Google Penguin
The after effects of Google's latest algorithm update, Penguin, continues to ripple through the SERPs. Like past Google updates, SEO strategists will have to revise their methods and generate a new a plan of action for the websites and blogs that took a hit during the April algo change.
Personally, I find myself still trying to wrap my head around the changes that have occurred over the years leading up to the recent Penguin update. It's nearly impossible to keep track of all of the algorithm changes Google implements. In fact, back in January (before Penguin was unleashed), Matt Cutts addressed a smaller algo change and stated:
"This change is just one of the over 500 improvements we expect to roll out to search this year."
The amount of algorithm tweaks per year is mind-blowing and most of the time websites and blogs do not feel the change, unlike the majors like Panda and Penguin which have drastically altered search engine strategies, leaving SEO strategists at the mercy of Google.
Major algorithm changes have always caused an upheaval in the SEO world. Many SEO professionals report that their sites or others were wrongly penalized or that the very basis of their business is crippled because of Google's new rules.
Search Engine Watch covered a large majority of Google Penguin news and made a some-what settling statement in the opening of their "Hit by Google Penguin" blog,
"Before we start panicking, we should remember that for Google to survive and continue dominating in the next decade it has put in huge effort to keep its SERPs relevant, useful, and clean of spam."
Perhaps SEO professionals can swallow their pride and agree to that statement.
In an effort to gain some additional insight to all the Internet has to offer on Penguin, I reach out to co-workers Daryl Bryant, CEO of Hudson Horizons, and Chris Keenan, SEO/PPC Strategist at Hudson Horizons. Both professionals manage SEO campaigns on a daily basis and are currently devising new strategies to reflect Google Penguin.
Check out the Q&A below to gain more insight!
Google Penguin Q&A
The penguin updates caused mayhem in the SEO world. Many websites were hit, damaging their search engine rankings. Top link-building sites like Build My Rank were even de-indexed from Google's SERPs. Despite the damage, do you think after all is said and done that penguin (and all future updates) will benefit businesses online down the road?
Daryl: Yes, absolutely. As unfortunate as this update was for many companies, this is ultimately going to have a positive impact in not only the SEO community but in the world of search as a whole. Google needs to make sure the results it displays are accurate, relevant, and supposed to be ranked there. When this was compromised, Google respectfully had to take the necessary action. This update, as difficult as it is to put our hands around it, had a focus to eliminate the sites and resources that had a negative impact on search and Google's ability to provide accurate results to its users.
Chris:We have to keep in mind that each update Google makes is ultimately to make a better experience for their end user, the searcher. According to Amit Singhal, head of Google's core ranking team, the recent Panda and Penguin updates "significantly improved the number of high quality sites being returned in results" Ref: http://searchengineland.com/peeking-into-the-world-of-googles-algorithm-changes-with-google-search-quality-head-amit-singhal-121528
Google is constantly updating its algo to provide higher quality search. Terms like white hat, black hat and grey hat SEO help distinguish the good, bad and not-so-good methods used by search engine strategists. Do you think the penguin update helped close the gap (more than it did with panda updates) between black and white hat SEO? Will there always be a "grey" area?
Daryl: Yes, this recent Penguin Update has removed the ugly, got rid of the bad, and now forced all of us marketers to play by the rules that were handed to us many years ago. Search and SEO for that matter have transformed over the years, but now with these recent updates, we are back to operating our SEO efforts the way most of us good marketers have over these past years. The recent update has forced everyone back to the basic foundation of SEO - good/quality content, natural link-building strategies, and solid on-page SEO tactics.
Chris: Black hat, manipulative, and deceptive practices aren't going to go away. As long as there is money to be made some people are going to try every means necessary to game the system. Likewise for Gray hat, there will always be people who are looking for an easy way to increase their rank by just paying a couple of bucks for blog networks or link exchanges to boost their rank. They aren't engaging in the really bad behavior, but they aren't spending the time or resources to really do SEO right. Neither of these approaches are going to go away, but I do think Penguin caused a world of pain for those folks who weren't on top of their game.
It's inevitable that waves of penguin updates will continue until the next profound zoo-animal update surfaces. What are three points of advice you could offer to an SEO strategist that will help them adhere to Google's updates?
Daryl:Pick up an SEO for Dummies book and follow it to a T!!!
Chris:
- Invest your time and resources in building legitimate links; guest blogs, pr outreach, relationship building, high quality content. Every update knocks out an exploited link building tactic, but the kind of link building that doesn't suffer from updates are the ones that genuinely provide value.
- Take a hard look at your current link building strategy. If Matt Cutts himself, head of Google's webspam team, were to look at what you are doing what would he say? If it isn't something you would be proud to show Google, you might want to consider not doing it.
- Diversify your online marketing. There are countless sob stories about how Google's recent updates caused families and businesses hardships because they fell out of the rankings. Don't keep all your eggs in the organic search basket. Include Local, PPC, Social, and other marketing methods into the mix.
Do you need help moving on from Google's recent update? Get a free SEO Quote now!