by Jayson DeMers
Penguin
2.0 has just rolled out. Brace for impact.
For the approximate
2.3% regular US-English queries that it affects, many SEOs have been waiting to see if the
traffic to their website will be negatively a...
by Jayson DeMers
Penguin
2.0 has just rolled out. Brace for impact.
For the approximate
2.3% regular US-English queries that it affects, many SEOs have been waiting to see if the
traffic to their website will be negatively affected.
While many black-hat practitioners that were affected by Penguin 1.0 can
only hope their rankings don't plunge further into the depths of obscurity, the
rest of us are crossing our fingers and hoping that we made it through
relatively unscathed.
However, if your website was affected
by Penguin 2.0, there are a few things you can do to ensure that your
website gets back on the straight and narrow. And remember: the majority of
positive comebacks after Google algorithm updates are from websites genuinely
wanting to provide the best possible website for users instead of those just
looking to skirt by until the next Google Zoo animal is released.
If you were affected by Penguin 2.0, read on. I've done my best to guess
what Google has changed, based on information from Matt Cutts prior to the
launch of Penguin 2.0, as well as what Google aimed to solve with Penguin 1.0.
As the SEO community performs tests and learns more information about specifics
of Penguin 2.0, the collective knowledge of the update may change. For now, if
you've been hit and are looking for likely answers, here's what you need to do
to recover your rankings.
1. Learn From Your
Mistakes
The previous Google algorithm updates have already told us what Google
is looking for-- great content, natural link profiles (both inbound and
outbound), and an organic, natural link velocity that steadily increases month
by month. If you were penalized by previous Panda or Penguin updates, then it's
time to make the changes necessary to get back into Google's good graces.
If Panda and Penguin 1.0 were slaps on the hand, then consider 2.0 the
wake-up you need to get your website completely back on track. The next updates
will be even more intuitive and stringent, so making those big content-focused
changes now can prevent even further lost traffic in the future.
2. Stop Shady
Practices
A crucial step toward recovering from Penguin 2.0 is to stop all
"shady" practices as determined by Google. This includes unnatural
link building, and spammy or keyword-stuffed onsite content.
Besides looking for these types of black hat practices, Google is
getting better at recognizing when sites are trying to be deceitful, especially
when it comes to focusing on typically-spammy search queries, catching sites
that are participating in link swapping schemes, and content that contains keyword
stuffing or unnatural links. The easiest step toward recovering from Penguin
2.0 is to stop these sorts of practices all together.
3. Pick up The Pieces
The bridge between destruction and normalcy is the recovery phrase,
which may take weeks or months, depending on the website and level of black hat
SEO practices that Google believed they were involved in.If you believe that your website was penalized because of shady link building
practices (which is likely if you were hit by Penguin 2.0), you'll need to
identify what links could be causing you harm, and then attempt to have them
removed. Any links you fail to get removed, be sure to disavow.
To identify what links could be causing you harm, use a tool like Open Site Explorer or Majestic SEO. Alternatively, have
a professional perform a link profile audit to identify harmful
links for you. Here's a step-by-step
walkthrough I wrote that describes how to audit your own link profile.
You can disavow links through Google Webmaster Tools. This tool should
be used with caution and only after personally reaching out to these websites
to get the links removed. I recommend disavowing all harmful links (even ones
that have been successfully removed); it can't hurt.
Besides attempting to clean up your external link profile, you should
al