Beyond Panda & Penguin: The Need For Differentiated Content

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Synopsis –  In 2012, the Panda and Penguin updates from Google were game-changers for those involved in online marketing. More than any other previous changes to the algorithm that determines how one’s website ranks on the world’s largest search engine, these two updates forced website owners to re-examine the way they approached two cornerstones of their online endeavors — content and linking. Although both were primarily restatements of tenets already established by Google (content must be original and be of high quality and links must be legitimate and relevant), both signalled that Google was taking a harder stance and punishment for ignoring the “rules of engagement” would be severe and persistent.

In this article, Dan Tynski covers the implications of the Panda and Penguin updates, explaining how each was designed to counteract tendencies that Google felt were a threat to their mission of providing relevant and quality content to those searching for it. He boils down the rhetoric about the updates into the basics of what they involved, what they implied, and what the legacy of each is. With these updates, Google enforced — sometimes quite forcefully — standards it feels are central to a good online experience. Those affected negatively by both updates need to take certain steps to regain their stance with the search engine, and Dan provides a framework for doing so, getting to the crux of the matter with concrete advice on how to recover if your site was affected.

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