The new Panda Update is here, the latest Google’s search algorithm which aims to promote the high quality content site and drive out thin or poor content. Google Panda 4.1 – How does it affect your Google ranking?
The update was announced last Thursday 25th September stating “we started a slow roll out of an improved Panda algorithm, and we expect to have everything done sometime next week.
Based on user (and webmaster!) feedback, we’ve been able to discover a few more signals to help Panda identify low-quality content more precisely. This results in a greater diversity of high-quality small- and medium-sized sites ranking higher, which is nice. Depending on the locale, around 3-5% of queries are affected.”
Going back to Google Panda
To refresh your memory, Google Panda was introduced in February 2011 as an algorithm filter to prevent low quality and thin web sites from ranking at the top of the Google search results. Those websites that passed the Panda filter are considered to be of good quality website with higher ranking on Google search.
New update
Panda updates focus on content quality. They are supposed to remove redundant, inappropriate content and spam from Google’s index bringing a greater diversity of high quality small and medium sized websites. The interesting thing about the current Panda generation is the fact that apparently smaller and medium high-quality websites are supposed to benefit from the update.
Who lose?
The website that have thin content which is defined by Google as content that is automatically generated mainly on content scraper websites, with little own content such as coupon portals, dictionaries and industry portals to name a few. Website that feature numerous pages creation and never been retouched or updated such as games, lyrics or medical content are likely to be negatively impacted by the new Panda update.
Who win?
If your website has its own high quality content then you are likely to be benefited from the Panda 4.1 update and will be rewarded with higher ranking positions on Google search. Based on the Panda 4.1 changes, those likely to benefit most are news related sites.
What should you do?
- Run a Panda report to identify top content that was negatively impacted on your website. Analyse the content from the report as it can often reveal evident problems.
- Hire a professional to audit your website content. We as a company owner or employee are too attached to company’s objectives which makes it difficult to identify problems that need to be fixed.
- Provide valuable content on your website. If resources are thin at your end, focus on your most profitable products and create in-depth, high quality content across a few products rather than low content for all the products.
- It is very essential that the new content contains actual additional value to the web as it is the quality of data being provided that determines your website ranking. Panda is only interested in your web content that will provide users and visitors with high quality information rather than spam.
Conclusion:
Closely watch and analyse your Google rankings for the next few weeks and take actions accordingly.
If you made changes on your website due to the impact of earlier update on Panda (4.0), an increase in traffic should help to gauge the effectiveness of your efforts.
On other hand, if traffic to your website has dropped suddenly and your ranking has gone down, then it is likely that your website has been affected by the Panda update. In this case, to improve your ranking, it is worth going back to review your content and make changes by providing high quality content on your website. This can range from updating information that is no longer accurate or valid or by adding more relevant information. This will fit with what Panda 4.1 looks for in content and should ensure that your rating will improve and traffic will return to your website.
If you notice any drastic changes in your rankings, get in touch with our SEO experts at Web Leap who will help you to move in the right direction with FREE consultation.