The Google Panda Update Part II

Last month, we introduced you to the complex nuances of the Google Panda update and attempted to demonstrate how Google’s commitment to enhancing the overall user experience achieved new levels of implementation. Let us examine how the Panda has impacted the world of search and why it took Google almost a year to successfully implement corrective measures to improve search quality and search experience from a user's point of view.

If your website is one of those Internet properties that Google attempted to reach out and touch either positively or negatively, This retrospective may provide you with additional insights to set your future course of action simply to ensure that your website is never singled out by the Panda himself.

The Google Panda Impact

Although new figures continue to roll in even today, it is believed that globally, about 20% of the websites were impacted by the Google Panda Update. Most of the websites experienced negative rankings and downward momentum on Google's search engine results pages (SERPs) while many websites actually moved up nicely to fill the vacuum created. Some of the factors which determined whether a website ended up either on the negative or the positive column of the ledger included:

• 1. How well-written and relevant was the content on a website?
• 2. How often was the content updated on a website?
• 3. For how many minutes and seconds did visitors remain on a specific web page on the site?
• 4. How often did visitors return to the website?
• 5. How long did the page take to load?
• 6. To what extent was the content copied from other websites?
• 7. Did the website actually have any content or was a web page merely a compendium of links and anchor text?
• 8. Were the back links artificial or natural?

The Ongoing Exploits of the Google Panda

The talking points mentioned above are by no means complete because Google continues to tweak and modify the Panda intervention with a view to improving its stance even today. For Google, its users are its first priority. For instance, on January 20, 2012, an algorithm update from Google which many believe is an extension of the Google Panda mission will target websites with excessive advertising. Here is a semi-official description for you.

"Is your website ad heavy? You may be in trouble. Google has announced a new algorithm tweak that will lower the rankings of websites that Google determines is providing a bad user experience – a move Google hinted was in the works in November 2011. "

Many front runner websites such as EzineArticles, AssociatedContent and EHow experienced the brunt of Google's wrath owing to an abundance of poorly written content stuffed with keywords and anchor text. Although all these Internet properties have been in the disaster recovery mode for some time and have actually bounced back reasonably well, the writing on the wall continues to remain clear and lucid. Next month, we will tell you how you can pursue winning strategies that are long-term to safeguard your Internet investment and not only preserve but also enhance the Google rankings you have achieved so diligently.