Google Penguin Update: 5 Types of Link Issues Harming Some Affected Websites

Are you angry and looking for answers about why your rankings vanished after Google released its Penguin update? One common factor thus far appears to be the signals of links that are pointing to your website, early analysis indicates.

The main purpose of the Penguin update is to put a deep freeze on web spam in Google's search results. By extension, a big piece of that web spam appears to be links from low-quality networks.

Natural Links

Before we get into the new findings, first it’s important to understand a bit about Google and links.

Above all, Google considers links as editorial "votes". So, theoretically, the sites that receive the most votes should rank higher on Google because more people find them valuable.

Google analyzes the quantity, quality, and relevance of websites that link to yours. When Google looks at your link profile, they’re looking at such things as what types of websites link to yours, how quickly you acquired these links, and the anchor text (the clickable words) used by the linking website. When Google's algorithm detects such things as a large number of new links or an imbalance in the anchor text, it raises a big red flag.

As Google and many SEOs have preached for years, you’ll attract more links by creating unique, worthwhile content that others will want to link to naturally. If you want to learn more about Google, links, and link building, definitely read our posts “Why Links Matter”, "Filthy Linking Rich", and “Introduction to Google PageRank: Myths & Facts”.

Unnatural Links

For companies that have been hit by the Penguin update, one common theme appears to be a severe lack of natural links, according to a blog post by Glenn Gabe at G-Squared Interactive. He noted five common issues these sites are all facing:

1. Paid text links using exact match anchor text: For companies that want to rank for a certain term (such as “red widgets”) one way to accomplish this is by buying links from other websites with that exact matching anchor text. This is against Google’s guidelines, as Google would consider this a paid link that exists solely to manipulate PageRank, rather than to provide any value to visitors.
2. Comment spam: Two things proved problematic for websites trying to unnaturally rank for specific keywords: signatures in comments that contained exact match anchor text; and people who used a spammy user name (e.g., Best India SEO Company) as exact match text.
3. Guest posts on questionable sites: Although guest posts are a legitimate way to earn links to your site, sites dinged by the Penguin had links pointing to their website from sites filled with low-quality articles where the focus was on the anchor text rather than the content.
4. Article marketing sites: Thin content featuring links with exact match anchor text were another common factor among affected sites.
5. Links from dangerous sites: Do you have inbound links from sites that have been flagged for malware, numerous pop-ups, or other spammy issues? This was another factor that caused websites to lose their Google rankings, so links to and from web spammers or “bad neighborhoods” are a danger.

Ultimately, the Penguin update didn’t really change anything that Google has deemed unacceptable. Google has just evolved its algorithm to catch up to those who try to loophole their way to higher Google rankings (and, to be fair, some who simply don't know any better or fully understand SEO). If any (or all) of the above are your sole link building tactic(s), you probably aren't doing enough to rank prominently long-term on Google anymore.

For those unfamiliar, Google has a section devoted to link schemes and makes no secret that such practices “can negatively impact your site's ranking in search results.”

Penguin Recovery?

So, fix all these link issues, eliminate any instances of keyword stuffing, spun content, cloaking, and other spammy tactics and you're guaranteed a Penguin recovery, right? Not necessarily. There are never any magical guarantees for gaining or regaining top search rankings and Google is notoriously tight-lipped about the exact signals it uses to detect web spam.

Additionally, Google is constantly making tweaks to its search algorithm. So check your traffic in analytics and make sure your traffic indeed was impacted starting on or after April 24. If your traffic vanished before this date, another change might be to blame – there was also a parked domain classifier issue the week prior to Penguin's launch in addition to the latest Panda refresh on April 19.

Regardless, with the new tag team of Panda and Penguin, Google can put the smack down on websites that appear to be creating or supporting spam to increase their rankings in search engines. So even if you fix all these link signals, you still must make sure you have quality content.

But even beyond that, there are hundreds of other factors at play that Google's algorithm looks at. Among them:

• Does your site have too many ads?
• Does you site have fresh content.
• Is your business on Google+?

