavis,
    I’m really glad that Google changed the way it searches to Organic methods. Both for me as a blogger and as a person who wants to be able to find good quality articles. Content farms would sound like a good idea when you’re working so hard at gaining traffic, but there is no free ride.

    I believe making your blog SEO friendly is imperative. Even if you have great content, it doesn’t help you at all if you don’t get anyone to your site.

    Thanks for the great tips.
    Connie

    • This is really good news for us, Connie :). You’re right, working on your blog SEO is a must if you want to rank high and attract free traffic.

      Thanks for stopping by and for your comment.

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • The Final Stretch…COME ON MAVIS! 🙂 Keep it up! I’m sharing again and so excited for all you’ve accomplished. You’ve got marketing moxie girl!

    I’m cheering for you!

    Heather

    • It’s crunch time, Heather. Thanks for the encouragement, I need that 🙂

      Catch you later,
      Mavis

  • Oh, and Mavis…Will you train on how you’ve marketed this post on a webinar with me? I think there will be many people who will want to know your secrets! (I know I do!)

    Hugs, Heather

    • I would love to join that webinar, Heather and Mavis! I would love to learn more of Mavis’s secrets!

      Stacy

      • Heather and Mavis,

        LMK know when this webinar goes down, I’m there! I love secrets. LOL!

        ~Allie

        • LOL, Allie! Will let you know.

          Great to see you here :).

          Mavis

        • Allie & Stacy–looks like it may be Tuesday the 19th in the afternoon (US central) although I’m waiting for Mavis to let me know exactly what time works best for her. 🙂

          She’s gotten over 30 comments today alone! WOW…can’t wait to learn her strategies.

      • Lol, Stacy! I’ll arrange with Heather then she will let you know.

        Great to see you here 🙂

        Mavis

    • Yes, I’d love that, Heather. Let me check my diary and see if we can sort something out for next week, yeah?

      I’ll get back to you ;). Thanks for the invite, wow!

      Mavis

      • Okay ladies, do NOT leave me out of this one! Count me in on that webinar as well. I’m a learning machine. 🙂

        • Sure thing, Adrienne :).

          Catch you later!

          Mavis

    • Hey Heather and Mavis,

      Will that be a free webinar? Because I would really like to attend it.

      Mavis, this is an excellent post. I haven’t even written an article since the google changes, but I never reposted the same article twice, so I think it is time to get back into article marketing again.

      Thanks for sharing Mavis and Heather please let me know about the webinar.

      • Looks like it will be on Tuesday afteroon (US time). Stay tuned to FB and Clever Marketer for the specific time, Ian.

        • Thanks Heather, should be very interesting

      • Yes, it will be a free webinar, Ian 🙂

        Thanks for your kind words and I look forward to your article marketing results.

        Have a great weekend!

        Mavis

    • I agree, that would be valuable. Thanks Heather for thinking of asking!

    • Mavis, aloha. Count me in for this webinar also. Would so appreciate an invitation to learn how you achieved such remarkable results. You know, tell me your “secrets”–don’t tell me it was hard work and consistent action.

      Just kidding, Mavis, I know you thoroughly promoted this post and I look forward to a “tell all” session.

      Enjoy a relaxing weekend. Aloha. Janet

  • WOW Mavis, you held back absolutely nothing.

    Each of the five things you listed are imperative to generate some serious traffic. When you put it like this, it’s not that difficult to imagine the kind of results you can get from this.

    FYI – great takeaway. 😉

    Have a great day,
    Jerome Ratliff

    • Thanks so much for the visit and comment, Jerome. That’s right, these strategies are key to getting your site to the top and generating lots of traffic.

      Glad to hear that ;). Have a great weekend, Jerome!

      Mavis

  • Mavis,

    Well written! After Google changes their algorithms I saw a lot of angry people. I assume it is because they were working the current “system” and it all changed for them overnight. The problem was, they put all their eggs in one basket.
    Google is getting to the point where it is trying to be human (scary!) or at least use us for it’s purposes (isn’t that a human idea?). Their new Google +1 will hopefully allow not only strong, organic SEO to occur but pairs it with human lead Social Networking.
    I applaud Google for attempting to give us better results. I’m sure everyone was tired of crap.
    You nailed the topic!

    ~Allie

    • Thanks very much for stopping by and for your input, Allie.

      Agreed – these changes allow people who always produce good quality content to achieve higher search rankings.

      I appreciate your visit and encouragement, Allie.

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • Hi Mavis, you know I’ll be the first to admit I’ve never bothered much with SEO. I find it works all by it self naturally. At blog engage I get about 500 hits a day from Google and I’ve never done anything to get this traffic Google has done all the work. same thing with blogserp that site gets 350 hits a day and again I never did anything to make my site rank.

    I guess it’s when you want targeted keywords that’s where the real work comes into play. I never knew Google was tracking how long people stayed on your site and how many pages they viewed to help them rank you. Thanks for the article it was great and hey best of luck in the contest!

