Posted on April 18, 2014
Google’s Panda 4.1 Update Rolls Out
Danny Sullivan tagged it as Panda 4.1, and everybody is talking about Google’s new algoritm update. The update primarily focuses on addressing the following issues:
- Security Warnings
- Popup Ads
- Forced Downloads
- Content Farms
- Deception
- Keyword Stuffing
- Doorway Pages
- Affiliate Marketers
- Blank and/or Broken Pages
Panda 4.1 is a big update and many sites appear to have been impacted. Althought we’ve seen some recoveries, we’re seeing more fresh hits across the medical industry.
If you have been hit by Panda 4.1, then ask your SEO company to run a Panda report to identify top content that was negatively impacted. Analyzing that content can often reveal obvious but previously undetected problems. Some who write lots of content may need help to objectively identify problems that need to be fixed. Have some people you know go through your website and provide real feedback.
Understand that deciphering the effects of algoritm changes such as Panda take time. One first needs to first make changes to a website, then Google needs to recrawl and reindex those changes, and then finally Google needs to re-measure user engagement with respect to that content again. This can take over a month, and in certain cases even several months. Be very patient.
Lastly, but most importantly, acknowledge that Panda is ultimately about visitor satisfaction. Make sure the elements on your website with repect to user engagement are very well thought out, that users are happy with your content, and don’t have a poor experience while experiencing your website. Never try to deceive them, or trick them into clicking links. Try to make a great first impression.
