Real-time updates from now on
After a lengthy two-year wait Google has announced that the latest version of its Penguin algorithm is now live and working as part of its core algorithm.
The update is eagerly awaited by sites that have been hit with an algorithmic penalty in the hope that their efforts to address the problems will now be recognised, updated and any damage to rankings removed. The good news is that this new update introduces real-time updates so there could in theory no longer nay need to wait for the algorithm to recognise your SEO efforts.
About Penguin
Penguin is a tool that Google uses to identify and penalise sites that have an unacceptable level of spammy links. Good links are a one of the most effective ranking factors for websites. However that fact results in unscrupulous and often poor quality links being built. When it becomes a case of quantity over quality a site runs the risk of adding links to dodgy sites or being flagged by the Penguin tool. Rankings have disappeared overnight despite all efforts to remedy the problem.
Page Specific
Penguin is now more granular. “Penguin now devalues spam by adjusting ranking based on spam signals, rather than affecting ranking of the whole site” they state on their blog and this is also very good news and means recovery is easier. That said the advice is monitor and deal with spammy links and don’t get drawn into dodgy SEO techniques.
Rest assured we will continue to monitor the impact on our client websites.