The latest buzz is that Google is changing its algorithm to fight spam.

An algorithm update is nothing new.

I guess it’s a big deal because Google’s Matt Cutts provided some insights about what Google has been working on and what’s now in place – new provisions to attack low-quality websites and duplicate content.

I don’t know how Google or other search engines really determine what content is original and what’s the same or slightly re-purposed. But I’m glad they do. In the past, this issue focused more on fairness than quality.

It used to be easier for slimy marketers to put the same content on 5 web sites and dominate the search engine ranking results – pushing back the competition. Searchers deserved better so search engines responded by trying to guard against this type of manipulation.

It’s not that hard to write original web site content; it just takes a little bit of time. I’m doing it now – creating words on the fly. But look at what I’ve written – words like “original web site content” and “on the fly.” Those phrases are all over the Internet with online search marketing efforts.

But the overall effect of what I’m creating here is original. You won’t find this combination of keywords anywhere else. SEO specialists who risk the duplicate route may find that they have a tougher time ranking.

My ability to get this post to rank depends on what keyword phrases I decide to target, site links, inbound links, the title tag, page headers and many other factors. You’re seeing the final product. Earlier I was in draft mode. Only at the end of this post did I bother to weave in some keywords I care about, including cross references in the anchor text to other posts I’ve written.

Learn more at Search Engine Land.

I get annoyed every time some online marketing maven suggests that website search engine rankings don’t matter.

Of course they do.

And they don’t.

If you’re an executive and you just only look at your rankings because you think it’s  fun to be high, then your approach is a bit short-sighted. So what if you rank well? Does it mean the keyword is the right one, that it drives traffic and converts?

By themselves, rankings don’t say a lot. But they’re a critical part of any SEO strategy and the multiple factors you need to consider in your analysis.

Check out my new piece on ranking analysis at SiteProNews: