Whenever Google updates their algorithms, things change for your website on search engines in San Jose and elsewhere. When the updates, such as the recent Panda 4.0, have a negative effect on your ranking, is it possible to recover from it? Absolutely!

The intent of Google’s Panda was to improve search rankings as it relates to quality content, which it feels websites should provide to those who visit them. Those with high quality content went up in the rankings, while lower quality content was prevented from moving up. Because of this change, its impact was clearly felt by nearly all major websites, and many others, as well.

Recovery from any negative effects of the Panda 4.0 involves primarily doing what maybe should have been done all along to build traffic – high quality content that is unique and useful. Be careful to avoid duplication as that is generally frowned on by search engines. If you do have duplicate content and, it is not your own content, it is called plagiarism.

Offer content with value. If people want to read it, and find it useful, they are more likely to share it with others, who may also want to share it. This sort of content will be educational or entertaining, or both. It may offer ideas or advice, or make your users laugh, or provoke thought. Keyword stuffing will mar the quality of this sort of content and should be avoided.

It is best to choose a topic on which to focus, as people are more likely to trust you as an authority on one topic rather than on all of them. If you have more than one topic, it might be best to have a site for each topic.

It helps to know your target audience. Writing to the people in your audience can help you to focus your efforts more efficiently.

If you have low quality content anywhere on your site, take time to remove or replace it. Leaving it there will only hurt your ranking, and it does not inspire confidence in your company’s reputation for quality.

You should – or have a trusted friend or colleague – proofread all content on your site. Grammar and spelling errors need to be eliminated. Don’t have a ‘wall of text’ on the site, either. Break up the content into reasonably sized paragraphs. Don’t be afraid to use headings, lists, and images to help break things up to make it easier for your readers.

Regaining your ranking after the Panda 4.0 update, or any update for that matter, for your website on search engines in San Jose is not as difficult as some want you to think. All it takes is a little time, a commitment to quality, and some attention to detail.