The Google Shuffle and SEO Rankings

What is the Google Shuffle? No it isn't a type of SEO dance - instead it is when Google re-evaluate the websites in their index, and make changes to their algorithm, which can dramatically effect your SEO rankings.

How can I tell when a Google Shuffle is taking place? Well several unusual things will start to happen in the SERPs (Search Engine Results Pages):

1. Websites with stable rankings will start to jump , sometime dissappearing from the top 100 completely, then reappearing within hours.
2. The Page Rank of websites will flicker - changing between different scores, before finally settling down at your new Page Rank score.
3. Regular caching cycles will start and stop, and the caching banner may not show accurate information that corresponds to the version of the page displayed.

How can I protect my website and my hard earned SEO rankings from the effects of the google shuffle? the good news is that if you have applied only White Hat SEO techniques, then your website and SEO rankings are probably safe! Websites may appear at the top of Google for a while, which upon closer inspection turn out to be unprofessional, spammy sites with suspicious looking backlinks. These websites will disappear once Google has finished reassessing the quality of all websites in relation to their respective keyword searches, and the overall authority and respectability of the sites in relation to their newest algorithm. If you have built up quality back links, optimised on-page for your chosen keywords, and generally played by Google's rules, then your SEO rankings will not be greatly reduced, and may even increase as a result of a Google shuffle.

As I post this blog we are coming to the end of a Google shuffle that has seen some dramatic changes to the overall SERPs, and there are even rumours that Google has scrapped Page Rank altogether - although we are not taking that as verbatim just yet! What we do see is that the exclusive patent of the Page Rank formula used by Google runs out this year, and Google have removed the Page Rank tool from their toolbar, looking to play down the significance of Page Rank to your SEO rankings. Our SEO techniques will not be changing as a resullt of these rumours, as Google insiders continue to refer to Page Rank in blogs, videos and articles across the web.