Even if you haven’t heard of Google Panda and Google Penguin, as a website owner, you may have felt the cold…

Google is constantly making tweaks and modifications to the way it determines which web pages will rank highest in a search. Often, these changes minimally affect a website’s ranking, if at all.

Google Panda and Penguin are algorithm changes that have affected many websites and search engine optimization practices.

Penguin Updates

Google’s Penguin update aims at websites it considers to be over-optimized.

Sites that have been affected usually contained a lot of keyword stuffing, meaning that keywords are used excessively in an effort to be ranked by search engines and not for the benefit of the reader.

Often, there were low-quality, irrelevant backlinks from other sites.

Websites that used these techniques extensively saw themselves go from the top of a google search to some unknown, far-off distant page.

Websites that did not engage in tactics like these often found their search engine placement much higher than before this update.

Panda Updates

Panda updates target websites that have poor-quality, shallow content and content that is not original.

Websites that used syndicated content or content that was spun primarily aimed at stuffing keywords into it found their ranking drop substantially.

The good news about Panda updates is that website owners who put care and research into providing their readers with useful content are being rewarded for their efforts.

Now What? Search Engine Optimization in a Post-Panda/Penguin World

Google’s intention in making these changes is to help deliver quality usable information to people who use their search engine.

Penguin and Panda algorithmic changes will continue to affect websites. But, just as an algorithm change can cause a websites ranking to go down, changing what has caused the drop in rank often can result in a website resuming the higher rank previously held.

By all accounts, the best course of action is to create quality, relevant content and nurture honest link building to raise your website’s search engine ranking.

Get Your Website Back in Google’s Good Graces

For more useful information regarding internet marketing, or to discuss your search engine optimization needs, give us a call at (763) 548-2297 or shoot us an email. Snap Agency is a Minneapolis marketing company that helps businesses grow through the power of the Internet.