SEO is an ever-changing practice, and search engine giants like Google issue algorithm updates frequently to discourage low-quality content practices. Recently, the tech firm announced that its latest update, Penguin, is part of its core algorithm. Learn what Penguin is and how it will affect your SEO practices.
What Is Google Penguin?
Google Penguin is nothing new. It was initially launched in 2012 by developers from the Mountain View-based tech giant. Google has a variety of algorithms, in fact, more than 200 working together determine your search engine ranking. Each of these algorithms relies on a set of cues or signals: Keywords, geographical region, and the age of your content all play a role in where your page ends up in search results.
Penguin and its predecessor, Panda, were introduced in response to practices that resulted in poor website design; keyword jamming is a good example. Before Penguin, companies could load pages with certain keywords to ensure their websites would top the list in search query results. Penguin, however, emphasizes quality over quantity, and you can be penalized for using a keyword too many times.
What’s New with Penguin?
A new update introduced in September highlights some notable differences with Penguin:
- It’s now in real-time. Historically, pages affected by the algorithms were refreshed at the same time. Penguin can now recognize changes to a page’s data in real-time, so your website’s ranking can change continuously.
- It’s more granular. Google Penguin is more precise in how it devalues spam – it focuses on specific spam signals, rather than the site as a whole.
How Will This Affect My SEO Practices?
In reality, the new Penguin update shouldn’t affect your current practices all that much. Your ranking can improve by observing some basic best practices:
Create Quality Content
Your search engine ranking is determined by more than just how much content you have on your site. The quality of that content matters, as well. Penguin likes to see content that’s updated frequently, so having a blog is a must.
Use Keywords Wisely
Keywords continue to play a vital role in your overall rank, but there’s a limit to their use. SEO masters argue about the appropriate keyword density, but between 1% and 2% is considered an acceptable limit.
Google Penguin brings some simple changes to SEO, while continuing to emphasize quality. Dedicate time to making an optimized website chock-full of fresh content, and you’ll be rewarded with a high ranking.