For over four years now, Penguin has been a hot topic. Initially rolled out in April 2012, the algorithm update was designed to tackle web spam and was expected to impact around three percent of queries.
Recently, frustration has mounted among website owners penalized by Penguin as they had to wait over a year for an update, despite Google’s assurance in October 2015 that an update was imminent.
Throughout the years, there’s been significant discussion about Penguin. However, the most recent update, Penguin 4.0, stands out for the confusion it has caused. Google, with its inconsistent messaging, has been a primary contributor to this confusion.
This article aims to clear up some of the misunderstandings surrounding the recent Penguin 4.0 update and explain its implications for website owners and their SEOs.
What is Penguin?
The Penguin algorithm update was first announced on April 24, 2012. It was created to target web spam in general but ended up heavily penalizing sites engaged in manipulative link schemes, thereby earning a reputation for addressing bad link profiles.
Where’s the Confusion?
Before the rollout of Penguin 4.0 on September 23, 2016, the algorithm was well-understood: it demoted sites with bad links, and recovery was only possible after the next update. The process for addressing penalties was straightforward: website owners would remove offending links, disavow those that couldn’t be removed, and then wait for the next update.
With Penguin 4.0, the confusion arose not due to changes in the algorithm itself but because of contradictory statements from Google officials. Here are the main changes with this update:
- Real-Time Updates: Penguin now operates in real time, eliminating long waits for recovery. Changes become effective soon after pages are recrawled and reindexed.
- Granularity: The update can now impact parts of a site rather than the entire domain, making penalties more precise.
Disavow Files
Confusion regarding the disavow tool stemmed from statements by Google’s Gary Illyes, suggesting that disavow files might be less critical for Penguin-related issues. However, Illyes also indicated that using disavow files remains a good practice for sites under manual review.
The Disavow Takeaway
If you’ve used unethical link-building strategies and are considering submitting a disavow file, you should continue to do so. Google will devalue bad links but monitoring and addressing harmful links is still necessary.
Source Site
According to Gary Illyes, under Penguin, the value of a link depends on the source site, not where it points. This stresses the importance of evaluating the quality of the pages linking to your site.
Your Links are Labeled
Google now labels links, categorizing them into types like footer links, Penguin-impacted links, and disavowed links. This labeling system influences how links are assessed and valued.
The Link Labeling Takeaway
From an SEO perspective, the best practices remain the same: prioritize high-visibility, contextually placed links on relevant sites.
Penguin Penalties and Recovery
Penguin 4.0 treats penalties differently. Illyes clarified there is no sandbox for sites penalized by Penguin; recovery occurs once the problem is resolved and pages are recrawled. However, there may still be delays in recovery due to other functions within Google’s algorithm.
The More Things Change, The More They Stay the Same
Despite significant updates, the essential SEO practices have not changed. Links will get picked up faster, penalties will be more reliably managed, but the approach to link building and disavows remains largely the same. Although Penguin is not currently influenced by machine learning, it is likely to integrate these elements in the future.
Continuing to focus on relevant, high-quality links and a positive user experience will ensure long-term success in SEO.
