If you follow the happenings of Google search at all, you've probably heard about the Panda update that happened in 2011, and if you're even more attuned you've probably heard about the more recent Penguin update that just rolled out. If it sounds like Google's running a zoo, I'd be inclined to agree, but in reality, these updates are designed to improve the quality of Google's rankings by filtering out people exploiting the search rankings.
So what are these two updates? Here's a brief rundown:
- Panda - Originally rolled out in February 2011, the Panda update was designed to thin out low quality sites from search results. Sites most affected by this were article farms like ezinearticles.com which largely allowed people to post articles about any topic whatsoever. While there were many great articles on sites like this that deserved rankings, the vast majority were "fluffy" to put it mildly. Google continues to roll out changes to this update, and in doing so, many content farms have seen drastic drops in search traffic.
- Penguin - The most recent Google update, Penguin, was aimed at targeting sites that had earned their rankings through "black hat" methods, or methods that go against Google's terms of service. Examples of this can include on page tactics like keyword stuffing, or shady link building practices. Initial estimates say this update has impacted 3.1% of search results.
If you haven't noticed, Google continues to make efforts to improve the quality of their results. How can you make sure you avoid becoming subject to a penalty for these and future updates? Stick to what has always worked.
- Write natural content that includes your keywords but is obviously written for a human. If you have someone read through it and they tell you it sounds awkward or that it was written by or for a robot, go back to the drawing board.
- Get links from sensible locations. If you're buying links from link brokers you're probably going to get nailed eventually. Think about where you should be getting links and how you should be getting them. Guest blog posts are a great way to get links, so are niche directories and resource pages that cater to your industry. Anything where a typical web visitor should expect to see your link is one Google likely will not punish you for.
Smart link builders and SEOs have only benefitted from Google updates such as these because they have enhanced the value of their long standing tried and true tactics. Image courtesy of xrayspx via Flickr.