Penguin 4, the fourth release of Google’s spam-fighting algorithm, is now live. It joins the much talked-about Penguin 2.0 update, which will deliver many new twists and turns for webmasters. This new generation of technology is designed to better stop spam, and while we can appreciate its penalties on sites that use black hat SEO, what can you do if it’s your site – which has been doing things correctly – that gets hammered?
It’s hard to believe that there is life after Penguin 2.0, but trust us, there is. Although Penguin 2.0 is still very new, we know that it targets web spam, link spamming and black hat SEO tactics. So, if you have been hit, here are a few Penguin 2.0 recovery methods to get your site seeing brighter days.
Improve Link Value
Not only should your site have a good number of links, but also they should come from high-quality, reputable sources. Choose links from sites that are within your particular niche, and increase links at a steady rate.
Remove Bad Backlinks
Pinpoint spammy links that direct back to your site. Ask the source to remove the link, even though they only do this 5 to 10 percent of the time. Your next step: perform disavow requests on bad backlinks, which can be found in Google’s Webmaster Tools.
Publish Valuable Content
Keep the content coming, and make sure it’s high-quality, powerful and relevant to your industry. Matt Cutts keeps placing emphasis on content because it can help separate authoritative sources from non-authoritative ones.
Edit Exact Anchor Text
There is a strong link between web spamming and exact anchor text, so if your site is filled with exact keywords and anchor text, it’s time to make some edits.
Ensure Perfect SEO Practices
Your onsite SEO practices should be perfect, and this includes everything from robots.txt to keyword saturation. If you need help in this department, consult with an SEO company.
These are just some of the suggestions to help webmasters get back on their feet again and into the search rankings. It’s important to be proactive and plan for future Penguin updates since 2.0 is just the beginning.
