During the middle of January, we saw Google make a big update to their core algorithm; stating that Google Panda is now part of their core ranking algorithm and no longer a separate algorithm.
Firstly, a quick recap: What is Google Panda? It was one of Google’s most significant spam-fighting algorithms launched back in February 2011, specifically tackling websites that use low quality content to achieve rankings.
Panda algorithm updates used to be rolled out separately over a period of up to several months and updates were given when these occurred. This gave content marketers the chance to improve content if it wasn’t up to standard, but as it is now part of the core algorithm it is likely Google will never confirm another Panda update.
When Google confirmed that Panda was part of their core algorithm, we monitored the rankings of a client for a high value key search term – as you can see, there was plenty of movement:
All Response Media Viewpoint
The Panda algorithm measures the quality of the content on a website and the quality is taken into account when Google ranks websites. So the question is how to tackle this algorithm and not lose rankings? Here are some recommendations to ensure your content isn’t just good, but great:
- Produce content on a regular basis.
- Ensure content is quality and relevant that adds value to your users – Be the authority in your specific sector.
- Use a variety of content formats that users can engage with – The more engaging the content, the more time spent on page as well as content being socially shared.
