Fresh Site Bonus – truth or myth?

Fresh Site Bonus. What is it exactly?

The Google search engine is constantly tweaking its algorithm so that it can provide web users with the best search results possible. One of these changes, which was rolled out in March 2016, is known as the Freshness Update. This is a bonus given by search engine to newly indexed websites. It works based on the fact that websites that have recently been created and added to the Google index gain better positions in the search results for some time.

An initial trial period allows the search engine to see how users react to the site. It is difficult to say for sure whether it is true or not. A search engine could also want to ensure users have up-to-date content.

How does it work?

Google’s side

The Fresh Site Bonus is a Google algorithm designed to reward sites that are updated with fresh content. The ranking boosts happen when Google crawls your site and sees that it is up-to-date with new content. The idea is to encourage bloggers, businesses, and webmasters to keep their sites up-to-date so they can rank higher on search engines like Google. This makes the website attractive to both Google robots and users.

Caring for the visibility of your website on Google, it is worth paying attention to Fresh Site Bonus and being aware of its mechanisms, especially when positioning websites. If we create a new page, adding content of appropriate quality and current to it – Google may promote this page in high positions in search results for the first few days or weeks.

However, at some point when the FSB is taken down, the page will be in lower positions, you will see a decrease in position and traffic on the page if it is placed on the second page of the results, for example. It is worth knowing that it will not always be a sign of bad practices or poor-quality content, but simply the expiry of the FSB.

Does the FSB affect positioning?

The bonus is temporary support. It means that after some time Google stops helping the new website and it returns to the previously earned position. Therefore, while the bonus is valid, you should still work on the visibility of the website and conduct SEO activities. If you stop them, your website will end up in a very low position after the search engine support period is over.

How long does the bonus last?

The exact duration of this “award” is not fully known. Positioning experts estimate that a new website may stay in a higher position from a few days to several weeks. However, it should be remembered that not every recently indexed website will be strongly affected by the Fresh Site Bonus. It’s also important to remember that Google updates its algorithm periodically and its effects on your rankings may change over time.

How to use the Fresh Site Bonus?

In the beginning, a well-optimized website scored high. During the FSB’s operation, SEO activities were carried out (backlinks, content creation, content update, UX, improvement of many aspects related to SEO), thanks to which, after the expiry of the FSB, the position of the website did not decrease, and with subsequent, more advanced SEO works, it improved.

Analysis and selection of key phrases, content creation, appropriate tags, redirects, internal linking, meta descriptions, and alternative image descriptions – these are only some of the SEO activities that should be done for the FSB to be as large as possible. It will be best if you use the help of SEO experts.

Why is it best to work with an SEO agency from the very beginning?

It’s best to work with an agency from the very beginning because they will have the knowledge and skills necessary to keep your site healthy and up-to-date. An agency will be able to identify the problem areas on your website, find solutions for those problems, and implement them in a way that won’t interfere with your business goals. Then you will not have to worry about the Google bonus, because your work will bring the desired results from the very beginning.

In conclusion

The Fresh Site Bonus is a great way to get your new website indexed quickly. It will also help search engines learn about your site faster, which will in turn increase your rankings. But be careful that you don’t accidentally break any of Google’s guidelines while pursuing it. Don’t just rely on luck, it’s better to have the right fresh content right from the start. There are various ways to do this: an RSS feed, blog articles and blog comments with backlinks can all help. Make sure to keep this up for the long-term as well – it’ll take time for your rankings and traffic levels to recover if you stop after a few months.