What You Need To Know About Google Penguin 4.0

Google has finally broken the muted landscape about big algorithm updates that lasted for a few years. While there is certainly small updates such as how they changed their SERP layouts, major updates for Penguin were deemed to have gone into a period of hibernation…  until now. Google has announced its latest Penguin-related release – Penguin 4.0.

Don’t know what Penguin is? For starters, Penguin was an algorithm update that was first released in 2012. Since its release, it dramatically changed the way Google evaluated the quality of content. From rewarding sites that offered valuable content to penalizing sites that feature spammy content, Penguin has done a lot to improve the way how Google continues to present quality content to searchers. Let’s find out more about Google Penguin 4.0’s impact on the SEO arena.

Penalties No Longer Imposed on Entire Domain

Before Penguin 4.0, Google previously utilized spam indicators to flag an entire website as worthy of a penalty. In the past, your domain could suffer if you built a link on a site that has a bad reputation, and point it to one of your internal pages. By doing so, you could tank your rankings across the board for a variety of keyword searches. However, this is no longer the case. Only individual pages that contain spam inbound links will get hit with the penalty.

Google Penguin Will Receive Constant Updates

Google Penguin will no longer be subjected to periodic refreshes (once every few months) any longer. After the update, it will refresh on a regular basis and that’s why users could face penalties almost instantly if they are caught building manipulative or spammy links. On the bright side, one who is working to remove a penguin penalty does not need to wait too long to restore rankings.

Moving into Google’s ‘Core’ Algorithm

Okay, we got the news that Google Penguin is going to be fully incorporated with Google’s ‘core’ algorithm. You should know that this ‘core’ is comprised of dozens of independent algorithms that are used to evaluate how to rank a site based on a particular search query. Penguin will become more integrated and significant since it has become a part of the core – not forgetting to mention operating more seamlessly.

How Does Penguin Update 4.0 Affect You?

If you are working in the SEO arena as a marketer or optimizer, then there are three key points you need to understand:

• Unpredictability

It is pertinent that you know that search rankings will be more unpredictable and volatile. This is because the speedier updates and refreshes will tend to alter search rankings more frequently. However, you will probably notice the impact of the Penguin update far less than before as the updates are not only happening consistently but on a small scale.

• Need for link technique assessment

You should definitely take this chance to review your own link building practices. Check whether you are using appropriate anchor texts and valuable, well-written content; whether you are targeting high-authority sites in a selective manner; and whether you are building links that are relevant for your respective target audiences.

• Quick penalties & penalty removals

If you happen to be on the black hat side, this is one good indication why you should stop engaging in those dubious methods. Penalties will come faster than you think. But on the other hand, if you are one of those working to lift penalties, you can now assure your clients of a shorter time to help them lift any Google penalty.