With Google’s recent roll-out of Penguin 3.0, website owners around the world have been holding their breaths to see if they’ll be hit.
Has your website been hit by Penguin 3.0?
The first update to the algorithm in over a year, Penguin 3.0 has been described as having grown more sophisticated, working more effectively than ever to filter out spam sites.
What is Penguin?
First implemented in April 2012, Penguin is a search engine algorithm used by Google to identify and penalise spam sites by filtering them out of search engine results.
The Penguin algorithm works by determining the quality of internal and external links associated with a website. If any links are found to be spammy or unnatural, Penguin hits the site with a drastic reduction in its search engine visibility.
Unfortunately, this sometimes results in legitimate sites being hit. If any unnatural links have been employed, Penguin can punish the site that has utilised them even if the site itself isn’t spammy.
How can you tell if you’ve been hit?
The easiest way to determine this is to examine your site’s Google Analytics and Webmaster Tools.
Through these tools, you can analyse organic search traffic and look for any observable fluctuations around the time of Penguin 3.0’s release (October 17th).
A sudden drop over the span of a few days that remains low is a sign of being hit.
An additional method is to check if your keyword rankings in Google remain consistent with past results. If a drop is observed, it is likely that Penguin has impacted your site.
What can you do if you’ve been hit?
Recovery from a Penguin hit can be difficult, particularly when a sharp drop in rankings has been experienced.
While there are no quick-fix solutions, with time and effort your site can recover as long as the necessary steps are taken.
The most important action is to clean up your site before the next Penguin data refresh is released.
If your site has been punished, the penalty will not be lifted until the next refresh, so it is crucial for your site to be ready for this.
The easiest way to do this in time is to seek the services of a search engine optimisation expert who will be able to thoroughly clean your site of any bad links and have it ready for the next Penguin refresh.
Without acting immediately, Penguin’s effects could be detrimental to your site, causing irreparable damage to rankings.
How ZOFELA can help?
At ZOFELA, we have a dedicated and knowledgeable team that stays up-to-date with all the latest Google algorithm changes, ensuring you’re in capable hands.
If you suspect you’ve been hit by Penguin 3.0, ZOFELA can conduct a full site audit to determine the extent of the damage and identify why your site has been penalised.
We can study your backlink profile, disavow any bad inbound links that are harming your rankings, and even create new links that conform to Google Webmaster Guidelines.
In addition to assisting your site in its recovery from Penguin, ZOFELA can help you return to the rankings better than ever.
We can reassess your SEO strategy and provide you with a new solution that is customised to your needs, resulting in consistently higher rankings for your site.
Contact ZOFELA now and discover what our friendly team of experts can do for your website!
