The Google Penguin

First there was the Panda...

...then came the Penguin

The Google Penguin Update• Google launched a spam-fighting update.• The update changed search results.• It was designed to punish websites using spam

to rank high in search results.• Originally, the update was referred to as the

over-optimization penalty.• It is a filter that gets refreshed from time to time,

similar to the Panda Update.

Significance of the Google Penguin Update

http://www.seomoz.org/blog/penguins-pandas-and-panic-at-the-zoo

SEO Techniques That Could Be Punished:

• Keyword stuffing• Cloaking• Unnatural or artificial links• Repetitive anchor text• Hidden text or links• Link schemes

Black Hat SEO is Out There!

How Do You Know If You Were Hit By The Penguin Update?① Go to Google Analytics.② Review your search-related traffic prior to April

24th and after that date.③ If you notice a significant drop in traffic, you

may have been hit.

Google Analytics: Where to Find the Data

Google Analytics: Where to Find the Data

Step 1:

Google Analytics: Where to Find the Data

Step 2:

Google Analytics: Where to Find the Data

Step 3:

What Should You If You Were Hit By The Penguin Update?① Fix the problem:

• Review your links• Review your content• Consider the SEO techniques you have used

② And then wait...Google says you will recover naturally.

③ You can also fill out Google’s form if you feel you were hit by mistake:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dEVxdmdRWFJRTjRoLWZVTHZkaTBQbkE6MQ

Your website might be over optimized if … • You just happen to really, really like white text

on a white background.• The declared language of your website is

“Spamglish.”• Your visitors see something way different than

GoogleBot “sees.”• Only bad sites link to your content.

http://searchenginewatch.com/article/2168809/Your-Website-Might-Be-Over-Optimized-If-

Link Building in a Post-Penguin Era• Avoid exact anchor links• Strive for what is natural• Don’t get caught up on PageRank• Live in a good link neighborhood• Focus on organizations you are already

involved with

Content in a Post-Penguin Era• Create informative, helpful content• Use infographics• Distribute press releases, when there is

something newsworthy to discuss• Update your website regularly with new content• Act like a magazine publisher• Contribute content to other, relevant websites

Other Web Marketing in a Post-Penguin Era• Create more videos• Get involved in the local community• Jump into social media (yes, that also means

Google+)• Focus on overall quality not quantity

– Applies to content and links!

Create More Videos• Make sure your videos are relevant and

interesting.• Your videos are not simply going to pop up in

search results without a little time and effort on your part.

• Just like optimizing written online content, you will also need to optimize your videos.

Get Involved in the Local Community• Establish a local presence by doing good in the

community.• Get involved by:

– Sponsoring events– Holding charity functions– Donating to local non-profits– Giving out scholarships– Presenting free workshops and seminars

Jump Into Social Media• Posting relevant and helpful information on a

regular basis.• Interacting with followers—don’t want a one-

sided conversation.• Sharing/re-posting other interesting articles and

posts.• Using social media in your advertising.

Questions?