Google’s first Penguin algorithm update rolled out on 24 April! 2012! shaking up the entire SEO industry. This month! we mark the 10th anniversary of Penguin and it seems like the perfect moment to reflect on how this update changed the world of SEO – and why it’s still important today.
What is Google Penguin?
Penguin refers to an algorithm phone number database that first acted as a separate filter! independent of Google’s core search algorithm. Essentially! it was a bolt-on launched during the first Penguin algorithm update on 24 April! 2012. The update targeted websites engaged in manipulative link schemes and keyword stuffing! as part of Google’s war on webspam.
Between 2012 and 2016! Penguin itself went through 10 documented updates! evolving over time! before Google announced it had become part of its core search algorithm in early 2017.
What does Penguin target?
The Penguin algorithm targets two your project manager will only be in touch with malicious SEO activities: link schemes and keyword stuffing.
- Link schemes: Purchasing backlinks or engaging in the artificial development of backlinks to a website or group of websites. To this day! links are one of the strongest signals in Google’s core algorithm and SEO quickly learned they could game the system by pointing large volumes of links to web pages and tricking Google into ranking them higher.
- Keyword stuffing: Inserting a high volume of target keywords on a page in an attempt to rank higher for the specific keyword or! in some cases! deceive Google about the topic/relevance of the page to the keywords being used – eg: ranking for a high-volume keyword but showing users unrelated content.
Both of these practices were rampant by the time
Google rolled out the first Penguin australia database directory update in 2012. Now! keyword stuffing is a 100% redundant practice but the culture of artificial link building still exists! to a certain extent.
Prior to becoming part of Google’s core algorithm! getting hit by a Penguin update could devastate a website’s search ranking and organic traffic volume. Initially! websites hit by the algorithm were penalised although this is no longer the case! as violating links are now simply devalued.