I dont normally take any notice of the google blog updates it normally tells us of issues once we have already started experiencing them and lots of blather..

However these 2 things made me think, wonder, peruse and generally guess on what the hell they actually mean..

Tweaks to handling of anchor text. [launch codename "PC"] This month we turned off a classifier related to anchor text (the visible text appearing in links). Our experimental data suggested that other methods of anchor processing had greater success, so turning off this component made our scoring cleaner and more robust.

Better interpretation and use of anchor text. We’ve improved systems we use to interpret and use anchor text, and determine how relevant a given anchor might be for a given query and website.

The first mentions a specific classifier (i.e., signal) that’s been turned off; the second mentions a new way (signals?) for determining anchor text relevance, my gut tells me this stuff matters I just can’t fully form how.

I know what I think but am not sure..what is your take on these two changes?

This is a quick one and is something I am still working my thoughts through. The image below was shared on Twitter today (sorry I deleted my stream and can not find it again).

The image shows nothing but ads above the fold, I know that hotels are one of the most competitive niches (travel is another one) and I am glad I do not compete in them. I think it is too easy to say that this type of page will never show in other niches though.

I do not love pay per click , but I wonder if it is something that we have to look at whether we want to or not. It does not have to be ppc , it can be banner ads on related sites, it can be Facebook ads it can be solo ads in newsletters. It could even be ads on the system that ezinearticles are starting.  What it means to me is finding other ways to drive traffic in addition to organic listings.

Seo is not dead, I just see that we have to look for more ways to get the traffic we need. Sticking your head in the sand and just thinking SEO will always be enough is not realistic, well not where Google is concerned.

Are you already adding ppc/facebook ads/banners into the mix of your marketing? If you are and want to share what works that would be much appreciated

 p.s I just saw this report

http://marketingland.com/microsoft-aol-and-yahoo-begin-selling-and-delivering-ads-in-display-partnership-7960?

So maybe an alternative to Adwords that will actually drive some traffic?