The new SEO: post-Penguin 2.0

Following the release of Penguin 2.0, I am reminded of just how important quality content and natural engagement are to SEO--and always have been.

Although there is a lot of contention as to whether the naming of Penguin 2.0 is appropriate and justified, the impact of the search update is certainly something to take seriously. SEO is adapting to the times--with a greater focus on social engagement and stronger enforcement on natural link-building (in a more PR-style).

This update will guide the direction that SEO takes in the future and will determine it's methodology and goals as applied by professionals. One of the major areas of focus for this search update will be the importance of authority and topically-relevant content. Google has even added a new authority measurement called AuthorRank that is bound to one's Google Plus account. The new measurement gives Google a chance to associate an author with her/his content, which will allow for an extended view of influence through Circles and relationships. An author's influence will help inspire search ranking.

SEO rules to keep in mind

• Always create high-quality content
• Link building should be natural - Think: More PR-style and cease that blackhat crap
• Engagement and sharing are measured and vital to search
• Quality signals (like those within Google+) are keys to ranking in search
• Be attractive: with quality content, accessibility, and social content to build links and mentions
• Social relationships affect search ranking through influence: sharing, links, author ranking and authority
• Remember, build a content strategy. A guiding content strategy can help you stay organized, relevant and have topical authority. Developing an editorial calendar and editorial quality standards will build success with readership, SEO and building natural engagement with your website content
• Consider employing Structured Data for Rich Snippets and Author Tags
• Don’t build a "brochure website", build a "social website." Employ social engagement tools and encourage social engagement with your business
• All digital marketing teams must consider quality standards of content if SEO and search marketing are a factor