Weekly SEO news: 1 October 2013
Welcome to the latest issue of the Search Engine Facts newsletter.

Some days ago, Google announced a new search algorithm. The new algorithm has the code name 'Hummingbird' and Google says that it should deliver better results than the previous algorithm. How does this influence the Google rankings of your website?

In the news: do not use the rel=nofollow tag for internal links, a Panda penalty might be something completely different, Google announces several changes, and more.

Table of contents:

We hope that you enjoy this newsletter and that it helps you to get more out of your website. Please pass this newsletter on to your friends.

Best regards,
Andre Voget, Johannes Selbach, Axandra CEO

1. All you need to know about Google's new 'Hummingbird' algorithm
Some days ago, Google announced a new search algorithm. The new algorithm has the code name 'Hummingbird' and Google says that it should deliver better results than the previous algorithm. How does this influence the Google rankings of your website?

Goolge Hummingbird

What is a ranking algorithm?

The ranking algorithm is the method that Google uses to choose the web pages that are displayed on the result page. Although Google released many updates of the previous ranking algorithm during the last months, this new update is a new development that replaces the old ranking algorithm.

Since when does Google use the new algorithm?

When Google announced the new algorithm some days ago they said that they had been using it for about month. For that reason, you shouldn't see any major changes in the search results.

What about Google's previous updates (Panda, Penguin)?

Panda and Penguin were updates of the old ranking algorithm. The new Hummingbird algorithm replaces the old algorithm. It is very likely that the methods of Panda and Penguin have been integrated with the new algorithm.

Does this mean that PageRank is not important anymore?

Like before, PageRank is one of over 200 factors that Google considers in the ranking algorithm. The quality of the links that point to a website are important. Google also considers the quality of a web page, the words that appear on the page and many more factors. The Top 10 Optimizer in SEOprofiler can help you to get a better idea of these factors.

What's new in Google's Hummingbird algorithm?

According to Google, the new algorithm should be better with 'conversational search'. For example, a search for "What's the closest place to buy the iPhone 5s to my home" does not search for the individual words "iPhone 5s" and "buy." Instead, the new algorithm tries to get the meaning of the search.

Will there be major changes in the search results?

Google has been using the new algorithm for the last month. There haven't been many complaints about changes in Google's search results (at least not more than usual).

If your website rankings haven't dropped last month, chances are that you don't have to worry about the change.

How do I have to optimize my website for the new algorithm?

Google's new algorithm aims to process the existing signals in new and better ways. The recipe for high rankings on Google remains the same:

  • You need a professional website with good content.
  • Your website must have good backlinks from related websites.
  • The content of your web pages must be related to the topic of your site.
  • Search engines must be able to parse your pages.

Use the tools in SEOprofiler to make sure that your web pages get high rankings with Google's new ranking algorithm. The website audit tool in SEOprofiler checks your web pages to make sure that all pages can be indexed correctly.

The Top 10 Optimizer in SEOprofiler shows you the web page elements that can be improved on your web pages. SEOprofiler helps you to get the rankings that your website deserves.

If you haven’t done it yet, create your SEOprofiler account now:

Free trial Test full version


Create a free trial account now or get the full version and save 99%.

2. Search engine news and articles of the week

Matt CuttsGoogle’s Matt Cutts: do not use rel=nofollow on internal pages
"It doesn’t hurt to use the rel=nofllow attribute with links that point to useless pages. In general, it is better to avoid the rel=nofollow tag on internal pages. Better use the noindex tag if you want to exclude pages from Google.

Unless you have a very good reason to exclude a site, it is better to allow Google access to all pages."



A wolf in panda’s clothing – how an expired SSL certificate could impact organic search traffic

"The date of the traffic hit lined up with Panda, but is that enough to clearly say the site was indeed hit by our cute, black and white friend? [...]

Luckily for this business owner, Panda didn’t impact his website.  Instead, it was an ecommerce gremlin that attacked his SSL certificate. And that gremlin was a lot easier to get rid of than a Panda.



LocalThe Google Hummingbird patent?

"It is possible that the Hummingbird algorithm works somewhat differently than what is described in the claims and/or description of this patent, but they seem to be a pretty good match. Is this the Google Hummingbird patent?"


Google turns 15: Here are 10 milestones that have shaped its search program

"We decided to take a look at 10 things that have influenced, affected, or marked Google’s tenure as the dominant search engine on the Internet. In no way is this meant to be a definitive or comprehensive list. It’s also in no particular order."


Google announces several changes
"Our new comparison tool gives you new insights by letting you compose your own answer [...] With this update, you can get notifications across your devices. [...]

You’ll also notice a new look and feel for Google Search and ads on your phones and tablets. It’s cleaner and simpler, optimized for touch, with results clustered on cards so you can focus on the answers you’re looking for."


Search engine newslets

  • EU says Google antitrust decision close.
  • Survey: 71% of companies concerned over social media risks.
  • A refresh for Yahoo Maps.
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3. Recommended resources

How to get a website health-check quickly and easily

Doing a regular audit of your web pages is important if you want to make sure that search engines can index all of your pages. The more pages your website has, the more likely it is that there are many errors that have to be corrected.

The website audit tool in SEOprofiler automatically checks your web pages once per week. You will get a report that shows all the issues that should be corrected. By correcting these issues, you make sure that search engines can index all of your pages correctly. Here’s a screenshot of the overview page:

SEO website audit

You can get the website audit tool and all other tools in SEOprofiler for our special offer price:

Free trial Test full version for $1


Create a free trial account now or test the full version for only $1.

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4. Previous articles
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