    • Hi Brian,

      Great results you’re achieving without doing anything 🙂

      You’re right, if you’re after specific keywords, then you’d have to put in some work to grab top rankings.

      You learned something new today, Brian ;). Thanks very much for coming by and for your best wishes.

      Good luck to you too!

      Mavis

    • Hey Brian,

      That’s how I blogged for nearly the first year. I actually didn’t do too bad. But then I started learning more about SEO and implementing that.

      Wow, it made a HUGE difference with my traffic, time on site, as well as drastically improved my bounce rate.

      Now my partner and I just started a new blog, and it’s been fun to watch how much faster it all comes together when you start right off using SEO tactics. 😉

      You make a good point, it CAN work out well without worrying about SEO, but it’s actually slower (from what I’ve experienced), and takes more work in the long run.

      • You’re right, Susanna. Implementing SEO strategies does speed up things for great results.

        Thanks for sharing your experience with us. And all the best with your new blog and venture :).

        Mavis

  • Mavis, aloha. Since first reading this post, I have been working on my SEO. Mavis, I want to get your thoughts on comments. With content being king, don’t you think that the number of comments quality content attracts will make a difference in traffic? It seems to me that the more people are commenting on your blog and social sharing it, the more traffic will flow to it.

    Wouldn’t this be a cumulative effect building organic traffic? Aloha. Janet

    • Aloha Janet,

      Spot on! Quality content usually attracts a lot of comments and social media shares which in turn bring more traffic to your blog.

      Great to see you here 🙂

      Mahalo,
      Mavis

      • Thx, Mavis, it just seemed logical to me.

  • Hey DiTesco,

    How are you managing with the influx of comments? It feels like this post just got published. My fingers are lil tired now… 🙂

    Mavis

    • Hi Mavis. I believe this is the first time I am actually going to write a comment, more in response to your question rather than anything else 🙂 You do understand that I preferred to be impartial due to being one of the organizers. My take on your post is that it …. “bells and whistles”.. got it 😉

      Now to answer your question and applying the K.I.S.S. principle…. “your comments are driving me crazy… arrgghhhh”, there I said it, lol- Keep them coming, I can handle it. Hopefully my server will too 🙂

      • I totally understand that, DiTesco 😉

        Ah, the joys of hosting a contest entry… Let’s hope your server will handle them too 🙂

        Thank you so much for putting up with my comments!

        Mavis

  • Hey Mavis,

    I could have sworn I commented on this post but to be honest with you, I’m not going to go back through all 473 comments just to make sure so here I am once again. I can’t help myself, you always share so many awesome tips with us.

    I’m kind of glad that Google made their change last month even if it did hurt some of the articles I had on the major article sites. I KNOW my content was quality and original so I just continue to do what I’ve been doing and you know what! It hasn’t hurt my traffic in the least. That’s because like you said, content is king.

    People want to locate information that is going to help them and then they will follow it to it’s destination so they can continue to learn more. And, the interlinking was something I had fallen down on but no more girl! I’m back on top and going strong. I continue to learn so much with each new day and consistency is definitely the key.

    So with all of that being said, thank you again for everything you do for us and for helping me continue my education with the information you share. Bravo to you and good luck!

    Adrienne

  • Hi Mavis!

    Wonderfully detailed info. You totally nailed it, and I found all sorts of golden nuggets throughout the post.

    I like your tip on promoting it, because in this day when we know the value of promoting others first, sometimes people are not promoting themselves like they should be. I always tell them, if you’re not promoting it, how can you expect anyone else to??

    Thanks for the great info!
    Susanna

    • Hi Susanna,

      Great to see you here. Glad to hear that you found this helpful :).

      You’re right, sometimes people can find it hard to promote themselves or their content. Once you know how to do it, it becomes easier.

      Thanks for stopping by and for your input, Susanna.

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • Hey Adrienne,

    I’m sure you did, but hey, you’re welcome to share your thoughts as many times as you like 🙂

    It’s a pleasure to have you here. That’s right, keep doing what you have been doing and you’ll be rewarded as you have been 😉

    I appreciate your visit and encouragement, Adrienne. It means a lot to me.

    Thanks for the best wishes!

    All the best,
    Mavis

  • Mavis, Janet told me to come over to read this post so I could start learning how to do things right. I am new to blogging yet I know, with time, I could learn and generate money from home.

    Though it seems like it will be a lot of work to promote a blog post, it seems you must meet many contacts along the way.

    Thank you for sharing your knowledge. Jim

    • Hi Jim! I’m glad you found your way here :). How nice of Janet!

      Hope you found the information here helpful. I agree, when it comes to promoting your blog posts heavily, having good contacts does help a great deal. Networking is really key in blogging.

      Thanks very much for your visit and comment, Jim. Have a great weekend!

