Google panda and penguin updates

If you are an SEO expert, then this makes sense to you better than it does to anyone else. Penguin was established on 2012, April 24 with the name “webspam algorithm”. The primary objective was and still is to take down sites, links, and content that defy the described and standard Google’s webmaster guidelines. Google holds the opinion that any strategies used online should be ethical and created for humans not machines. Unfortunately, with the increased benefits of digital marketing, these are constantly violated as marketers seek prominence in search engines.

best-seo-practices-lgPenguin Update

Due to constant violation that has resulted in the constant release of new guidelines by Google: it has come to be known as penguin update. As SEO strategies evolve, penguin updates are needed to address different concerns. The result of each update is the fall of major sites that use the “illegal” strategies. These “illegal” SEO strategies are referred to as black hat. They are described as manipulative strategies that make the site architecture, the content, and links only for the machine to increase ranking. Some of these manipulative strategies include excessive keyword usage, use of duplicate content, excessive exact-match keywords in links, etc.

SEO Strategies

So, if you are an SEO person, what are some of the things to watch out? There are both on-site and off-site SEO strategies. To be on the safe side here are some of the strategies you need to avoid. They include

  • having a list of keywords on the title page
  • forcing keywords in the Meta description
  • using primary keywords as H1, H2, and H3
  • keyword stuffing beyond a given keyword density
  • use of low quality or duplicate content
  • repeating navigational links in both the header and the footer
  • excessive use of internal links using keywords as the anchor text
  • Updating your blog with poor quality content

The above are some of the on-page mistakes that will make your site be pulled down with penguin updates.

 

What To Expect

As earlier stated, penguin and panda updates are constantly updated to tackle new and emerging black hat strategies. This Friday of March 15, 2013, a penguin update is expected to be released. According to Google, spam remains the most common challenge faced in SEO. As a result, this update is expected to tackle the spammer’s menace. Nevertheless, there is a big update expected before the end of the year that will deal a great blow in the fight against spam.

If you are doing every SEO thing right, then you have to reason to be scared off…you are safe. It is expected that this update will take down one or two major link networks. According to Google, the update will target links as they are adopting tricky ways for spamming. For example, they are targeting large organizations and through vulnerabilities, using the site for links. How do you ensure that your site is secure? One of the best ways is by use of the “fetch as Googlebot” tool. By using this tool, you will see your site as Google is seeing it.

Danny

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