Was it the Panda or Penguin which bit you?
Google has hit websites and blogs in two different ways and almost simultaneously.
Many site owners are still wondering whether they have been targeted.
Those who know that tragedy has befallen are wondering whether it’s Panda or Penguin which has bit them.
To understand the difference you must know what each of them mean.
Google Panda came first
Google Panda search update brought down the curtains for many websites and blogs since its launch a few months back.
The latest refinement, Panda 3.5 was unleashed on the unsuspecting public on 19 April 2012 – a red letter day for many websites and blogs.
Google Panda is about websites which provide poor quality content. To really unravel the mystery of good and poor quality content you may have to go through several patents which Google has recently applied for.
The gist of it is that Google Panda update can intelligently differentiate between good and bad. The result of unleashing this update is that many guys have been taken by surprise.
Those who thought they are providing great content found themselves on the losing side. Many poor quality sites which were and are merely web directories and link building sites started flourishing.
It makes me wonder whether Google is doing the right thing or are we sliding towards ignominy. But the fact of the matter is that Google Panda update has made website and blog owners sit up and spend sleepless nights.
Google Penguin update
This update, we are told, hit us on 24 April 2012. Penguin is a lot simpler to understand. It punishes sites which are outright spammy. The focus is on onsite content and search engine optimization. Spam may mean over optimization and this may be anything from keyword stuffing to using aggressive SEO techniques.
This time around, if you have gone overboard trying to over optimize your site, it’s time to undo the past. You must start under optimizing your web pages and make them look more natural.
At this juncture it’s difficult for us normal gals (and guys of course) to differentiate between over optimization and natural content.
How to know whether you have been hit by the Panda or Penguin?
Poor fellows who have taken a hit would like to know what hit them. To do this you must analyze whether your blog or site went down after April 19 or after April 24.
If it’s the former and the degradation has been rather gradual and peaking after April 19, you have been bitten by the Panda. If things were normal but suddenly went down the tube means you caught the Penguin flu.
Take This Home
Google Penguin attack may lead to de-indexing. There is no remedy if you have been de-indexed by Google – you are done for. There is no way you can retrieve your past glory.
You might as well start a fresh blog. On the other hand if you are a victim of Panda you can start doing something about it and ask Google search bot to revisit your blog.
About the Author: Sarah lamb is an online marketer who likes to share her views and experiences with fellow bloggers. Besides she also writes reviews about catering vans and catering trailers for sale, among other products for a living.
Image Credit: gurl