Google Panda 4.2 Is Out … Kind Of
It’s impossible to guess at a lot of the reasoning behind Google’s updates to its algorithms. Panda, known primarily for cracking down on spam and unoriginal content, has taken many website owners on an SEO rollercoaster as sites are raised and penalized by the algorithm’s whim.
Yet the newest release, Panda 4.2, has made headlines as it was initially released in late July 2015 yet is still rolling out more than a month later.
Slow Rollout for Panda 4.2
The extremely slow rollout for Panda 4.2 took many by surprise. This algorithm has had several large updates that have wreaked havoc on a plethora of sites. But the slower rollout gives sites that were previously penalized a chance to recover. However, if you’re hit by the new release, you probably haven’t seen the full effect of it yet. So just because you haven’t fallen yet doesn’t mean you won’t in the coming months.
Here’s why.
Google has admitted that the rollout is so much slower than ever before due to “internal issues” regarding “technical reasons.” Now, that can mean a lot of things, and it tells us very little. But John Mueller of Google says the extended rollout is not meant to punish sites or confuse site owners, it’s just that a longer release time gives them more time to analyze the web pages. Google says it is crawling and indexing sites at normal speed, and they “are using that content as well to recognize higher quality and lower quality sites.”
What Does Panda 4.2 Mean For Your Site?
As mentioned, if your pages are going to be penalized, they may be done so a little more slowly. However, it also means recovery is slow-going, as well. Due to some of the immediate plummets from a Panda update in the past, many people are going to mistakenly believe that if their sites haven’t been penalized yet, they’re safe. But remember, this update is being rolled out very, very slowly, over several months. So it may take several months for your site to see an impact, whether it’s good or bad.
So, what are you to do? Sit around and wait? Never!
We recommend that you continue implementing high-quality content on your website, improving your site with the user in mind, and continue targeting your audience in all the effective ways you have before. Because no one knows what Panda 4.2 will bring until it actually affects them, it’s best not to do anything drastic just yet.
If you aren’t following White Hat SEO tactics, now is a good time to start. Ditch the bad habits and build a website that users will love.
How We Can Help
If you’re struggling to decide what to do about Panda 4.2, you probably need an Internet marketing and SEO agency that can explain it all to you and reassure you that your website will end up faring well. At Online Potential, we base our online marketing strategies on Google’s best practices. And while we can predict Google’s next move, we can identify clear trends. High-quality content, easy-to-navigate sites and accurate keywords will always be the key to providing your audience with great web experience.
For help in turning your website around, or to ensure that you won’t have to dig your way out of penalties later, contact Online Potential in Orlando. Let us help you grow your business.
