Lewis recommends plugging your website into a free tool called , which gives free reports for domains under your control. If you are looking for something more robust, costs $99 a month and up. The reports, which include useful things like anchor text profiles, should tell if your website looks unnatural to Google and if there is a problem.

While you can easily handle small issues that crop up on your website, if there are multiple problems, hire a professional rather than stabbing in the dark yourself. Lewis recommends checking the 's (SEMPO) website. Because Cutts is speaking publicly about changes, it indicates they've been in the works at Google for months, so time is of the essence.

Angela West has written for big insurance companies, small wildlife control businesses, gourmet food chains, and more. Follow her on Twitter at and .