Google Panda Update – Optimization & Recovery 2020 Guide

Google isn’t averse to introducing an update or two, which will affect a wide variety of search results across the globe: and this is exactly what happened with the Google Panda SEO update. The new algorithm, released in February 2011, was estimated to affect 12% of search results throughout the world. It only took two months for Google Panda to be made available, and a few years later — by January 2016 — this new update had become a vital part of the search engine’s core algorithm.

The question everyone is asking regarding Google Panda — as with any other update Google chooses to release — is what precisely was the reason for it, and how has it made a difference to search engine rankings?

Google Panda Overview

So: what is Google Panda? Well, the update was developed due to a concern over content that lacked authority, and which was genuine about its efforts to rise in the rankings. Panda wanted to target any content which wasn’t making an effort to be of the highest quality and instead wanted to ensure that genuine and high-quality content was pushed up the rankings to its deserved place.

A Focus on Professional Techniques

To rise in the rankings, Google has always made it clear that high-quality and professional content that implements the right SEO techniques will be rewarded. Therefore, with Panda, Google was ensuring that this message was furthermore promoted.

Any techniques used which didn’t adhere to professional standards, such as ‘black hat’ SEO attempts, would be identified and penalized by the Google Panda algorithm.

What are ‘Black Hat’ Techniques?

This references any content which is categorized as spam-like content, which would be of very low-quality, and which would have a sole focus of being bumped up in the rankings as quickly as possible, without any concern of providing high-quality or informative content.

‘Black hat’ techniques may incorporate an overload of keywords stuffed in, which avoid any effort to have coherence, and instead simply focusing on getting as many keywords in as possible to hopefully be the number one result.

This type of content is not the content Panda (or Google) wants for its users, and especially not if it rises higher than high-quality content, which has a purpose.

The Panda update, therefore, wanted to better reward high-quality content and better penalize spam-like content.

High-Quality vs. Low-Quality Content with Panda Update SEO

To do its job successfully, Panda would need to be able to identify and separate high-quality content from low-quality content. So, what exactly does Panda deem to be low-quality content?

Panda’s guide includes specifications for an algorithm that would be able to identify and reward high-quality content and include a dependable ranking factor. This ranking factor is what would allow the search engine to choose which content should be displayed in the highest positions.

The Ranking System

Panda’s ranking system would include the following considerations, with the Panda algorithm SEO having the highest quality in mind:

• Natural keyword usage
• How relevant the content is
• How ad placement has been used
• Content which is too thin, Panda would therefore penalize
• Affiliate links
• Authenticity and authority of the website and links
• Whether links included work correctly

How to Ensure That Your Content Is Optimized for the Google Panda Update

The Google Panda content update meant that even those businesses which had always provided genuine and high-quality content would have to re-assess their content in case the update had affected it. This meant both backtrackings for existing content and planning better for future content in line with the ranking rules.

In terms of always optimizing content so as not to be penalized by Panda, businesses would have to ensure that:

• All content is in line with Panda’s guidelines
• All content is of the highest quality, intended to inform and engage
• All older content was reconsidered and updated where necessary
• That no SEO thin content is used
• That Panda duplicate content checks are understood

Talk to Click Intelligence About Google Panda

If you require any advice about the Google Panda update and how it might have affected your content or rankings, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us. We have extensive SEO Panda recovery knowledge, and our expertise means we can provide a complete audit Google Panda, and best use Google Panda careers keyword.

Google Panda: A Complete History

The Panda SEO focus has meant that the update has gone through many alterations to ensure that it is the best it can be. All of Panda’s refreshes across the years have been important to its development and to ensure that it still works effectively for all search engine content.

Here is a run-down of all major changes and updates for the Panda tag and update.

23^rd February 2011: Google Panda is born

11^th April 2011: Version 2 of Panda

9^th May 2011: Version 3 of Panda

21^st June 2011: Version 4 of Panda

23^rd July 2011: Version 5 of Panda

12^th August 2011: Version 6 of Panda, available to all English-speaking countries

28^th September 2011: Version 7 of Panda

5^th October 2011: Version 8 of Panda. New signals are added to the algorithm

18^th November 2011: Version 9 of Panda

18^th January 2012: Version 10 of Panda

27^th February 2012: Version 11 of Panda

23^rd March 2012: Version 12 of Panda

19^th April 2012: Version 13 of Panda

27^th April 2012: Version 14 of Panda

8^th June 2012: Version 15 of Panda

25^th June 2012: Version 16 of Panda

24^th July 2012: Version 17 of Panda

20^th August 2012: Version 18 of Panda

18^th September 2012: Version 19 of Panda

27^th September 2012: Version 20 of Panda

5^th November 2012: Version 21 of Panda

21^st November 2012: Version 22 of Panda

21^st December 2012: Version 23 of Panda

22^nd January 2013: Version 24 of Panda

14^th March 2012: Version 25 of Panda

28^th June 2012: Version 26 of Panda

20^th May 2014: Google Panda 4.0 update. 7.5% of search queries are affected

23^rd September 2014: Panda update 4.1. Around 3-4% of search queries are affected

18^th July 2015: Google Panda update 4.2, rolled out over several months

16^th January 2016: Panda officially becomes a part of Google’s core algorithm.