SEO experts and algorithm fans around the world have been eagerly anticipating the release of the new Google Penguin update. We’ve been waiting almost two years for the announcement – the last Penguin update took place way back in October 2014 – so it’s no surprise that Penguin 4.0 has already made headlines in the world of SEO.
Penguin is designed to help Google root out sites spamming its results page in ways the tech giant might not normally detect. The new Google Penguin 4.0 update looks set to make the algorithm more flexible and more intuitive, both of which could help SEO experts and web masters to improve their sites and avoid lengthy penalties.
Key Takeaways
- Real-Time Updates: The Google Penguin 4.0 update now operates in real-time, allowing websites to be reassessed continuously. This means that sites making improvements can recover from penalties faster, keeping search engine results more current.
- Page-Specific Penalties: Unlike previous versions, Penguin 4.0 targets individual pages for SEO infractions rather than penalizing the entire site. This enables webmasters to identify and correct issues on specific pages, facilitating quicker recovery and better overall site management.
- Natural Link Building: To avoid penalties from Penguin, it’s crucial to maintain a natural link profile. This involves using relevant and varied anchor texts, avoiding keyword stuffing, and ensuring that links are contextually appropriate and embedded within the main body of text.
Penguin Goes Real-time
In the past, Penguin only ran periodically. Sites that were considered to be spammy would be penalised and would remain penalised until the next time Penguin ran.
As the filter was manually operated, this could take months. Sites caught in the last Penguin sweep have been waiting almost two years to be reassessed, with many loitering at the very bottom of the page rankings throughout that time.
The new Google Penguin 4.0 update, however, has been designed to run in real-time. This means that sites will be reassessed by Penguin every time Google re-crawls and re-indexes a page, ensuring sites that make improvements will be rehabilitated faster and helping to keep the search engine results up to date.
Penguin Becomes More Page Specific
Another major change in the Google Penguin 4.0 update is that the algorithm will now become more page specific. Instead of an entire site being penalised for SEO infractions, the offending page will be targeted individually.
Web masters will be able to see which of their pages have been penalised and make the required changes, something that will help them get their site back on track much more quickly.
Penguin Penalties
Penguin is the part of Google’s algorithms that detect unnatural link building patterns. In order to ensure your site doesn’t fall victim to the filter, you need to ensure it mimics natural link building footprints. This means only including links when it makes sense to, only using relevant anchor texts and only linking to related content.
Building A Natural Link Profile
In order to ensure your site is ready for the next round of Penguin checks, you’ll need to begin building a natural link profile. This means you need to avoid over optimised anchors, avoid using keyword rich anchors and avoid repetitive link quantities. You’ll also need to vary the type of links you include in your site and ensure links are included in the main body of text.
Conclusion
As Penguin will now run in real-time, you’ll be able to see the results of your improvements and adjustments much more quickly. This will make it easier for businesses to create good quality sites and will ensure that any penalties are as short lived as possible.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the main change introduced by the Google Penguin 4.0 update?
The major change in the Google Penguin 4.0 update is its real-time operation. Unlike previous versions that ran periodically, Penguin 4.0 updates continuously as Google re-crawls and re-indexes pages. This allows sites that have made improvements to recover from penalties much faster, keeping search engine results more current.
How does Penguin 4.0 affect penalties for SEO infractions?
Penguin 4.0 now targets penalties on a page-specific basis rather than penalising entire sites. This means that only the pages with SEO infractions are penalized, allowing webmasters to identify and fix issues on individual pages without affecting the entire site’s ranking.
What steps can I take to ensure my site complies with Penguin 4.0 guidelines?
To comply with Penguin 4.0, focus on building a natural link profile. Avoid over-optimised or keyword-rich anchor texts, use varied and relevant anchor texts, and ensure links are contextually appropriate and embedded within the main content. This helps mimic natural link building patterns and prevents penalties from Penguin.
