Google is engaged in a constant battle against those who try to modify the search engine results pages for profit, distorting the search results through spammy tactics and through the purchase of dubious links. In 2012, the first Penguin update was implemented to deal with sites that use unnatural links to increase their rank in search engines.
As a result, many sites were penalized and subsequently removed from the SERP. Many sites needed time to recover, and sites that later used legitimate means to improve their rank had to wait for the next algorithm update. Now that all changed with Penguin 4.0.
“In the past, the list of sites affected by Penguin was refreshed periodically at the same time. Now Penguin works in real time, so changes will be visible much faster and will take effect shortly after we recrawl and reindex a page”, said Gary Illyes on Google Webmaster Blog</ a>.
Massive changes to Penguin Algorithm 4.0
Like any other Algorithm update from Google, it comes with multiple changes. In the case of Penguin 4.0, we are dealing with massive changes to the General Penguin Algorithm. Among them we mention:
1.Changes to Google Core
There are numerous secondary Algorithms used by Google, but in its “core”, as Google calls it, there is a primary group of Algorithms that evaluate your site. These Algorithms analyze various aspects of your website regarding content and design and compare them with what a user is trying to find. This is how Google determines your rank.
Google added Penguin to this primary group of algorithms, which makes Penguin a more important factor when it comes to your rank.
2. Constant updates
As Gary Illyes mentioned, Penguin 4.0 will be updated in real time. The constant refresh means that your site will no longer have to wait so long to improve its rank, if you have removed a link in the meantime, a link with which Penguin did not agree and you have optimized your site- ul in order not to risk a new Google penalty.
3.Reduction of domain penalties
In the past, if you had a spam link on a site that sent to one of your pages, and that link was seen as unnatural, then your entire domain was penalized. This penalty of the entire site, excludes your entire domain from the search results.
With the new Penguin update, a penalty of the entire domain will appear much less often. Instead, more penalties will probably appear on certain pages of your site that contain spam links.
Have you been penalized by Google and need a new SEO strategy? You can start by requesting a SEO audit to help you figure out one you could start with.
If you want to find out more information about Google updates we offer you a complete list.