Google Penguin Update

To be precise Google rolled out the update a few of months ago on the 24^th of April 2012. This new algorithm change specifically targets web spam. This means that the algorithm change will decrease rankings for a website which is identified as performing spam tactics to manipulate search engine rankings.

When a website is hit with the Penguin Update, in web analytics it can be recognised because of a drop in search engine traffic. When the algorithm was launched, one could easily spot that the website was hit by a dive in search engine traffic and completely destroying traffic for several keywords. The immediate decrease in web analytics can be spotted between the 24^th and 25^th of April. It is important to analyse this drop in organic search traffic only (search engine traffic), where the Penguin Update can affect traffic.

What causes a website to be hit by the Penguin Algorithm?

Plenty of businesses that were hit by Penguin are now seeking professional assistance to identify the cause for their loss of traffic. The most common factor why a website was hit is due to the website's backlink profile containing links that are manipulative, unnatural and look like spam links. One of Penguin Update's main objectives is  to crack down on some spam linking techniques such as using software/automated submissions, link buying, link schemes, link exchange and other non-ethical search engine optimisation (SEO) methods. Such automated and bulk link submissions will always be offered as a service by certain providers. However, this type of SEO should definitely be put aside in order to gain robust and stable rankings.

Before the Penguin Update an SEO Consultant could easily opt in creating heavily optimise links to target specific keywords, engage in commenting spam, link exchange and so on. This exact match optimisation could easily get your website ranking for competitive keywords. All these spam techniques work until Google catches up with analysing these techniques on a large scale. In fact, Penguin Update penalises websites automatically and there is no manual action taken by the web spam team at Google.

Penguin Update can also be referred to as an over optimisation penalty since too much SEO can trigger the Penguin penalty for a site. For instance, as mentioned above when using too many optimised links. The lazy link building techniques are now over, if they were even considered by professional SEO Consultants. An SEO must now be careful of how and when to build links. On the other hand, businesses looking for providers to increase their rankings must not choose cheap SEO link building packages.

How to recover from Penguin

Recovery is tough. This is the toughest recovery yet to come from a Google algorithm update. The first phase is to diagnose the site and to identify whether the website was hit by Penguin. After having identified Penguin as the cause of the drop, one can take various paths to start a recovery. The website may have loads of issues which an SEO specialist ought to tackle before expecting a Penguin recovery. The main elements to look for are over optimisation of backlinks and keyword stuffing.

Search engines can spot spam links by the location, type of sites, and especially by using the same repetitive anchor text. Anchor text refers to the clickable text of a link. An example of an anchor text can be click here, Optimised Keyword 1, or Company Name. Repetitive anchor text will be flagged as spam links by search engines.

The SEO must analyse the links to a website and must identify which are the bad links. Afterwards, a link removal campaign is needed to get rid of the bad links. After getting rid of these links by contacting every individual website there must be an SEO campaign to create new links. These links will increase backlinks and will dilute the link profile to get it back in shape, to look more natural. During the link building campaign embarked one must obtain more linking domains, link type diversity, and more diverse anchor text. Diversity is a key role in avoiding to be penalised by the Penguin Update. Of course, social links also play an important role.

While SEO is changing, the main best SEO practices still apply. Penguin has not changed the Google ranking factors but has instead targeted web spam. Now SEO is getting tighter with stricter guidelines for optimisation. A lot of companies may find very cheap SEO packages with massive bulk link submission and hundreds of keywords attractive. The reality is that most of these packages are perceived as spam by Search Engines. SEO is a very consuming task and only a carefully planned SEO strategy can obtain good rankings.

Conrad Bugeja is a Search Optimisation Consultant and Pay-Per-Click Consultant at Alert eBusiness Internet Marketing Division - www.alertemarketing.com