Many of you could be forgiven for thinking that Google really hasn’t got a sense of humour and that it is in on a one-way mission for world (of search) domination, crushing all in its way, what with its constant algorithm updates and the fact that the team behind the search engine are trying make sure that people are not “manipulating” the natural listings. Many website owners are getting frustrated and there is a real feeling that Google is constantly moving the goal posts.
However, in Google’s defence, it’s trying to clean up a side of its search engine that was originally easy to exploit and saw lots of people cheating their way to the top of the listings at the expense of genuine business owners. This can only be a good thing in the long run as it will mean many people will have to utilise the services of a SEO agency that provides good, relevant contextual link building. The days of outsourcing to the other side of the world for irrelevant links at a ridiculously low price are certainly over. While it’s still possible to do this you will not see the impact on your positions that you would have in the past, and could even see your website penalised.
My advice for anyone considering enlisting an SEO agency or Freelance SEO consultant would be to ask for an example of the types of links they are building for existing clients as this will give you an idea of the work they are likely to do for you.
Can you believe that some companies still do not send their clients link reports? And, more frighteningly, the clients do not think to ask for them.
So in amongst all these recent changes, algorithm updates and regular tweaks, Google has always kept a few hidden tricks up its sleeve to make searching that little bit more interesting (and, dare I say it, fun!).
See below a list of 5 fun things that I like to do on Google. While I am aware that there are many more out there, I thought these would be a good few to get you started!
1) Tilt – Quite simply type this search phrase in to Google and hit search
2) Do A Barrel Roll – Once again type this into Google and hit search
3) Google Gravity – Type this phrase into Google and hit the I’m feeling lucky button
4) Anagram – Simply type in as above
5) What Do You Love – Google this phrase and find the what do you love search bar. Type in any subject that you love and watch the presentation and information that Google will present you with (my personal favourite)
I will continue to look for more fun and interesting things to do on Google and will bring them to you as I find them. In the meantime I hope the 5 I have suggested keep you entertained for now!