Google’s mantra that well written content will rule the day has proven out to some degree in the list of those who won and those who lost in the ranking reshuffle as a result of the Panda 4.0 algorithm update.

Early indications from Searchmatics as reported in Search Engine Journal suggest that sites that are largely aggregators of content from external sources took the lion share of the hits while the winners tended to be sites that offered good quality useful content. It is still early in the rollout and the final list of winners and losers is not known. But take this as another cue to pay attention to your content. Make sure it is not stuffed with keywords and written only for the search engines. Instead provide content that your customers and potential customers are seeking. Also, watch for duplicate content, which likely had an impact on sites like ask.com – the top loser as of May 21 according to Searchmatics.

Google is constantly updating and changing its search algorithms. Make sure you are working with an SEO expert that takes the time to stay current. A one-and-done approach to search engine optimization won’t work over the long-term. Your SEO strategy must evolve in order to keep up with the evolution of the search engines.