What is Google Panda 4.0?

Google is the leading search engine in the world and its search results are among the best and the most reliable as well. To ensure that relevant websites show up in the search pages, Google relies on a set algorithm (Penguin, Panda, Hummingbird, and Pigeon) that helps them to successfully sift through all the information and clutter that usually makes up a huge part of the Internet.

The First Panda

In 2011, Google launched Google Panda. The software though is not like its fluffy counterpart. Google Panda was targeted at helping them sift through all the bad links and other sites which were deemed to be of a low quality. The aim was to introduce high quality websites to show up higher on the search results in order to make sure that proper legitimate businesses were getting their due instead of getting the traffic held up by unreliable, spamming websites.

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Google Panda 4.0

Over the years, Google Panda has undergone updates each month in order to extensively curb the new clutter that comes in. Despite the fact that many websites and others who have been highlighted have raised a lot of noise regarding Google Panda’s ruthless blocking techniques, Google has still continued to introduce more updates and Google Panda 4.0 is the latest one.

Google Panda 4.0 is definitely something to keep in mind when making a website since it could have an impact on at least 7.5% of all search queries in English. Staying updated, focusing on your content and socializing with your target market on social media platforms are all factors which help you stay on the good side of Google Panda.

How Does It Help?

Google Panda 4.0 functions in the same way as all the other Panda versions. It has undergone some changes which affect how it identifies and flags sites. One large difference is the fact that unique high quality content is a necessary requirement in order to allow a website to be recognized by Google Panda 4.0. Another thing to keep in mind, is the fact that Google Panda also penalizes website on ‘over optimization’. This refers to the fact that many websites indulge in over-linking and link stuffing in order to get more hits. With the help of this function, Google manages to level the playing field and ensures that businesses using organic methods for optimizing their websites are given a fair chance.

Summary

  • Focus is on providing high quality content
  • Develop relevant and useful information for your audience
  • Penalizes sites who “over-optimize”
  • Impacts 7%+ of English websites

Future Pandas

While Google Panda 4.0 is the latest update, there are many more planned to be launched in the future. As far as Google Panda as a whole is concerned, it is definitely a successful means of identifying high quality businesses. It is also one of the best tools you can use as a guideline to ascertain that your website is relevant, updated and stays organic.

In the end, though, businesses that pay attention to the kind of online experience that they are presenting for their consumers will be the ones who stay safe from the clutches of the Panda.

Matthew Goulart


|3 minutes read

Matthew Goulart is the founder of Ignite Digital, a Canadian digital marketing agency. Through Ignite Digital, Goulart works with Fortune 500 companies and advertising agencies from around the world and has helped launch profitable and highly successful digital marketing initiatives for his clients.