WordPress 5.3 With Google Update
Google updates it's algorithm 300 times a year. Some changes are big, some are subtle. The change announced by Google in September 2019 was a big one & here's what you should know about it:
Google Update:
In September 2019, Google announced significant changes to it's algorithm to allow it's crawlers to read links which may have 'no-follow' attribute (unlike earlier) from March 2020 & has given additional attributes such as 'sponsored' and 'ugc' (user generated content) to help understand the web better.
History:
Way back in 2005, Google introduced an attribute called 'no-follow' for the links built. This was done to help Google differentiate between comment spam and shady links from user-generated content.
Why this change?
The earlier system generally worked but websites such as Forbes and Wikipedia applied 'nofollow' across their entire site, for possibly not being able to properly police user generated content. This made HUGE parts of web a black box for Google crawlers.
Should curated links from trusted Wikipedia contributors really not count?
By treating attributes as "hints", Google will allow its crawlers to crawl any links with 'nofollow', 'sponsored' or 'ugc' attributes.
Will using the attributes push my website higher on Google?
An experiment from MOZ.com validates Google's statement that using the attributes won't give you a rank boost. However, not using the right attributes may attract some penalty from Google in the near future.
Upgrade CMS for WordPress based websites:
WordPress UPDATE:
WordPress released it's WordPress 5.3 on November 12, 2019. This version will support Google’s UGC Nofollow attribute by default.
Impact on WordPress Plugins:
Any WordPress plugin that is involved with user generated content and links may have to update their code in order to support the new code.
Audit Report:
Due to changes in Google's algorithm, it's important to audit your website on a regular basis to ensure it is in good shape & not connected to any 'toxic' links that can get it penalized.
Click on the below link to get a FREE audit report & identify if your website is connected to any 'toxic' links:
https://concinnitylimited.com/seo-audit