Life After Penguin

While it’s much easier to blame Google and sign a petition begging Google to kill its Penguin update, this isn't the time to give up. Now is the time to look at your website, do a proper, careful evaluation of your inbound link profile, clean up your website, and devise a smarter marketing and business strategy that doesn't rely on Google for the majority of your traffic and income so you can escape the endless loop of Google algorithm updates:

This isn’t to say Google or any search engine results are perfect – though now might be a good time to check out alternatives like Google's closest competitor, Bing, or upstarts Blekko and DuckDuckGo. Google has created a Penguin feedback form for those who feel websites have been hit unfairly, but this update is algorithmic as opposed to a manual penalty (i.e., reviewed by a human), so don’t expect to see whatever rankings you’ve lost miraculously restored over night.

If you’re a small business, there are ways to Google-proof your marketing. And don't forget to look for non-Google-based link opportunities.

But above all, sometimes when these algorithmic changes roll out, one of the wisest moves is to be patient and carefully analyze any changes before you react blindly to the latest penalty – because by the time you do that, Google will release the latest Panda or its next iteration of Penguin, and you'll be trapped again in the endless loop of relying solely on a third party (Google) for your livelihood.

Beware SEO Is down - new goggle algorithm changes very important

Google’s long anticipated over-optimization penalty is now live. Except Google called it an algorithmic update that’s targeting web spam – a.k.a., keyword stuffing and link schemes, in the process causing some big search ranking upheavals.
 

    Webspam Algorithm Update

    Google’s Distinguished Engineer Matt Cutts, head of the web spam team, yesterday announced that Google had pushed out the new algorithm. Cutts said this “improvement” better identifies websites using “aggressive web spam tactics” (that have been against Google’s quality guidelines for years) for the purposes of gaming their way to top spots in Google’s rankings.

    Cutts specifically noted that websites likely to lose rankings are those that practice keyword stuffing and sites that have “unusual linking patterns,” such as links from spun content with anchor text that is completely unrelated to the actual on-page content.

    The web spam algorithm update will affect about 3.1 percent of English Google queries, but noted it would have a bigger impact in heavily-spammed languages, such as Polish.

    Additionally, Cutts emphasized the importance of “white hat” SEO in his post, as well as the importance of creating great websites filled with high-quality, compelling content that provide a good user experience. Google’s guidance on high-quality content consists of these 23 questions you should ask yourself when evaluating website content.

    SEO by the Sea has a good rundown of Google’s patents related to combating web spam.

    Early Assessment of Damages

    There are lots of theories floating around at the moment about what types of sites took the biggest hits, but it seems a bit premature to make conclusions with so many conflicting reports. It seems a few “innocents” may have be caught up in this (though, honestly, it’s easy to blame Google for not ranking your site), and some pages that shouldn’t be ranking are now, according to various reports in forums since last night.

    Some are arguing that Google’s results are worse now. If that sounds familiar, many people were saying the same thing after Panda launched last year. Pretty sure those who saw their search rankings increase aren’t complaining.

Latest Google Panda Update Starting to Take Effect

Being an SEO company we always have our finger on the pulse when it comes to the latest changes in the industry and, most importantly, from Google. Since February last year the Google Panda updates have kept the whole online industry on their toes, with each update focusing on different elements to further improve the search ranking results for their users. Previously we have seen updates regarding backlinks from poor quality directories and the quality of the content on the website itself. SEO companies and site owners have had to adjust their SEO strategies accordingly to improve these elements to avoid any negative impact on their search ranking results.

Latest Google Panda Update: Over Optimising

Over the past few days the forums have been buzzing from Webmasters complaining that their search rankings have either gone down or disappeared completely. With Google’s Matt Cutts recent announcement about clamping down on overly optimised websites, the recent shift in many rankings seems to be a result of this algorithm update. The idea behind the latest update is to “level the playing field” between companies who are creating quality against those just aggressively using SEO tactics to improve this quality. Over using keywords on each page is shown to be effected and the blatant over optimising of sites using any way of generating new backlinks will be punished.

SEO Companies Responsibility

Whenever Google starts talking about the over optimisation of websites this can obviously make SEO companies nervous as well as the companies who are employing them. This should not be the case as it’s always been the responsibility of the SEO company to improve the relevancy and keyword focus of the website without the use of black hat techniques. This has never changed and still doesn’t need to. Saying this, SEO companies need to act more intelligently to ensure that the techniques they are implementing are not in a manner that is deemed to be over aggressive and spammy. At the end of the day, the Google updates are always going to have their victims and people are right to be nervous when each update is implemented. But if you are constantly adding relevancy and authority to the site through up to date and well written content then you will have nothing to worry about.

