Penguin Update: After Effects and Retaliation FAQs

Penguin‭ ‬2.1:‭ ‬After Effects and Retaliation FAQs

Google,‭ ‬for enhancing search results rolled out yet another Penguin update Penguin‭ ‬2.1‭ (‬penguin‭ ‬5‭)‬.‭ ‬With a tweet Matt Cutts announced that it will‭ ‬“affect ‬‘1%‭ ‬search queries with a noticeable degree‭”‬.‭ ‬With this update Google is trying to further purify the search results by cutting down web sites with spammy backlink profile.‭ ‬And effects are more than visible on SERPs,‭ ‬Web pages that had spammy links are out of SERPs.‭

• What are Google‭’‬s Intention‭?

Google is clearly trying to promote Adwords by introducing changes in Analytics,‭ ‬but these updates are only intended to improve search results.‭ ‬With Spam like‭ ‬“Mug Shots‭”‬,‭ ‬“Bombing‭”‬ & “negative SEO‭”‬ we also want Google to keep on updating search algorithms.

• How Big is the Change‭?

Quite Big,‭ ‬Penguin1‭ ‬effected‭ ~‬3%‭ ‬of search queries and we all know how much it hurt us,‭ ‬where as Penguin‭ ‬2.1‭ ‬is estimated to‭ affects ~‬1%‭ ‬searches.

• Who will‭ ‬be penalized‭?

As earlier versions of Penguin,‭ ‬this one is also targeted to demote web sites with spammy and unrelated link base.

• Is Black Hat SEO over‭?

No not yet‭! ‬But I don‭’‬t know how much time they have.‭ ‬Google is constantly trying to curb out Black Hat SEO and with the kind of brains they have hired it is just a matter if time of Black hats.‭ ‬Check out some Black hat forums and see the destruction that Penguin‭ ‬2.1‭ ‬has caused.

Penguin 2.1

• Do all Web Masters and SEO have to worry‭?

No,‭ ‬Web Masters and SEO who have followed Google‭’‬s guidelines need not to worry too much.‭  ‬But if your ranks suddenly dropped do check you Back-link profile.

• What Google Suggests‭?‬  

1.     Unique‏ ‎+‏ ‎Useful content
2.     High authority Back Link base‏ (‎Organic‭)
3. ‏    Social Media Presence
4. ‏    ‎Microdata use Data HighLighter in web masters,‭ ‬add OG and twitter card etc.‭

• What to Do‭?

1. ‏    Disavow spammy links and resubmit your web site in web master.
2. ‏    ‎Create back links on‭ ‬.Gov/.Edu web sites.‭ ‬Back-Links for higher DA web sites are great for ranking.‭ (‬Paid/Organic‭)
3. ‏    Knowledge sharing via any means Social Media, Blogging, Pod-casting etc.
4. ‏    ‎Search Engine Marketing.‭

• What Not to Do‭?

1. ‏    Spammy Link Building
2. ‏    ‎Content Spinning
3.     Back Link on exact anchor keywords

• Difference B/W Penguin Updates‭?

It is very early to say what exact changes Google has made into Penguin Algorithm but is definitely more edgy in terms of cutting spammy web sites.‭

• Humming Bird‭?

Humminbird is not a penalizing algorithm but it is an attempt at making search‭ ‬result‭ ‬smarter and‭ ‬“sense‭”‬ oriented rather than‭ ‬“keyword‭”‬ oriented.‭  ‬Google is still learning about the LSI and HummingBird is one step towards it.‭ ‬Other impact of this update will be on mobile search,‭ ‬Google is desperately trying to promote voice search and for this they are enhancing their knowledge graph.

• SEO‭’‬s Future‭?

What we were told on the first day of starting a career as SEO is the answer to this question,‭ ‬“We work for users and not Search Engines‭”‬.‭ ‬SEO is not about how to trick search engines or their crawlers but we work to create Internet presence for users.‭ ‬SEOs that follow this concept surely have an edge over others.‭