Google makes changes to its ranking algorithm almost every day. Sometimes we know about them, sometimes we don’t. Some of them remain unnoticed, others turn the SERPs upside down. So, this cheat sheet contains the most important algorithm updates of the recent years alongside battle-proven advice on how to optimize for these updates.
Panda
It all started changing in 2011 when Google introduced its first ever Panda algorithm update, the purpose of which was to improve the quality of search results by down-ranking low quality content. This is how Panda marked the beginning of Google’s war against grey-hat SEO. For 5 long years it had been a separate part of a wider search algorithm until 2016 when Panda became part of Google’s core algorithm. As stated by Google[1], this was done because the search engine doesn’t expect to make major changes to it anymore.
Main Focus
- duplicate content
- keyword stuffing
- thin content
- user-generated spam
- irrelevant content
Best Practice
The very first thing to focus your attention on is internally duplicated content. I can recommend carrying out site audits[2] on a regular basis in order to make sure there are no duplication issues found on your site.
External duplication is yet another Panda trigger. So, it’s a good idea to check suspected pages with Copyscape[3]. There are, however, some industries (like online stores with numerous product pages) that simply cannot have 100% unique content. If that’s the case, try to publish more original content[4] and make your product descriptions as outstanding as you can. Another good solution would be letting your customers do the talking by utilizing testimonials, product