Do You Need A Website

Many companies want to create a website for their business however, fear the cost of design and development.

When research was carried out with new UK online businesses, it revealed that there was a 37% increase in turnover with an online presence.

Many people turn to the internet to search for businesses, products or services.  Some people also like the convenience of comparing prices, booking and ordering online, as they can do it 24/7.  The more information and customer testimonials on a website can win potential customers over.

The benefits of having a company Website?

• You can trade nationally, locally or worldwide
• Trade 24/7 and 365 days a week
• You are driving business to your door even when you are asleep
• New leads/sales from a wider audience.
• Improvement of customer service

Many companies get it so wrong when designing a website, they either have a website that is so confusing it would be impossible to find anything or it hasn't been updated for so long that it looks like the cave men designed it.  Choosing a good website designer that is not going to break the bank is the first step, always get a few quotes and make sure they understand your end goal for what you want a website for.

Internet surfers, use the internet for convenience, if they land on a site that is over complicated or difficult to navigate then they will be off like a shot.  Remember your website acts as your shop window so therefore must make a lasting impression for all the right reasons.  You don't have to have the most flashy website within your industry, the most important points are:

• Looks clean and crisp.
• Potrays your brand and your business
• Easy to navigate backwards and forwards
• Has detailed information about products/service
• Testimonials are key, they build trust.
• Remember the look and feel of your website represents you as a business or a service provider, it has to create trust. 
• Social network buttons (a good website designer will offer this functionality).

Not using your website to it's full potential?

Many companies who invest in a web presence, make the big mistake that is all they have to do to start trading online.  Wrong, this is when the real investment kicks in as you need to market it, people do not get onto the first pages of Google without any effort.

Online Marketing

Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) - Usually outsourced to a specialist company, less cost on time and money.  A good SEO company will do your on page development for Google requirements, directory submissions, build links from relevant companies, press releases, article distribution and update website blog.

Pay per click (PPC) - You pay google to advertise on sponsored links, every time someone clicks on your advert you pay Google a cost.  This can be very expensive if not set up right or using competitive keywords.

Onlie Directories - Don't waste your money on paid directories, they are over rated and very unlikely to appear on the first pages of Google for your search terms.  Source free directories such as Dmoz, Touch Local etc...

Social Networking - Create a business page on Facebook and Twitter, then put 'like' buttons on your website and follow us on Twitter.  This will drive traffic if updated on a regualar basis, usually your SEO company will do this for you.

This is not an extensive list of online marketing however, are the most important to make your new website start to make you money.

Online marketing v's traditional marketing

A website is usually built on a customer management system (CMS) which, is easily updated, to promote new products, services, special offers or information.  If any information is incorrect, it can becorrected in seconds, that can not be said in many traditional marketing methods.

For example; if you put an advert in the Yellow Pages paper publication and your phone number is wrong, then it can not be rectified for 12 months.  Making the investment a waste of money.

Most people in this day and age will use a search engine to find a business rather than go and get a local directory.  Plus traditional advertising is usually local which, doesn't drive leads from the outside of the area as the internet does.

In conclusion

By having a good website the awareness of your brand is increased, your customers have access to information 24/7 and increased business. Using the right marketing tools available, investment in a website opens up new opportunites to drive more leads to your door.

Even the smallest webiste should be designed and structured by a good website designer who understands the end objectives - is an investment for your business and its perception when properly implemented.

6 Changes Every SEO Should Make BEFORE the Over-Optimization Penalty Hits

Having overly optimized web pages could soon get your websites in some hot water with Google and their search results. It has recently been announced that Google will start to penalize websites that engage in over-optimization practices.

In this week's Whiteboard Friday, we will be covering some changes that you should be making to your SEO practices in order to avoid this type of penalization.

Video Transcription

Howdy SEOmoz fans. Welcome to another addition of Whiteboard Friday. This week we've been hearing a lot of chatter in the SEO blogosphere and on Twitter and on the forums about this new potential Google penalty that's coming down the line around over-optimization. Now, one of Google's representatives mentioned at a conference, South by Southwest, down in Austin, Texas, about a month ago actually, that Google would be looking into penalizing over-optimized websites and folks who have engaged in over- the-top SEO.

