Google Panda 4.0: Google’s cute and fluffy algorithm update.
On 20th May 2024, Google rolled out its Panda 4.0 update. Originally introduced in February 2021, the Panda algorithm is designed to remove sites with low-quality content from Google’s search results and boost sites with high-quality content.
The Google Panda algorithm is actually updated and refreshed each month. These updates normally go relatively unnoticed. Panda 4.0 is a new version of the algorithm – a major update, which means that Google has made changes to how Panda identifies and reviews sites.
Google’s Matt Cutts has said that this Panda 4.0 update impacts approximately 7.5% of English queries to a degree that a regular user might notice. Most medium size sites haven’t seen much of an impact but it is worth noting that some major sites have been affected. These include eBay, PR Newswire and Ask.com (Yes, Ask.com is a search engine…cheeky Google!).
Will the Panda 4.0 update affect my site?
The simple answer is, probably not. Before the update was rolled out, Matt Cutts announced that Google have been working on the ‘next generation’ Panda update that would appear to many as being softer and should have a direct impact on helping small businesses in the Google search results. This means that, as Google continue to update Panda, smaller businesses with quality content should find it easier to rank in the search results. Good news!
How can I make sure my site isn’t affected by Panda?
It’s quite simple, really: create quality content for your site. Google wants to see content at the level of published books or in popular magazines. Here are my top tips:
- Create and update quality content regularly
- Make sure the content is relevant to your website and your audience
- Don’t, under any circumstances, copy content from another site – even if it is another of your sites.
More info from Google on quality content guidelines here.
How will I know if my site has been affected by a Google algorithm update?
Take a look at your Google Analytics. If your session statistics have dropped dramatically, for no apparent reason over a short time period (one to two weeks for example), it is possible that you have been affected by an update. I should say though that it is quite unlikely. Drops in visitor numbers are normally due to on-site changes, off-site marketing activity, seasonality or even technical issues with the site.
If you have undertaken aggressive SEO techniques in the past such as keyword stuffing, outsourced unethical link schemes or the use of invisible text or links, then it is likely that you will, or have already been affected and will need to make some changes to your site.
If you are worried that a Google algorithm update may have affected your site search rankings, give us a call. We will be able to confirm whether this is the case. If so, we can look into the cause and advise on how to resolve the impact.
Why Panda?
Apparently, it was written by a Google engineer named Navneet Panda. Other engineers were involved, obviously. One was called Vladimir Ofitserov, but the ‘Ofitserov algorithm’ doesn’t roll off the tongue so easily, does it?
Before you ask why Google Penguin is called Penguin, I don’t know, but I will do my best to find out.
