Don’t Fall Prey to Penguin 2.0 Scare Tactics

Online marketing companies and corporations all remember the confusion and losses that resulted from Google’s Penguin 1.0 update during April 2012. Some are still looking for new ways to market online in its wake. So the beginning of Penguin 2.0 has predictably caused many companies to worry about their rankings and the tactics they should use to avoid harming their marketing campaigns.

Like many times of uncertainty in history, dating far back before the rise of the Internet, people are at risk of falling victim to those who use scare tactics that prey on people’s misunderstandings. Today, law firms across the country looking to recover from the effects of Penguin 2.0 are at risk of falling victim to people and companies who are telling them that their ranks have fallen and that they alone can help them recover.

Your best defense against these scare tactics is to stay informed, both of the effects of Penguin 2.0 and the tactics being used against you.

Penguin 2.0

Matt Cutts, from the webspam team at Google, has stated that Penguin 2.0 is a “more comprehensive” and “deeper cutting” version of Penguin that is meant to find and penalize black-hat marketing techniques. Advertising and linking techniques that violate Google’s quality guidelines are being targeted as well in an effort to prevent these from increasing a page’s rank. If these “advertorials” are not clearly and conspicuously disclosed as a paid ad to users, they can be penalized.

Link spammers are being targeted as well, with a system using a more sophisticated form of link analysis currently in the works. Other tactics that should not be used by white-hat marketers, such as hacking and viruses, are also being targeted, but effects on these tactics should not be felt by companies who avoid them.

Overall, those who are dabbling in spamming tactics may feel the effects of Penguin 2.0. Besides punishment, Google is looking to reward those seen as experts in their job field, like medical work, and straighten out the effects of Panda. While some of these effects are already in place, Cutts stated that changes will continue to roll out during the course of the summer.

Ever-Increasing Scare Tactics

Both law firms that are fully aware of the changes in search engine algorithms and those that do not fully comprehend the continuing changes affecting their search rankings have been targeted for scare tactics. Often, these come in the form of an email or phone call that informs someone at a company that the business has been lowered in search engine rankings or that they are in danger of taking a serious hit.

Often, these remarks are vague but still serious enough to make the heads of law firms and other companies take note and begin to worry that they are in danger.

And the solution that is offered? An appointment with or services from the person or organization alerting them of the danger that they are supposedly in, that is supposed to provide the cure all to their ranking troubles.

Before setting up a meeting or paying this party for services, ask yourself, how do they know about your rankings?

Often, they do not. These emails are blasted out to snag as many potential customers as possible, not alert those who are truly in trouble of the dangers they face. Keep your head about you, research your rankings on your own, and make informed decisions concerning who you hire to aid your online marketing campaign.

Marketing Help You Can Trust

Whether you are looking to recover from a loss in rankings or simply want to strengthen your online presence, the team at SLS Consulting can help you find success. Through our work in SEO, content writing, design, and social media, you can have all aspects of your company examined for weaknesses and areas of improvement. With our help, you can have a strong online presence that is kept up-to-date with any and all potential changes in search engines. Call us today at (323) 254-1510 to learn more about your options with our marketing team.