There's been a lot of speculation around when that's coming out, whether that's coming out. There are a few things happening, actually, this week and last night about, "Hey is this already something we're seeing?" Seer Interactive, right, Wil Reynolds' fantastic SEO company out of Philadelphia had this penalty, and people were wondering whether that was related to this. Not really sure.

But before this penalty hits, for goodness sake, SEO folks, let's make these changes to our websites because we could be in real trouble if we don't impact these things beforehand. I think these are some of the most likely candidates to be hit by Google's over-optimization penalty, some of the most likely patterns they're going to try and match against in this upcoming change. So let's talk through them.

Number one, your titles need to be authentic. They need to sound real. They need to sound like a human being wrote them that was not intending necessarily simply to rank for phrase after phrase. I'll give you a good example. Bad: web design services, web design firm space brand name, whatever your brand name is, web design. What does it sound like? It sounds like all you're trying to do is rank for keywords, not show off your brand name, especially if this is your home page or those kinds of things. You're repeating keywords three times. Web design is in this title three times. Think about whether a normal human being would read that title and think, oh yeah, that sounds legitimate. No, they'd think to themselves there's something fishy here, something spammy, something's wrong, something manipulative. Try instead, probably equally effective, if not more, brand name web design Portland Spiffiest Design Services. Now look, I've got the word "design services," which you wanted to get in here. I've got the city where you are that you're trying to target, got brand name web design, right, sort of branding myself as the product and the keyword. Much, much better.

Try and look through your sites and see if this is a potential issue. I've seen tons of sites where SEO folks have just gone overboard again and again. Don't get me wrong. I used to do this too. One of the crappiest things about this is, even if your rank, your click through rates go down. So you can rank in position two or three and be getting less than the people below you, because people don't think that these are legitimate titles and they perceive them to be manipulative, especially if you're targeting more higher end, savvy or sophisticated technology customers.

Number two, manipulative internal links. I see this a lot on side bars, inside of content, where people have taken all of the instances of a particular word or repeated it throughout the side bar or in the footer, those kinds of things, and are pointing with exact match anchors to the same page over and over again. Now, we all know as SEOs that the first anchor text link counts and only one on the page is going to pass that value. Linking repeatedly to the same page with the same anchor is not helpful for SEO, and it makes our sites look really spammy and manipulative and questionable to someone who's browsing it. Why would we want to hurt our conversion rates like this, and why would we want to point out to the engines that, hey, over here, I'm trying to manipulate you? What are you thinking?

Top 6 Google Updates that Positively Affect SEO

Google has a way of making SEO companies squirm with new updates and changes to their search algorithms.  This year’s updates have really made an impact on the world of SEO.  However, it’s not what you think.  Any good SEO team that creates great content that is relevant to readers will still have great rankings in Google’s search results.

Here are six of the 50 changes that Google made in March that are the most important to SEO and marketing:

• Update Codename: Blackboard will process autocomplete queries that include math symbols. (+, -, %, $, @, etc.)
• Update Codename: Prof-2 allows for betting indexing of profile pages from more than 200 social network sites.
• Update Codename: ShieldsUp allows for better handling of local intent and navigational queries, where it looks as if the user is trying to navigate to a specific site, or within a specific site that is near their current location.
• Update Codename: Curlup is the big one that has some “black hat SEO companies” shaking.  This allows Google to crawl a webpage and rank a website based on quality, and what it brings to the user, instead of ranking for SEO alone.  This is what I mentioned before, using keywords is still best practice.  However, don’t just shove them into sentences and content that don’t fit.
• Update Codename: Fibyen improves the algorithm that determines dates for blogs, ensuring that the newest and most relevant results are brought to users.
• Update Codename: Lice updates the signals that Google uses related to the landing page that quality images are located on.  This means that users will find higher quality images, even if the images are on lower quality pages.

Google’s updates always seem to scare everyone on the web. Though Google isn’t setting us up for a SEOpocolypse, and as long as you have great tactics there’s nothing to worry about.  If you own a business that has a website just make sure that you have a great Atlanta SEO and web development team taking care of your web presence.  This will ensure the best rankings in Google and greater traffic overall.