Penguin 2.

0
An iCrossing Point of View

Prepared by:

Richard James

This document contains confidential and proprietary information of iCrossing Ltd.

Penguin 2.0 When the dust settles

Two weeks ago, Google released a brand new version of their algorithm update, Penguin, causing the industry to brace itself for the fallout. There were many industry blogs written about the update, with advice of how to prepare for the imminent changes, speculating its immediate effects and possible long term consequences. Two weeks later, now that the dust has settled what have we learned from this latest Google update?

It is not as bad as everyone thought Following the first Penguin update in April 2012, which saw some of the webs leading sites shed rankings and receive warnings from the search giant, SEOs were preparing for the worst. The impact of 2.0 was only expected to affect 2.3% of English queries, against the 3.1% of the original Penguin update. However, after Googles video, where Matt Cutts advised this one is a little more comprehensive than Penguin 1.0, and we expect it to go a little bit deeper and have a little bit more of an impact , there certainly was a degree of apprehension. When the update finally rolled out on the 23rd May, it did so with more of a whimper rather than the bang expected.

U Fig 1: Impact of Google algorithm updates, iCrossing 2013

As this graph shows, Penguin 2.0 has had a fairly average effect when compared with the other Panda / Penguin updates.

But my site was affected? While Penguin 2.0 hasnt had as wide an effect as the industry initially anticipated, this doesnt help those whose sites have been affected. Not everyone escaped cleanly; there have been several sites whose visibility has been severely disrupted.

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So what should you do if you have been affected? An important point, which a lot of people dont realise, is that Penguin doesnt target sites. It targets links. So if your site has seen an organic traffic decrease in the wake of Penguin, it is likely that a number of the links that were working to help rank your site have now been devalued or discounted completely. As harsh as it sounds, sites need to come to terms with the fact that a lot of the links that used to help rankings are no longer benefiting SERPs (Search Engine Results Page). Building links in the future requires a shift in mindset. Dont build links just to increase your ranking in the search engines. Engage with consumers and influencers in your market and give them reasons to link to you. Gain links as a result of what you are doing. Dont do things just to build links.

My Rankings have increased! For some of our clients, Penguin 2.0 has resulted in improved Google SERPs. In some instances, competitors who ranked higher than the client have fallen lower in search page rankings. For others, improvements have occurred due to the implementation of technical recommendations and a solid SEO content and brand awareness strategy resulting in high quality links.

Build good links! It might sound obvious but, what makes a good link? A link must be a citation, an endorsement from one site that highlights how another site is helpful and valuable. The waters are muddied when sites buy links, trick other sites into linking to them or create links themselves that point back to their sites. When we look at our links, Matt Cutts wants us to ask ourselves Would I have built that link if the search engines didnt exist? Traditionally, the answer would be no, as links would be built to boost rankings. Any other benefit around branding or referral traffic would be happy coincidences. Increasingly, we need to flip this thinking on its head. We need to build links that boost a brands credibility or connect with an existing online audience. We need to see any ranking increases as incidental. Its a different way of thinking for those who work in SEO, but it is a way of thinking that will get you the best links!

Remove bad links? Its true. Even sites that have not been affected by Penguin or a manual penalty have started the process of removing poor links that point to their site in preparation for future algorithm updates. Its effectively an example of a brand spring cleaning. According to Searchmetrics founder, Marcus Tober, Google itself confirmed that the impact wouldnt

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JUNE 2013 | PENGUIN 2.0

be as high as many thought maybe this is just the calm before the storm and the big update is really coming in the future. While it is wise to audit your links and to start removing obviously bad ones, this needs to be done with care. Some links that you may judge to be borderline some directory links, some poor guest blog links, even some paid for links - may actually be helping your site rank and removing them will cause your site to lose equity and rank poorly. Keep in mind what Google considers to be a good link. These links will always be safe. But also be aware that bad links can still help you rank even now. However, eventually, Google will discover and discount them.

Think Long Term In order for there to be a continued drive in revenue from natural search, clients have to be ready to adopt a focus that specifically targets the user. Search is developing from an intangible, often keyword centric, activity towards a discipline that focuses on the human equation, and not the Google Algorithm. Brands need to gain links as a result of what theyre doing, fr om interacting with consumers and influencers via social, engaging and sharable content, rather than building links with the sole reason of increasing their ranking in search engines.

For further information, or if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact your iCrossing account manager or results@icrossing.co.uk

UPDATE: 5TH JUNE, 2013: As Penguin 2.0 kicks in The industry has seen continued jumps in SERPs as would have been expected following on from the implementation of Penguin 2.0 however, from the 1st June the significant shifts seen in rankings have caused the industry to question whether there is an additional element of Penguin 2.0 that is now kicking in or whether Google has just refreshed the data that feeds into Penguin 2.0. The industry is still in deliberation as to the actual cause, and if any additional actions will need to be taken by sites. We will keep monitoring the process closely and provide comment on any updates at our blog Connect.

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JUNE 2013 | PENGUIN 2.0