What Is Google Penguin?

Did you hear about the new Google Penguin update? Over the years, Google has rolled out new algorithms with charming animal names such as Hummingbird, Panda, and now, Penguin. The most recent update went through several makeovers before arriving in late September at its final version, Penguin 4.0.

What does this mean for you? The short answer is, (if you’re not doing something naughty SEO-wise): not much. There are two main aspects to this update: Penguin became real time, and Penguin became more granular.

Penguin is now Real Time

This aspect of Penguin is actually helpful for most of us. Let’s say you make mistakes in your Search Engine Optimization—for example, you build a link to your website, but it turns out to be a low-quality link, and Google catches you for it. In the past, algorithm updates were so infrequent, you might not get taken off Google’s sh*t list for years, even after rectifying the problem. But now, you have an opportunity to mend your errant ways and have your site re-crawled within days. This can be a huge boon especially for businesses who handle most of their clients or products through their website.

Is Granular Greater?

What on earth does “granular” mean? In the case of Penguin 4.0, it refers to the algorithm’s improved ability to penalize only parts of your site instead of the whole site. Let’s say one page of your site is “spammy”, for example. That page will get flagged, but your actual site ranking on the SERP probably will not. That’s pretty nifty, huh?

At the end of the day, Penguin 4.0 seems to be good news for folks who do SEO the right way, and bad news for those who don’t. Most of us in the SEO world find the shiny new Penguin to be more helpful than harmful… but we still think it’s important to bring in an SEO expert. Why? So that you don’t have to spend hours reading nerdy blogs like we do. And, of course, so that you can be sure you’re doing all you can to maximize success with your Search Engine Optimization, and thus, eventual profits for your business.

As you become more familiar with Penguin 4.0, make sure you’re asking yourself the right questions. Are you positive that the content on your page is crawlable by search engines like it should be? Do you know how to maximize your keyword rankings when your site is image heavy? And are you sure you’re being searched for the keywords that actually matter to your business? Questions like these which can be answered by the SEO professionals at UZU Media. As we often say, SEO is both a science and an art, and you’re better off utilizing the pros to find that delicate balance for your site.