Google releases Panda 4.0 update
In response to the outrage caused by the dreaded Panda update, Google has announced an important Panda 4.0 update. This latest addition to the Panda search algorithm series is expected to be softer with regards to search filtering and bring in a new lease of online life to small business sites.
The original Panda was released in 2011 with a view to clamp down on websites with poor content quality. More than twelve updates have been released ever since. While the search engines results have improved, Panda has wrecked havoc on small scale business, which despite their good content quality, saw their website rankings plummet. This led to a huge hue and cry from webmasters who demanded that Google alter their algorithms to preferable terms.
Google’s Matt Cutts, who is the head of Web spam team, announced Panda 4.0. He mentioned that this update is specifically targeted to small websites, who should definitely see an improvement is their search rankings.
Here his tweet on the update:
Whether Panda 4.0 has a massive impact remains to be seen. For the time being, retail sites like ebay.com have seen a significant downturn in their search rankings. Whereas, listing sites like Glassdoor has seen a significant increase of as much as 100 percent.
Expert opinion:
Here is what experts said few days after the update was rolled out.
Jayson DeMers, Founder & CEO at AudienceBloom:
“Implement the three pillars of SEO: Content, links, and social media, via a solid content strategy. This builds brand signals, which are the natural algorithmic signals that will not only protect you from future algorithm updates, but strengthen your website’s rankings.
Additionally, stop participating in risky, black-hat SEO tactics. It’s time to embrace the reality that real, effective SEO strategies these days don’t involve trickery; they involve expertise, value, and quality content publication.”
Jordan Kasteler, SEO Consultant and Senior SEO Manager at Red Door Interactive:
“If you’re doing marketing right way, you don’t need to worry about the negative affects of Google updates much at all until you’re faced with playing cleanup from someone else not doing things the right way. Create and promote quality content, avoid transactional link building, optimize sites for user intent, and you’ll be solid.”
Sources:
1. http://searchengineland.com/google-begins-rolling-panda-4-0-now-192043
2. http://searchengineland.com/panda-4-0s-big-loser-ebay-winners-losers-chart-192123
3. http://www.seroundtable.com/google-panda-4-18583.html
4. http://www.searchenginejournal.com/experts-say-google-panda-4-0-payday-loan-2-0-updates/106441/
