LATEST PENGUIN 4.0 UPDATE – HOW IT AFFECTS SEO
Google confirms Latest Penguin 4.0 Update – Is finally here
SEO world is in frenzy, checking the latest Penguin 4.0 update. Everyone is waiting to see how it would impact their websites. Let us talk about Penguin Update and how it is going to affect SEO.
Quick look at Penguin before moving forward
Google Penguin is an algorithm update, first time announced in 2012. The algorithm picks websites that are not adhering to Google’s Webmaster Guidelines based on various key elements.
Because of the importance of Google’s search result first-page ranking, many SEO Consultants started using manipulating rankings through artificial means that are generally known as Black-Hat SEO techniques.
To discourage this behavior and reward websites strictly adhering to webmaster guidelines, Penguin is one of the algorithms used by Google.
Black-Hat SEO
Before discussing further on latest Penguin 4.0 Update, let us have a recap of black-hat SEO. Manipulating search crawlers without focusing on the human element, to get high search engine ranking comes under Black hat SEO technique. Some of these are –
- Keyword stuffing
- Invisible/ Hidden text
- Changing web page after getting good ranking
- Scraped Content
- Negative linkbuilding
- Spammy Content
- Doorway Pages
-
Latest Penguin 4.0 Update
On 23rd September 2016, Latest Penguin 4.0 is rolled-out, 2 years after the last Penguin Update. According to Google – “The goal of many of our ranking changes is to help searchers find sites that provide a great user experience and fulfil their information needs. We also want the “good guys” making great sites for users, not just algorithms, to see their effort rewarded.”
There are two important changes –
- Penguin is now real-time. Earlier websites, needed to be periodically refreshed after webmaster improves a website’s presence on the internet. Now due to real time, changes would be visible much faster.
- Penguin is now more granular. Penguin affects the ranking of a web page by devaluing spam rather than hitting the whole domain.
Latest Penguin 4.0 Update & SEO
Most of the industry is happy with this latest Penguin 4.0 update & predict a positive impact on the whole SEO community.
- The most important point to consider is working in real time. Therefore no waiting for weeks to check your link removals, SEO’s can adjust their strategies accordingly
- It would also discourage from engaging in black hat techniques, as Google will be able to catch those very quickly & penalize
- Hitting the rank of an individualized page rather than the whole domain is highly appreciated, as it will affect only the web page & not loss of huge organic traffic.
- Penguin 4.0 update also encourages social media activities, as instead of backlinks, Google prefers social media interactions.
The overall intent of Google’s algorithms is to help provide relevant information to users. For those who stick to good & relevant content, providing useful information to visitors, and utilizing social media platforms for customer interactions, as well as many other white hat SEO techniques, Penguin 4.0 is good news and would definitely help in better ranking of these sites.
Engaging only in best SEO practices adhering to the Google Webmaster Guidelines, has always been the motto of Digital360, best SEO Company in Delhi/NCR, therefore we are confident about our clients not getting affected with this latest Penguin 4.0 Update.