      Mavis

  • Hey Mavis,

    Good job shutting this down! lol…I would love to sign up for your webinar.

    ~Tisha

    • Yep, you guys crashed the server! That would be great, the webinar details will be made available soon.

      See you there!

      Mavis

  • Hi Mavis,
    Great article, delivering awesome content!!!

    And I don’t think it can be said enough “Create valuable content”
    People resist being sold, they like to purchase, I have been saying
    this forever. But everyone wants instant results.

    If everyone would stop and think about the person reading the
    article or what ever media you choose, the internet would be
    a lot more fun. But as history has proven since the dawn of time, there
    will always be those who try to push the limits.

    I have been guilty of doing things that push the envelope in the past, but doing it to see where the edge is as opposed to not respecting is an entirely different thing

    Thank you again for the article,
    Jeff Faldalen

    • Thanks for stopping by and for your kind words, Jeff.

      You’re right about those who will always push the boundaries for personal or financial gain.

      Truth be told, people like it when buying is their own idea, then they feel good about it 🙂

      Glad you found this article helpful, Jeff 🙂

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • Mavis, your content is amazing! Even though you hear that “content is king” over and over again, I appreciate you delving into this topic of how to stay on top of Google. Thank you for breaking it down the way you did and for simplifying an otherwise complex topic, i.e., how to beat Google’s frequent changes in algorithm. Just goes to show that if you consistently put out good content and use the right keyword strategies, you have nothing to worry about. I’m looking forward to you being featured on Heather Stephens’ webinar. Please share the details in my facebook group, if you can. Thanks!

    • Thanks very much for stopping by and for your encouragement, Getzie 🙂

      You’re right, if you follow these strategies, you have nothing to worry about. It’s all about making the searchers happy 🙂

      Sure thing, I will share the details in your group. See you there!

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • Hey Mavis,
    Great work. I have a question that you can probably answer (if your hands can still type after all these comments).
    I wrote a number of articles for Ezines before I knew anything about SEO.
    As it turns out, some articles of mine (original and unspun) have been ‘taken’ by other sites without giving me credit. Even though my article was published first, theirs (by me) is ranked higher in Google.
    Is this purely due to SEO?
    Thanks.

    • So sorry to barge in here but what happened to you is not ethical and is completely wrong. Before Panda, ezine made it simple for people to use you article but always warned that “links” should be maintained intact and proper credit given to both the author and EZA. What other sites did is outright “stealing” your content and nothing else. If you are interested, you can always report it and file a DMCA.

      • Thanks very much, DiTesco 🙂

        Cheers!

        Mavis

    • Thanks very much, Rob. Sorry I’m only getting back to you now. I agree with DiTesco, you need to report the sites that have stolen your content, without giving you credit. Unbelievable!

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • Re: ” So, what do you think of Google’s new changes and what’s your plan of action?”
    I think the only thing any of us can do about it is try to improve the content that’s allowed on our sites. For anyone with autoblogs that may mean rejecting a lot of the articles that are fed to them. As for my plan – it’s backlinks, backlinks and more backlinks!

    • That’s a great plan, Randi! 🙂

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • Thank you Mavis for this wonderful post. I’m curious how facebook and twitter links help in ranking though they can be a great source of traffic. Because their links are tagged nofollowed, does it really matter how many links are there?

    • Hi Suresh,

      You still need the “nofollow” links for your linking efforts to look more natural. And, as I mentioned, Twitter and Facebook can give you that.

      Thanks for stopping by.

      Mavis

  • Hi Mavis

    Another awesome article from you. Your articles on blog promotion and traffic generation are full of real content getting huge comments. I congratulate you managing writing great content and replying contents on your own posts as well as your est posts.

    Coming to the post, I think understanding Google algorithm is essential to check whether our site is in tune with the new rules or not and what to do to be not affected with SERP downfall.

    Tips are excellent but I liked the sticky post idea more. Thanks for tips;

    • You’re most welcome, Kavita. I appreciate your visit and kind words.

      You’re right – we can’t go wrong if we do what Google wants.

      All the best,
      Mavis

  • The rule of the game always changes. Google search algorithm is constantly improving to weed out content farms to provide the best for those seeking information through the search engine. Among other factors, how the site is fairing with the social networking is also considered as a parameter to make the site trustworthy.

  • That is very true, Macman. Thanks for stopping by and for your comment.

    All the best,
    Mavis

  • Great tips Mavis!

    I personally have had lots of success with internal/deep link building. And frankly, I am surprised that not many bloggers use this technique. Not only it helps you rank better, it also brings some traffic to your old posts that otherwise might have not been discovered by your audience. Thanks.

  • Thanks Mavis, glad I came across your blog. As usual you lead by example. I like the idea of deep linking withi blog. Hadnt thought of that. I submit articles to ezine articles..great resource. Is it OK to submit same article to ezine article sand also use it on my blog?

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