What marketers need to know about Google Panda Update 4.2

Many marketers and SEO specialists have suspected that a new update was on the horizon; and on July 24^th their suspicions were confirmed. The newest version of Google’s Panda update, an algorithm that punishes and rewards sites based on content quality, has just began to arrive. Google’s Gary Illyes tweeted:

“Last weekend we began rolling out a Panda refresh that will take a few months to complete. It affects 2-3% of the queries.”

Google’s first Panda algorithm was launched in 2011, and with a purpose to make sure that high quality websites had valuable content – as opposed to websites with SEO-optimized text and poor content – had high search rankings on Google. Google became aware that webmasters were trying to find loopholes in the system attempt to produce higher SERP; as a result, Google wanted to ensure that these webmasters did not have an unfair advantage. In other words, websites that deserved to be on the first page of Google showed up on the first page.

This new Panda update means that sites that were penalized by the last refresh have a chance to recover their organic search rankings; as long as they made the necessary changes that they were penalized for.

What we know: About Google Panda Update 4.2

July 18, 2015

Google is usually quiet about their updates, but Gary Illyes has confirmed that this was the day the refresh began rolling out.

29^th or 30^th Update

Many marketers are still unsure if this is the 29^th of 30^th version. Although this is the first confirmed update since Panda 4.1 – the 28^th version – many marketers believe that small, unannounced changes have been made since the last confirmed update.

September 25, 2014

This is the last confirmed Panda refresh. It has been about 10 months since the last Panda update and many websites have been waiting to recover.

2-3% of search queries have been affected

Google has confirmed that this is the number of U.S. search queries the new Panda update is expected to impact. This is significantly smaller than previous updates. The refresh in September 2014 affected about 3-5%, while the update in May 2014 affected 7.5% of search queries.

What should marketers and webmasters do?

While it is true that we know the basics regarding Panda 4.2, there are still many unanswered questions:

• What is the new Panda update targeting?
• How long will it be until it completely rolls out?
• What changes to your content should you implement to keep your rankings safe?

Google has confirmed that the new algorithm will take a few months to completely roll out which means that it will be awhile before some websites see the effects in their traffic and rankings. This differs from past updates when websites saw changes in traffic and ranking almost immediately after the update began rolling out.

Until the full extent of the Panda update is realized, it is important for marketers and webmasters to understand that the most effective way to safeguard their rankings is to continue to produce useful, high quality content for visitors. Don’t forget that the Panda update targets “thin,” useless content and duplicate content. Always consider how you can possibly provide value to answers and information that people are searching for.

At Kraus Marketing, we specialize in search engine optimization, social media, web design and search engine marketing. We try to remain up to date on the newest digital trends and innovations. If you believe that your website may have been affected by Panda 4.2, our highly experienced team can help you. For more information, contact us at (973)-998-5742 or visit us online at www.KrausMarketing.com.