Earlier this week Google started a roll out for an improved Panda algorithm update – Panda 4.1.  Google’s most recent Panda update focuses on giving smaller websites a boost and attacking Internet “fluff” by continuing to push quality over quantity when it comes to relevant site content.

Pulling data from a variety of clients, Boostability has not seen a dramatic rise or fall in ranking for any of their clients.  However, the new Panda algorithm will not be fully implemented for another week – resulting in a full, two week roll out.

Panda’s Purpose

Like all Panda updates before now, this Panda update is geared towards identifying low-quality content with greater precision.  As a result, high quality websites – especially that of small or medium sized websites – are starting to rank higher.

Google reports only 3-5% of queries have been affected by this update, making it a more significant update than most, yet still pretty small on the scale.

With a strong focus on Google Local (now, Google My Business) and an algorithm base striving to give credit to quality over quantity, it is easy to assume that Google is a big fan of the American Dream.  Google wants to keep “Mom and Pop” shops alive and well, helping these small businesses to thrive by implementing a well-developed, interactive content marketing plan online.

How Will Panda Affect Your Website?

The latest Panda update began rolling out mid-week last week and will be completed by next week.  The previous Panda 4.0 update came in May 2014.  Since then, Panda has implemented some small ‘refreshers’ on a monthly basis and will continue to do so as the algorithm continues to be perfected.

Reports show sites with a positive boost from Panda 4.1 have been news, content, and download related sites.  Sites receiving a significant negative drop from the most recent update have been game, lyrics, and medical sites.  Sites like ehow.com and medterms.com lost as much of 40% of their organic visibility.  One of the greatest factors losing these sites have in common is far too much exact duplicate content.  To learn more about duplicate content, be sure to catch up with these weekly video updates to keep you tied in to the latest online marketing industry news from The Booster Seat.

How To Avoid Being Squashed By Panda

Publishing content just to be publishing content, is never a good idea.  Take quality over quantity to heart.  As marketers, it is understood that sometimes quantity goes hand in hand with determining quality.  However, once your quality content has been determined, revisit your online marketing focus and make a plan to interact with new and returning visitors to your site with content that will appeal to what they need to know.

As you try to determine new content for your website in the form of blogs, videos, eBooks, or otherwise, make a long list of questions your current clients have as well as questions that potential clients may ask.  These questions are a great basis for the type of questions users ask when searching online.

Do you feel like it has all be done before?  Consider what you can offer new, improved content.  Reduce, reuse, and recycle are great words to live by only if you’re updating your own, previous content.  Never summarize, misquote, or otherwise plagiarize information from another, similar website.

As always, keep an eye on updates like this latest update from Google.  Take into account how your website is hit – what pages took a noticeable dive in organic visitors and what pages received a boost?  Technology is always moving and online marketing moves right along with it.  Keep up with your numbers, observe any changes, and be quick on the draw when a content update becomes necessary.

A Bit Of Panda History

The original Panda release came to us all with great shock in February 2011 – putting an almost dead stop to sites with low-quality content from ever reaching relevant search results.  To get a good idea of what kind of sites Panda updates tend to favor, you can check out the Panda 4.0 Search Metrics Winners Vs. Losers update here.

Has your site been hit or helped by Panda?  Tell us about it!

Panda Update Website Analysis

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