What Google Caffeine Means To Your Site's SEO Campaign
 By Brian Frug, president & senior account manger, Search Concepts L.L.C.

In January 2010, Google is launching its highly anticipated update, known as Google Caffeine, to their ranking algorithm. Partial rollout has already begun in some areas of the country. This is Google's most significant algorithmic update since 2006, and is built primarily around improving the speed and accuracy of the search engine result pages. In addition, Google has been making various improvements to how they index social networking sites such as Twitter, so more real-time results are displayed.

So, how does Google Caffeine affect your Web site and your search engine optimization efforts?

Google set up a preview system recently so everyone from developers to SEOs could test the new, "caffeinated" search results and provide feedback. Since Google called Caffeine an "under the hood" update, the search results appeared the same; however, after checking a wide variety of keyword phrases from several different industries, I noticed some considerable ranking changes. Some sites that had maintained first page positioning for quite some time were no longer first page material, while other sites that were routinely on the secondary pages made the jump to page one. Several searches did result in nearly the same listing order, but I saw enough to know that no site's listings are safe from this update.

While this update was based more on performance, such as the speed of the results, than it was their ranking preferences, it appears Google's preferences among well-ranking sites have become amplified. Preferences such as optimized and regularly updated content or quality inbound links have become as important as ever, and remain crucial to a company's SEO success.

If you are actively performing SEO right now, keep your foot on the gas and don't brake anytime soon. I have seen many Web site owners become complacent and cost-conscious once they reach the first page, and end up reducing their SEO efforts assuming their first page listings will remain forever. What they fail to realize is that listings are dynamic mainly due to the evolving technology of the search engines (such as Google Caffeine), increased competition, or SEO efforts of existing competition. SEO is not just about getting to the first page; it's also about staying on the first page. Cutting your SEO budget can save you money short term, but it will cost your business even more in the long run, as your listings diminish and revenue decreases. In addition, the investment made to get to the first page in the first place becomes wasted. Because of Google Caffeine, now is definitely not the time to become complacent with your SEO campaign.