Google Panda 2.5 Strikes. What to Do?

So Google released another version of its Panda algorithm this week. I thought about including a picture of a panda in this post, but such images have just about achieve cliche status now so forget it. For those keeping track this is version 2.5. It's been about 7 months now since the first release and it seems that even legitimate website owners working really, really hard to adhere to Google's stated guidelines are being hurt. So if you play by Google's rules and you still can't get a break, what are you supposed to do?

Shut-Down AdWords Campaigns
Yep, with organic traffic down and revenue down with it, there isn't enough money to pump back into Google Adwords. I'm not talking about arbitrage here, but rather the basic use of AdWords to get the word out to people that would otherwise not come across your content. I wonder if the Panda updates are hurting Google's bottom line. Google's stock closed today at about the same level it was at a year ago. True innovators like Amazon and Apple are up.

Move Your Online Presence to Facebook
If Google doesn't want my business, maybe I need to move to Facebook? Facebook is where it's at these days anyway, right?

Switch to Bing
If I think my content is good, but Google doesn't, maybe that means their results aren't going to include the sorts of things I want to see. Hmmm… maybe it's time to re-evaluate Bing's SERPs.

Go Black Hat
So if you put years into a site and follow the official guidelines, but your site still gets torched, how is that any different than having sites banned for not following the guidelines? Oh yeah, that's right. Not following the guidelines is actually easier and more scalable. And if you're any good at the black hat game having sites torched is built into your game plan so when it happens it's no big deal.

Of course none of these measures would be necessary if Google would provide some actionable guidance to website owners. Instead they distribute a bunch of open-ended questions that are as about as useful as a hole in your head. Really, Google? This is the best you can do?