Google has been at it again, changing things and affecting the SERPs, much to the dismay of companies trying to create the best SEO possible. The good news is that these recent modifications seem to be positive for websites and well-targeted ads, although there are still some sites being affected by these changes.

Based on Google’s latest tweaks to its search engines and SERP pages, obtaining the best SEO is still mostly dependent upon offering the highest quality websites and advertising. Of course, there are still some things that can be done to ensure that sites continue to gain good search engine optimization.

What Has Changed Lately?

The most significant alterations Google has made in the past few months include: removal of right rail text and comparison advertising and the roll out of Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMPs). Interestingly, Google is now penalizing certain types of web pages and blog posts for lack of disclosures.

What does all of this mean for search engine optimization and the continuation of the effort to obtain the best SEO? For some, it has meant a reduction in traffic, even though page rank has stayed the same; a phenomenon apparently being created as a result of the in-line ads Google is now using to replace the right rails ads. For others, it has meant a slight increase in ad CPC.

The effects have not been horrible by any means, although some sites and ads are seeing slight deviations. This means companies must note such changes in order to further please Google’s search engines and continue to maintain the best page ranking.

What Changes Should We Be Making Now?

Following are some of the modifications a company should be making to their websites now, certainly in light of all the changes Google has made lately:

Disclosures - Of all the changes that Google has recently made, the most straightforward thing that website and blog owners must do is the inclusion of disclosures specifically related to free product reviews and follow Google’s no-follow link policies related to inorganically generated links back to product websites. Google is now extending penalties to websites for lack of identifying company names and the relationship with said companies, as well as links to anywhere other than that company’s social media pages. Google is advising that links exchanged for goods or services violates Google’s Webmaster Guidelines.
AMP Pages - Website owners must start looking into Accelerated Mobile Pages technology and including an AMP version of their search and view websites on mobile devices. There are some AMP plugin apps available and other means of generating an AMP mobile site that will please Google’s search engines and help site owners continue to get the best SEO.
Ad Campaigns - Marketers need to examine their PPC campaigns and determine if changes to Google’s SERPs have caused an increase in CPC, then decide how to handle it. Keywords and audience targeting is becoming more important than ever. Marketers should be doing more with social media ads and even considering other advertising platforms than just AdWords, testing how these platforms score in terms of displays, CPC, and generating interest.

Most of the changes mentioned above have one main thing in common: their relationship to mobile-friendly search and Google’s continued push to rank sites that are mobile-friendly. Today, most everything is increasingly about easy mobile use and the generation of organic links for the best search engine optimization. Once again, to keep up and continue to obtain the best SEO possible, website owners and online marketers must pay closer attention to the little changes, which are actually quite significant these days. The end result and every website owner's goal should be an improved visibility by the right audiences!