Every time when Google releases a new update things change especially for those whose very livelihood depends on their position in the search rankings in Google. The most recent was the Hummingbird, Google's new search algorithm. Though Hummingbird didn't do much damage but the Penguin and Panda updates were a killer.
Well, the speculation about the rumored Zebra update started after Matt Cutt's announcement at the SXSW this year, "We have a potential launch later this year, maybe a little bit sooner, looking at the quality of merchants and whether we can do a better job on that, because we don't want low quality experience merchants to be ranking in the search results."
Cutts further also added that upcoming update to Google's algorithm would help Google "spot whether someone is not a great merchant."
As far as the name Zebra is concerned, this to is a speculation as Google has a liking for black and white animals which is pretty evident by the name of its previous updates, Panda and Penguin. So the next obvious animal in line happens to be Zebra.
This update would be a definite blow on the face for all those low-quality eCommerce sites.
The main question here is how can one judge the quality of his or her eCommerce site. I know the word 'low-quality' pinches like a thorn but there's no escaping from this update.
There are a lot of features that can help you in judging the quality of your site but who knows how Google is doing that. For the first time this year Google published their Search Quality Guidelines which were last updated in November 2012. These guidelines also hint at what Google is looking for in a quality merchant. You can find these guidelines under the heading "Recognizing true merchants":
- a "view your shopping cart" link that stays on the same site.
- a shopping cart that updates when you add items to it.
- a return policy with a physical address.
- a shipping charge calculator that works.
- a "wish list" link, or a link to postpone the purchase of an item until later.
- a way to track FedEx orders.
- a user forum that works.
- the ability to register or login.
- a gift registry that works.
If your site is not following the above guidelines then according to Google your site might fall into the 'low-quality' bracket.
No one actually knows when or if Google would actually release this update. If it does then make sure you are all prepared to face it and if it doesn't, making improvement to your site won't hurt. But until Google officially releases a statement about this update, I personally feel that you need not worry too much about it.
What are your thoughts about this rumored update? Drop us a line below.
Stay tuned for more updates from E-junkie.
Great
post thanks so much for sharing all the information, I am looking for more
updates.