What is Google Penguin Update?

The algorithm to fight against the webspam and over SEO (Search engine Optimization) webpages is named as Google Penguin Update which is launched on 24 April 2012. Before Matt Cutts first called the over optimization filter and then called webspam algorithm and finally it was named as Google Penguin Update. Cutts explains the algorithm includes content spam, spun articles and keyword stuffing.

Most of the webmasters are already sad with the Google animal that is Google Panda Update and now Google Penguin update. After Google Penguin Update 3% of searches affected and lot of high ranking sites lost their good SERP (Search Engine Ranking Position).

Here are the words posted on official blog.

In the next few days, we’re launching an important algorithm change targeted at webspam. The change will decrease rankings for sites that we believe are violating Google’s existing quality guidelines. We’ve always targeted webspam in our rankings, and this algorithm represents another improvement in our efforts to reduce webspam and promote high quality content. While we can’t divulge specific signals because we don’t want to give people a way to game our search results and worsen the experience for users, our advice for webmasters is to focus on creating high quality sites that create a good user experience and employ white hat SEO methods instead of engaging in aggressive webspam tactics.

Google Penguin Update Recovery Tips and Advice

1. Avoid hidden text or hidden links.

2. Don’t use cloaking or sneaky redirects.

3. Don’t send automated queries to Google.

4. Don’t load pages with irrelevant keywords.

5. Don’t create multiple pages, subdomains, or domains with substantially duplicate content.

6. Don’t create pages with malicious behavior, such as phishing or installing viruses, Trojans, malware or other badware.

7. Avoid “doorway” pages created just for search engines or other “cookie cutter” approaches such as affiliate programs with little or no original content.

8. If your site participates in an affiliate program, make sure that your site adds value. Provide unique and relevant content that gives users a reason to visit your site first.

9. Make pages primarily for users, not for search engines. Don’t deceive your users or present different content to search engines than you display to users, which is commonly referred to as “cloaking”.

10. Avoid tricks intended to improve search engine rankings. A good rule of thumb is whether you’d feel comfortable explaining what you’ve done to a website that competes with you. Another useful test is to ask, “Does this help my users? Would I do this if search engines didn’t exist?”

11. Don’t participate in link schemes designed to increase your site’s ranking or Page Rank. In particular, avoid links to web spammers or “bad neighborhoods” on the web, as your own ranking may be affected adversely by those links.

12. Don’t use unauthorized computer programs to submit pages, check ranking etc. Such programs consume computing resources and violate Google Terms of Service. Google does not recommend the use of products such as WebPosition Gold that send automatic or programmatic queries to Google.

If there is any traffic drop in your analytics stats after 24^th April 2012 then it means you site is affected with latest Google Penguin Update. If you think that you have followed the above guidelines and it’s a mistake then you can fill out this form and inform Google about its mistake.

I hope this post is helpful for you to understand about Google Penguin Update and what you can do to recover your site from Google Penguin Update penalty.

Please do share your opinion on Google Penguin Update.

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