Google Penguin Penalty SEO Tips!
Here are ten great tips on how to beat Google Penguin updates as well as an awesome info-graphic… (Keep reading)
What is Google Penguin?
A great description can be found on Wikipedia. Google Penguin is an internal “code name” for a Google search result update that was initially announced on April 24, 2021. “Google Penguin” heavily focused on poor-quality links as a tactic to falsely improve search ranking. Since then, it has been a regular part of Google’s and we are already up to Google Penguin Version 6. In this article I predicted this would happen and I give you some great tips to avoid future penalties:
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Google-Penguin-Updates-Info-Graphic
Google Penguin Recovery Services
If you think your site has been affected by the Google Penguin and you need to recover your rank. Give us a call.
Do me a favor and check out my other article on Google Quality Points – I warned you in my article of last year – that you are always at risk unless you use logic – But I personally hate people who say ” I told you so”. So here are my ten ways to recover from Penguin and avoid future penalties:
Google Penguin 2.1 Recovery Update – 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9 and 10!
I expect there to be numerous updates – similar to Google’s Panda Updates on this one. Using what we know about Panda – this update is very similar and should be an incremental algorithm change (similar to “Panda”).
Here are my great tips on how to beat the “Penguin”:
- Remove Paid Text Links Using Exact Match Anchor Text: You must avoid sponsored or paid links that use exact match anchor tag keywords.
- Remove Comment Spam: Another easy footprint for Google to spot! Avoid using automated link building tools.
- Remove Guest posts on questionable sites: Most “private” blog networks that allow you write a guest post/article, which you would upload it, many of their networks have all been identified by Google.
- Remove Article Marketing Sites: Links from article marketing sites have been classified as being unnatural links by Google
- Avoid Links from Dangerous Sites: Sites that have been flagged for malware, numerous pop-ups, link farms or other spammy issues are another indicator causing sites to lose rankings in the Google SERPs.
- Focus on Social Media Links: Social Media Links have increased over 25% in estimated value to Search Engines this year alone. This is because SE’s know they are from real people – for the most part.
- Focus on relevant Directory Links: Directories are a great way to get links – especially if they are relevant to your website. How do you know which directories to get? Simple: Just type “[your field] directories” into Google and you will get a long list of good directories to get listed in.
- Focus on Press Releases – Adding a photo or an image increases views of the release by 14%.
- Focus on sharable content on your Press Release: Adding a video gives you a 28% increase in views.
- Press Releases Sharable: Add a Video, Info-graphic, Image and a Download to each: Go all the way and put in a photo, a video, a graphic and a download and you’ll see a 78% jump in the number of views!
Google Penguin Update: How to Safeguard Your SEO Success
Are you concerned about the next Google update wreaking havoc on your SEO rankings? Well, truth be told, there’s no absolute guarantee, but here’s a powerful hint: Focus on user experience, quality, and logic.
Remember what Wayne Gretzky said: “I Don’t Skate After The Hockey Puck – I Skate To Where The Puck WILL BE.” To stay ahead, you must anticipate and cater to what users and Google will value.
Imagine your website as a restaurant, with the kitchen hidden from view. To judge its cleanliness, you look for subtle signals like spotless glasses, clean tables, and professional-looking staff uniforms. Similarly, Google and users seek signals of quality to differentiate reputable sites from those engaging in shady practices.
Here are several quality indicators you should pay attention to:
1. Remove Numerous Site-Wide and Irrelevant Links:
Corporate sites often suffer from excessive header and footer links to various divisions and subsidiaries, regardless of content relevance. Trim these links to prioritize user experience and demonstrate user-centricity.
2. Ensure Readable and Clear Navigation Hierarchy:
Craft a site with a clear hierarchy and text links, ensuring easy access to every page.
3. Embrace Mobile-Friendly Design:
The future belongs to mobile-friendly sites. Adapt your website for mobile devices to improve user experience and Google’s favor.
4. Speed Up Your Site:
A faster site enhances user productivity and satisfaction. Optimize its speed for smoother navigation.
5. Opt for Short, Clean URLs:
Search engines prefer shorter, cleaner URLs with no appended parameters or special characters.
6. Ensure Uniformity in URLs:
Don’t differentiate URLs based on uppercase or lowercase characters.
7. Provide User-Friendly Sitemaps:
Offer site maps that lead users to essential parts of your website.
8. Keep the Number of Links per Page Reasonable:
Avoid overwhelming users with too many links on a single page. Around 100 links or fewer are ideal.
9. Stick to Relevant Content:
Focus on creating information-rich content that aligns with your website’s main theme.
10. Optimize Title, H1, and Domain for Keywords:
Incorporate relevant keywords in your page titles, H1 tags, and domain name.
11. Prefer Text Links Over Images:
Use text links instead of images to display important names, content, or links, as search engines may not recognize text in images.
12. Maintain Accurate Notations and Descriptions:
Ensure descriptive and accurate elements and ALT attributes.
13. Check for Broken Links and HTML Errors:
Regularly inspect your website for broken links and correct any HTML errors.
14. Aim for Static Pages Instead of Dynamic URLs:
Static pages are preferred for better search engine crawling and indexing.
15. Value Domain Age:
An older domain is likely to be seen as more trustworthy, especially if it predates SEO gaming.
16. Opt for Dedicated IP Addresses:
A dedicated IP suggests a long-term commitment to a successful web presence.
17. Balance Code and Text Ratio:
Aim for a balance between code and textual content to improve site responsiveness.
18. Consider Switching from Tables to CSS:
Switching from tables to CSS signals an investment in maintaining and updating your site.
19. Validate HTML / XHTML:
Ensure your web pages comply with W3C standards for error-free browsing.
20. Use Robots.txt File Wisely:
Provide clear instructions to search engines about what to index and what not to.
21. Monitor Bounce Rate:
Although not an official ranking factor, a low bounce rate indicates relevance and user satisfaction.
Remember, quality is an ongoing process, and these indicators are essential for building a robust, future-proof website. If you suspect a Google Penguin Penalty, reach out to us for a custom recovery strategy and expert guidance. Your website’s success is our priority.
Long time ago since we faced algorithm update by google, we always have ways as its suggested by google itself. Now we try to keep on social because google says it. Try to keep our act on rule then we could gain the result. Nice info for this year.
“this is because SE’s know they are from real people” – please get real – as soon as even a rumour starts that SEs are going to using social signals for ranking, what do you expect to happend – people (businesses) by them by the thousands – and the irony is us google to find the seelers and it should take you all of 10 seconds – if SEs do use this it’s appauliing, such a low level of intelligance and so open to abuse
Great info about how to handle the Penguin update. What it boils down to, it seems, is that Google is trying to do what it has always tried to do: provide useful search results!
google is trying out various methods to improve quality of the results that it offers after google search… quality websites will move ahead… while others will face penalties…