Google Penguin Algorithm: A Complete Guide To Google Penguin Updates
Google Penguin Algorithm – To the query what is Google Penguin, the briefest answer is posted Panda update, Google brought in Penguin algorithm update to reward high-quality websites and drive away those websites in search results which are indulging in shady link building methods and keyword stuffing.
Penguin algorithm was also part of the efforts aimed at standardising the quality of Google search engine results.
Soon after the Penguin SEO update came into force several webmasters with questionable link building techniques reported a huge crash in organic traffic and rankings.
Penguin helped Google in stonewalling efforts that sought to trick its algorithm by websites that used low quality and spammy links and conducted over-optimization with keywords.
A Penguin penalty can be hard and devaluing of links and sites are a possibility.
Therefore, extra attention is essential on the content in a website. There must be natural language and fair link-building practices to stay “safe.”
The rollout of Penguin hit 3 percent English language search engine queries.
From 2012 to 2016, Penguin filter had 10 updates and that helped the SEO(Search Engine Optimization) community to understand problematic areas Penguin was addressing. Since 2017, Penguin is part of Google’s core algorithm.
Triggers For Penguin
Two areas that the Penguin algorithm Google wanted to tackle were the following.
Link Practices
Efforts to attain easy popularity by acquisition or purchase of backlinks from low-quality or unrelated websites was a manipulation on Google to obtain high rankings.
Keyword Stuffing
This is an exercise involving fooling of readers and search engines by adding a large number of keywords and repetitions to usurp better ranks posing as the most relevant site to certain search phrases.
The last Google Penguin 4.0 update was on September 23, 2016. That made Penguin a part of the core algorithm of Google.
As for Google Penguin latest update which is known as Penguin 4.0, a fundamental change is that Google started devaluing foul backlinks directly instead of penalising websites using them.
That approach marked a major difference compared to the past. Penguin now runs with the core and evaluates websites and links in real-time. That is why impacts are fast.
Instead of downgrading sites Google simply disregarded any page rank passed by spammy links. That meant garbage links became equivalent to zero links.
It is best to have a few good links from high-quality sites than lots of links of low-quality sites.
Remedy For a Google Penguin Bite
Review your sites’ anchor text ratios. For this, go to Open Site Explorer, type the website’s name, click on the anchor text links and in the results watch for group linking domains.
See what all links are frequently used on each URL of the website. If commercial terms got a high volume in the top 10, there is an urgency to arrange better links to the site and throw out links overly optimized. This is how an over-optimization penalty is addressed.
In other words, make sure the website looks natural. Build authority into pages where you want to rank. But avoid over- optimization on the anchor text.
If this exercise is done periodically it will take care of any Penguin issues and improve the rankings.
Disavow Tool For Mitigation
For SEO practitioners, there is a disavow tool good for tackling a Penguin penalty.
By using a disavow file to Google, ill effects of Penguin algorithm update can be handled. The action will make the search engine ignore negative links from awarding any negative ranking to a site.
But Google recommends disavow tool must be used only as a last resort.
Using it is easier and quicker than submitting reconsideration requests for good links.
