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July 31, 2015

A Theory on Panda 4.2 and Tips for Surviving the Rollout

panda 4.2

Google Panda 4.2 is being implemented slowly and with very little detail. Here’s a theory about why and our best tips for moving forward during the rollout.

What is Panda?

panda 4.2In the world of SEO and Google rankings, Panda is the gatekeeper: it’s the algorithm, first released in early 2001, that looks at sites and decides which should get to the top of the list whether you’re searching for “Taylor Swift tour dates” or “quick and easy chicken recipes”. Google is important to your site’s overall traffic, therefore it’s important to understand how it works, to help you make it through the rollout on the right side of your stats.

It’s Unclear What The Changes Are

The rollout is supposed to take place over the next few months and may have been tested previously based on certain peaks and dips in site’s standings. This time, though, no one knows exactly what the algorithm is targeting.

One Theory

Google “SEO” and you can find ways to boost your site’s visibility, but the advice isn’t always good. For example, keyword stuffing is the practice of placing as many hot terms and related terms into an article. While the short term result could be increased traffic, if Google catches on the site gets penalized and loses ranking. Keyword stuffing is often obvious, with the words stuffed in relevant keyword or phrase here without making any sense.

Maybe Google has found new ways to catch stuffing or has noticed that too many sites are using the same formula for keyword placement. The new algorithm could be looking out for keyword density, too many related terms, or keywords in titles or metadata that appears not to go with the rest of the content.

This theory looks even better when it appears that small, but quality, sites may have increased in their ranking with the refresh.

Tips For Surviving The Rollout

Anytime Panda is tweaked and updated or refreshed sites see ranking movement and chances are it’s already too late to fix any hits you’ve taken from this update or to increase your rank. But, putting good practices for content into place can help you every time there is a change, update, or refresh. These include:

  • Make sure content is high quality. Users like sites that are clear, simply formatted, and succinct.
  • Don’t recycle. While backlinking to your own content is a good idea, in moderation, don’t just quote other articles – generate content that is fresh, from a new angle, or more informative than your competitor’s.
  • Analyze. Stay on top of your SEO by monitoring traffic, competitors, relevant searches and more.
  • Never Stuff. Don’t take the risk of a penalty by stuffing your content with terms, even if you think it’s just “a few more uses than normal”. It turns off readers and could cost you some ranking.
  • Work With Professionals. Hire an SEO firm to help navigate this and other changes to the digital landscape and to assess your site’s standing.

Digital Firefly Marketing will keep monitoring the update and share anything we discover about this and future updates.

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