Google’s MayDay Algorithm Update F*d Up Some Long Tail Optimizers
What Matt didn't say was how long is long? I've seen people guessing, but I think to be safe, I'd stick to three or four words. It's when you start getting really, really specific that your longtail phrase might not be as effective as it once was. I mean, you won't be penalized for using it, of course. But it may not be as effective as it was before early May 2010.
For those of you who don't know what a longtail phrase is… it is a noun with several modifiers to make it extremely specific.
For example:
- desk chair
- executive desk chair
- leather executive desk chair
- black leather executive desk chair
- black leather executive desk chair with brushed aluminum wheels
I wouldn't optimize for very long longtail phrase as folks once did, if you don't want Google to simply filter your site out. You'll just do a lot of work for less reward. Notice I said less. You'll still be drawing traffic for the shorter phrases. You just won't see as much for the full longtail phrase.
Lots of webmasters are pissed because there is a tendency for folks who type that specific a phrase into a search engine, to buy. In fact, the probability that the folks are ready to buy goes up with each word. But… Google doesn't care how much money you make. It's about the quality of your site. Are you providing good, solid content? If you are… longtail, short tail… it won't matter.
Perhaps the most important thing Matt stressed in this video is not about the algorithm change, it's the part about authority and quality information. That is the BIGGEST thing that Google cares about. They want good sites to serve to users, not spammy scraper sites or other types of pure drivel. Give the spiders good content often, and you'll fare far better than most, no matter how long your keyword phrases are.
