Google’s Penguin Update Creates Havoc
Posted by eellsworth on 30th Jan 2015
On April 24, 2012, Google made a major change in how the SERPs (Search Engine Result Pages) are calculated and it has been named the Penguin Update. The impact was immediate, wide and deep.  Here are a few comments from some top SEOs in a private forum:
-  “God I really hope this isn't how it's going to look. I hope it's not completeâ€
- “What a huge update!  Almost every SERP I've checked has noticeably changed.â€
- “Huge, huge swings. My biggest problem with this is there seems to be an attack not on any specific type of link building but on links accrued over a period of time, period.  If you targeted with some anchor text, you were a spammer.  And with a few tests targeting my own portfolio I can confirm some fears that negative SEO is now significantly easier and more cost effective than building value towards one's site.â€
- “I can't believe this update.  I'm really in a state of shock right now. Looking at more and more of our sites and the corresponding AWR projects...in some of my niches EVERY site I track was burned!!!  I mean, this is crazy.  Sites I haven't worked on for two years got knocked out of the top 50 for every term they used to rank for.  Traffic is down to basically zero.â€
What Google Targeted and Why
You should not be surprised by this update. Google is always updating the algorithm; however this is a major update and is comparable to the Panda and Florida updates. Originally this update was rumored to be about over-optimization but after its release we can now see it as a change to combat certain “spammy†techniques that have flourished over the past few years:- Forum Posting
- Blog Comments
- Exact Match Anchor-Text Backlinks
- Blog Networks
- Exact Match Domains (EMDs)
What Will Happen Next?
Google is NOT penalizing sites that used the above techniques. This is an algorithmic change and affects everyone across the board. What they have done is simply devalued methods and techniques in order to get more websites in compliance with their guidelines. Adding to the Penguin chaos update is the fact they also released another Panda update which targets content quality and rewards sites with those who provide a better user experience. Your next course of action should be to assess and move forward.What Should You Do?
First, take a deep breath and don’t panic. Check your analytics and if you have experienced a drop before April 24 then it was probably due to the Panda update, if it was after then it should be from Penguin. I am hearing SEOs complaining about links they felt hurt them but were built years ago so even though you may have been “clean†the last few years your site may still have been affected. Go back to basics and re-evaluate your site and ensure you have good content and your internal optimization is clean and well thought out.Don’t Destroy Your Links
Despite what you think, simply removing a ton of back links may not be the answer. Low-level links can still help your overall profile and you may end up removing links that, as a whole, are still helping you. Simply deleting links without a plan may only exacerbate your issues. Some links you should consider removing:- Exact-match anchor text links in footers and side-bars
- Links from networks recently devalued by Google (i.e. BuildMyRank.com links)
- Paid links
- Obvious cross-domain links
Moving Forward
In Google’s push for better quality in the SERPs you should understand this is only another refinement for them. SEOs are constantly testing and trying techniques to help their clients increase their rankings and eventually Google will catch up to them. To stay ahead of the curve you should also be:- Creating unique and engaging content (extremely important if you’re an ecommerce website)
- Engaging in conversion rate optimization which will make the most out of the traffic you currently receive
- Running a pay-per-click campaign to enhance your online presence and explore keyword opportunities that can be transferred to your organic strategy