We like to emphasize that search engine optimization (SEO) is a constantly-changing field. 
Due to its nature, everyone in SEO is ultimately having to dance to the tune that Google sets. As long as they control roughly 2/3 of all web searches in the world, they get to dictate what websites get pushed on their results pages.
Over the last couple years, they've come out with a number of oddly-named initiatives aimed at cleaning up their search results and improving their indexing algorithms. Most of these have also been very directly aimed at discouraging certain bad behavior on the part of those seeking to abuse Google's algorithms through underhanded tricks.
So, we've put together a quick guide to the Google Zoo, and what affects they're having on people's SEO strategies!
Keeping Up With The Google Updates: Panda, Penguin, and Hummingbird
I. Panda
Panda is the oldest of these initiatives, having begun in February 2011. Panda is aimed at stopping webspam and linkspam. Basically, sites were penalized for either A)posting up junk articles that no one would read, or B)spamming links to their material far and wide, without regard for consistency or quality.
No one objected too much to this update, since everyone dislikes such tactics, aside from those using them. They never provided many real-world results anyway.
Your Google-Friendly Offensive Plays:
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Ensure every article you post to your blog, or anywhere else on your website, is 100% unique and original content.
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When posting or trading links, look for websites with roughly the same reputation as yours.
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Only post links within communities where they're relevant and appropriate.
II. Penguin
Penguin debuted in April 2012 and hit a bit closer to home – it went after sites that were using inorganic backlink strategies. Their prime target were sites that were actively buying or trading goods for backlinks. Even some major online retailers like Overstock.com found their search engine results slashed until they stopped buying links.
Google had said for some time that they didn't want to see websites focusing on backlinks, and Penguin made that perfectly clear. As a result, inbound marketing strategies now need to focus on organic backlink-building.
Your Google-Friendly Offensive Plays:
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Create content that people want to share with each other. Organic link-building is still best.
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Reach out to like-minded blogs to discuss link-sharing or (even better) guest-blogging opportunities.
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Only give non-material rewards, without real-world value, in exchange for links.
III. Hummingbird
Hummingbird is the latest Google initiative, having been quietly rolled out over the summer prior to its announcement in September 2013. Hummingbird brought major changes to the way Google reads and delivers search results, based on heuristic analysis of the entire search phrase rather than on specific keywords.
This has brought about significant changes in how SEO is conducted, with the industry still looking for new techniques.
Your Google-Friendly Offensive Plays:
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Keywords should be treated more like key phrases, with plenty of natural-language variations on terms. Don't repeat the same words over and over.
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Use a question-and-answer format, based on answering actual questions that your leads are typing into Google.
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Consider creating a small Google Adwords campaign. Adwords users get access to a wealth of keyword and search information, making a limited Adwords campaign an extremely cheap way to access their data.
Always Keep An Ear To The Ground In SEO
You can't ever rest on your laurels when dealing with SEO and inbound marketing. Small changes at Google can send shockwaves through the industry and force even large companies to quickly retool their strategies. The better-informed you are, the more easily you'll be able to adapt to new circumstances as they come your way.
So, what sources do you find most valuable for SEO and content marketing news?
Or, for a more detailed consultation on how your strategies could be updated to take advantage of Google's latest changes, just let us know how we can help!
