On May 22, Penguin shed its skin and swapped version 1.0 for the 2.0 tuxedo (but don’t be fooled: this isn’t the little animal’s second update, it’s the fourth).
Image: Mydeejay.it
Penguin is part of Google’s complex algorithm; in other words, it’s one of the guidelines this search engine uses to decide where to rank the web pages it has indexed.
The effects of the new Penguin are already being felt. According to Searchmetrics, these are the hardest-hit websites.
Image: Reaplicante.com
Most are pornographic sites or gaming pages, although there are also brands such as Dish and SalvationArmy.
How to escape the new Penguin?
It’s still too early to know how it works, but the new guidelines seem to follow the same line as 1.0. What advice should you follow? Here are 2 tips:
- Review external links (make sure they’re high quality and related to the website’s main topic. It’s also advisable to check that the same anchor text isn’t being overused).
- Don’t overuse keywords.
That said, the best advice is to always prioritize quality over quantity—that way the little penguin, whatever suit it’s wearing, will be happy.
