Latest From Panda - Backlinks Over Quality?

I've been doing the same ever since I started doing SEO last year, and I didn't feel anything from the Panda Update. I build links the same way, the same amount, etc. Why do you feel Google is giving backlinks more credit? Thanks.

I have a similar feeling as you do. But I have not done enough tests to make this with certainty claimed.

Google will always be looking for quality sites but they are, and have been for a long time, moving towards high quality content combined with high quality backlinks.

Google might be leaning towards giving an advantage to sites with high quality backlinks as well as high quality content. If this is the case (which it probably is) then sites that have average content might get a temporary boost if their backlinks are of high quality.

Just my thoughts.

Thanks
Eleanor

I've given up trying to figure out what Google wants. It's about what I want now

It is a common known fact that Google puts more weight in backlinks that any other feature of SEO and rankings in search engines. As long as you don't do anything drasticly, Panda, dup content is just for those to talk about, while the rest jump up in the searches.

Google's actually after a few things with the recent Panda update.

Here's what they are after:

Quality content - Google's admitted publicaly that they have a problem. HackerNews, a popular tech "forum", often has dialogue with Matt Cutts about how littered the search results are. Heck, they've even gone as far as creating a form that helped combat duplicate content for a while.

Crap spun content is on its way out as the bots and algorithms get smarter and smarter. Panda was created in an effort to do just that, combat low quality content.

Quality backlinks - Let's face it, with each new linkbuilding service often comes a new spam service. I hate it more than the next guy. But, there are more and more these types of services being released to the public daily. Profile links, blog comments, and other abused links once were a good indicator of backlinks. Now, not so much.

Taking it to the next level Google's doing all they can to de-index and remove the crap from the SERPs. Part of that are forum profiles from overly abused domains with huge databases of spammers. Why should Google index a forum profile that's just like the next 50,000 on the same domain? They shouldn't.

Google's has two real goals as a search engine, provide kick-butt results for the searchers, and make sure they refine the way they make money.

The trick is finding how to balance great content, high PageRank backlinks, and the value that the searcher is looking for.

No need to reinvent the wheel.

So, basically, they're doing what they've always done then, because content quality has never played much of a role in the ranking process.