Has Google’s Penguin update got you in a flap?
Google announced its long-awaited Penguin update recently (over a year since the l
ast one!), so for our latest blog we thought we’d take a look at how version 3.0 has affected you.
Put simply, the Penguin algorithm aims to eliminate spam on the web and, although Google’s definition of spam is quite broad, a major factor of this is low quality, ‘manipulative’ links on, or linking back, to a site.
The revision will be a welcome one to those who were penalised by Penguin’s last update – Google doesn’t take note of methods undertaken by a website to recover from damage occurred by a penalisation until the next algorithm update – but may have ruffled a few website owners’ feathers by dropping their rankings on search engines unexpectedly.
If you have seen any changes to your sites positioning on search engines, good or bad, it is likely that you have been affected by Penguin and it is worthwhile taking the time to figure out why.
Performing a thorough audit on your site will allow you to see if you have any underlying bad back links, or reasons for the algorithm to penalise you, and to make a start on correcting these flaws by removing the damaging links.
Moving forward from Penguin 3.0, you should take note to only obtain back links from guest posts on relevant sites. Never buy links – these are almost always from sites connected with spamming, and almost certainly will come back to bite you!
Another suggestion to ensure that your website does not get falsely penalised for spam is to alternate between anchor texts – if your links are always labelled the same it suggests that you are spamming. Make anchor texts unique and conversational – natural links should not look forced.
This latest Penguin update has well and truly set the rumour mill in to overload and, with many believing that these updates will be rolled out more frequently than ever before, there is no better time to start making a change with your website.
If you would like help recovering from Penguin 3.0, or if you would like a free review of your SEO andonline PR, then call the Dragonfly team on 01709 300130 or email hello@dragonflypr.co.uk