Has This Happened to You?

Google updated the algorithm that powers search earlier this year. It’s called Penguin and has affect many websites across the internet, really putting a dent in where they show up in search. From page to 1 to beyond page 10 in many cases.

And it happened to me.

No, none of my sites. A site that I manage with help from a third party. It was a perfect storm that went like this.

• Less than 1 year ago the site launched.
• The 3rd party company went to work, getting the site linked in 100s of web directories.
• We started a PPC Campaign for the site.
• We bought advertising space on quality web directories for the niche the site represented.

Within 6 months, we were on the front page for almost all of our search terms, but for sure on the key terms we wanted/needed. Traffic from the quality web directories kept increasing as well. The site was generating quality leads that generated actual business. Life was good.

Then Penguin kicked in. (Read on…)