Google Panda 4.0
May 30, 2014 11:28 amThe Google Panda algorithm is designed to keep sites with poor quality content from making it to the top of the search results. Experts speculated on May 20th that Google has made changes to how Panda identifies sites and Google confirmed it on May 21st.
This was more than a refresh to the algorithm it was two complete updates. Spammy queries such as payday loans, Viagra and the related types were targeted heavily by the new update called the Payday Loans Update and Google Panda 4.0. We did not see huge shifts as it relates to the real estate search queries. The algorithm updates affected 7.5% of English queries according to Google. There are reports that the impact was largely international spam.
Upwards of 20 to 40% of all sites hit by Panda 4.0 had syndicated content.
If you are publishing other sites content then the source needs to be attributed properly through the use of rel canonical or meta robots no index code.
How to avoid the problem:
- Refrain from using duplicated, scraped or even thin content. Focus on even higher quality content.
- Focus on high engagement. Focus on the amount of time spent on landing pages and the corresponding bounce rate.
- Avoid trying to rank for everything on the homepage with keywords.
When reviewing your google analytics, take look at your organic traffic to landing pages and review the average time on page to see what is resonating with your visitors. Then focus more on those categories for further content. You may find some strong recipes for success with your audience.
