Advice For Smaller Sites
For independent website owners feeling discouraged, Sullivan offered some advice: focus on developing your brand.
He advised:
“If you’re a smaller site that feels like you haven’t really developed your brand, develop it. That’s not because we’re going to rank you because of your brand, but because it’s probably the things that cause people externally to recognize you as a good brand may in turn co-occur or be alongside the kinds of things that our ranking systems are kind of looking to reward.”
On advice for content creators, Sullivan adds:
“Just keep listening to your heart and doing what it is that you think is the right thing to be doing… Our ranking systems are trying to reward great content that’s made for people and if you feel like you’re doing that, then we’re going to try to catch up to you.”
Looking Ahead
Google appears to be taking these concerns seriously.
Sullivan mentioned that recent updates have aimed to do more for smaller sites. However, he maintains that Google’s goal is to show the best content regardless of brand recognition.
While challenges remain, Google’s acknowledgment of the issue and efforts to improve suggests a potential shift with future updates.
Hear Sullivan’s full statements in the video below:
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