Content Changes ‘Affect Search Engine Rankings’

by Lucy Griffiths on 19th October 2010

Websites that significantly alter their content can expect to see changes in their search engine ranking.

Search Engine Land columnist Eric Enge said those using SEO services may find it will take search engines some time to assess the new pages, meaning that a website may fall down the rankings for a short period.

Mr Enge said that companies need to be aware of the possibility of these changes before they embark on any SEO improvements and changes to their inbound link profile.

"Remember that the search engines use algorithms to make their determinations and algorithms aren't as smart as humans are at figuring out what is a material change to a potential linker," he stated.

Earlier this month, Shane Cassells, a member of the Google Analytics team, explained that changes to the content of frequently asked question pages can improve conversion rates.

He said they should be focused on encouraging site visitors to make purchases.