Note: This got published on my newsletter first. I thought some of you can make use of this list, hence the post.
If you are keen to study Google Penguin 4.0 update at this early stage, this post will save you hours of searching.
I usually avoid analysing an update that early because 1- There’s hardly anything useful at this early stage. 2- It takes days or even weeks for Google to roll out a major update like this; so it’s meaningless to study current SERPs.
But hey – it’s Penguin.
The first time I heard about Penguin, that animal almost killed my business. It took me almost 3 years to crawl back where I was before everything fell off.
So… I search and read and search and read. And here are the articles I found worth reading.
Warning: Real Gold Mine Ahead
Let’s dig.
Penguin is now part of our core algorithm
The official announcement from Google. Penguin is out.
Early thoughts on Penguin 4.0
Wise interpretation on Google’s announcement. The entire post is pure gold for those who want to quickly understand what means what. Also, I highly recommend the “A theory – New links are very important to build up TRUST” part.
Is Google Penguin 4.0 fully rolled out?
My answer: No. But I am not the expert. Read experts’ opinion in this one.
Penguin 4.0 update
Spot on observations and the usual rants by Aaron Wall / SEO Book.
Key takeaway #1:
“Things NOT said in Google’s announcement:
1- if it has been tested extensively over the past month
2- if the algorithm is just now rolling out or if it is already done rolling out
3- if the launch of a new version of Penguin rolled into the core ranking algorithm means old sites hit by the older versions of Penguin have recovered or will recover anytime soon.
Key takeaway #2:
“The trite advice [to handle Penguin updates] is to make quality content, focus on the user, and build a strong brand. It is getting harder to win in search period. And it is getting almost impossible to win in search by focusing on search as an isolated channel.”
Google Penguin doesn’t penalize for bad links – or does it?
Short answer – “Google Penguin no longer penalizes the site or specific pages but rather ignores/devalues the spammy links and thus the rankings are adjusted.”
Google says Penguin recoveries have started to roll out now
If you were penalized in the past, start looking.