In his session at SMX West in San Jose, Mordy Oberstein, CMO of RankRanger, discussed how establishing and staying true to your site’s identity can help future-proof it against Google search algorithm updates.
SAN JOSE — “Google’s looking at you and wondering, who are you, what are you doing, what is your purpose?”
That’s the viewpoint of Mordy Oberstein, who emphasized the importance of maintaining a clear site identity. According to Oberstein, understanding and presenting a consistent site identity can help safeguard against Google’s algorithm changes.
“For example, if you’re a health information site, are you really about offering me health information or are you trying to push something underneath the surface? Are you actually a covert commerce site?”
What to Watch For
Google’s core algorithm updates cause significant volatility in rankings. Unconfirmed updates can also have a noticeable impact, Oberstein noted. During his session, he presented data showing that one key difference between core updates and unconfirmed updates is their effect on Your Money or Your Life (YMYL) sites and the top three search results.
Oberstein analyzed sites that were greatly impacted by algorithm updates and found a pattern of inconsistent content and messaging that might cause users to question the site’s true purpose.
Identity = Authority
“You go to a website and you look at the page, the UI, the UX, the images, everything. What signals does this page send to the user? Well, now Google’s picking up on a lot of those latent messages,” Oberstein said. When Google profiles your site, it evaluates everything from your content to your CTAs and ads to determine your site’s identity.
“Singular identity equals authority,” Oberstein stated. Just as a patient prefers a doctor who specializes in a specific field, Google favors sites that specialize in their sectors. Sites that pretend to provide information but redirect users to landing pages for commercial purposes exemplify identity conflicts that may raise red flags for both users and Google.
Establishing Your Site’s Identity
Since Google prioritizes E-A-T (expertise, authority, trustworthiness) signals when ranking YMYL sites, Oberstein suggested increasing your authority by keeping every part of your site relevant to its purpose. This strategy can help enhance your visibility after an algorithm update.
Focus on your niche and write about it often. Regular updates signal to Google that your site is active and authoritative. “For the same reason you post a blog to show you’re still alive, an authority on a topic will continue writing and evolving.”
Brands should not publish frequently just to create content. “Google evaluates quality and will notice if you’re publishing for the sake of volume,” Oberstein said.
Don’t be tempted by high-volume keywords. If a high-volume keyword doesn’t align with your site’s identity, using it can send mixed messages. Oberstein cautioned against targeting tangentially related topics, which can dilute your site’s identity.
If you have a secondary identity, keep it simple. Some sites have secondary purposes that complement their primary identity. However, getting search engines to recognize this can be challenging. Simplification can help; for instance, consider creating a separate site for your secondary identity, as suggested by Oberstein.
In conclusion, maintaining a clear and consistent site identity can help safeguard against algorithm updates and enhance your site’s authority and trustworthiness.
