With the recent panda/farmer update the SEO world is still in quite an amount of disarray, and the update is still yet to roll out in the UK so the pain is far from over. I work closely with a number of high profile web masters and SEO experts that have been hit hard by the developments, and it is fair to say it has made them think very seriously about their current SEO strategies that have clearly been found wanting in the hard, unforgiving eyes of Google.

There are two main conclusions that these people have drawn. Firstly, moving forward they need to update the design of their sites to be more web 2.0. This may sound like a rather abstract observation, but if you understand your web design you’ll know that there is a very specific aesthetic that characterises the new social web. There is more depth and substance to the artwork. It almost feels like you could reach out and touch it.

Secondly there is the social media activity itself. If I am an internet marketing company based in Leicester, UK, and I want to build a strong presence on Google for my chosen keywords, such as SEO Leicester, I need to ensure I am developing a meaningful social environment in which people from both the local Leicestershire area and beyond can easily interact. This can be achieved through integrating Twitter, incorporating a forum or a Q & A section perhaps. By building this vibrant community with lots of user generated content regarding SEO and internet marketing from people in the Leicester and all the surrounding towns and villages, ultimately Google is going to view my site as a genuine authority on the topics in question and not only will I be likely to rank for the term SEO Leicester but I will also be highly optimised for the market as a whole.