Google Algorithm Change: Penguin Is Now Real Time Resulting in Faster Google Penguin Recovery

Ray Bennett — December 4, 2016

— December 4, 2016

Updates related to operating systems (OS), iOS apps and android apps are very common. Consumers expect it, anticipate it and often demand it. This is great, because in a world where needs and wants are constantly evolving, the ability to improve and make changes on the fly are essential. Since more products are living online or connected to the internet, updates are required. There is one company whose updates can put businesses on edge and greatly impact websites. Google algorithm changes can seemingly come out of nowhere and recovery times if penalized can take a while.

A Google algorithm change can be happening right now but due to the subtleness, is not noticeable to the average web surfer. However, when big updates happen like Google Panda, Google Hummingbird or Google Penguin, businesses should check to see that their website isn’t affected. Moz details larger algorithm updates in-depth if you would like to dig deeper into Google algorithm changes.

Google Penguin 4.0 and Impact

Recently Google released a new algorithm update to Google Penguin. Google Penguin 4.0 has the same core function of the original Penguin algorithm. Originally Google Penguin was rolled out to address the growing practice of generating links unnaturally. These links often came from spammy sites that Google is actively working to eliminate.

Google values user experiences above all and will penalize websites who are in violation. Google penalties are legendary and tend to have a seemingly lasting impact. These penalties result in loss of keyword rankings on search engine pages. This is a very big deal, as an important keyword your company once ranked on and drove traffic and/or sales could be lost. By ‘lost, we mean that Google could greatly hinder your chances of ranking on a keyword like “big screen tv” or “consulting service” if penalized.

SEM Rush explains historically once a site was penalized by Google it could take months or even years to recover. Google Penguin had a lasting impact as some websites waited years for a Google Penguin Recovery after making site changes. This was because larger Google algorithm changes and updates were rather infrequent and websites could only recover after a new update.

This delay could mean missing out on valuable prospects due to your site falling in the rankings. Now Google Penguin 4.0 is focusing on maintaining the integrity of websites while also increasing the speed at which website can recover from any potential penalty.

Penalties From Google

Previously, when a site received a Google penalty it impacted the entire website. Now Google Penguin 4.0 makes the penalties much more targeted. This means that opposed to the entire site being impacted it could just impact a specific page. Therefore, it is more important to regularly check subdomains and individual web pages to ensure that no drastic changes have happened. This isn’t uncommon as you aren’t notified when you are impacted – you just have to look for the signs.

Signs may vary but some of the signs are significant sudden drops in organic keywords or/and keywords dropping in position. If you notice any of scenarios happening to you chances are your website or webpage may have been hit by Google Penguin. These checks can be performed using sites like Google Analytics and SEM Rush. Once you identify bad links you want to remove or disavow those links. If you can’t remove the links, Google explains the disavow process here. Once these changes are made your Google Penguin Recovery will be much quicker.

The biggest benefit of this Google algorithm change is the speed the penalty can be resolved or even implemented. Previously when Google Penguin penalized a website for spammy links, it could take a while before Google ran the algorithm again to see if the problem had been corrected. Now due to the real time aspect of this algorithm a Google Penguin Recovery can occur fairly quickly. In addition the opposite is true as a violation can be discovered and a web page can be impacted.

The easiest way to protect yourself is to perform regular site audits to make sure that any backlink that you receive is credible. While Google rewards quality links a bad link can slow down all of the hard work you put into building your online presence.

Things to Keep in Mind

In conclusion here are a few points to remember when thinking about Google Penguin.

The goal is to ensure a good user experience so you should always write for your web visitors. If you are doing this and making sure your links are credible you greatly minimize the chance of getting hit by Google Penguin 4.0.
Penguin is in real time meaning that it is vitally important to keep track of any backlinks and monitor your web pages. Previously the whole site would be affected by Penguin but that currently isn’t the case. While it’s great to make changes and see Google quickly stop penalizing your web page you must remember the inverse. This means a if spammy sites began linking to your site you could be penalized.
Use tools such as Google’s Disavow Tool or SEM Rush’s Backlink Audit to eliminate any spammy backlinks. You can also consider speaking to a professional in regards to performing a site audit. The important thing is to regularly check site traffic for any strange fluctuations.

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