There were many modifications made to Google's algorithm in 2014, particularly with Penguin and Panda. Since then, and long into 2016, these have had the most impact on website rankings. The Panda update is a filter that prevents 'thin' or substandard material from ranking well.

 Penguin, on the other hand, is a filter that is designed to penalize websites that use poor link building strategies and keyword stuffing. Throughout this piece, I will go through each of these penalties in further detail and build a chronology of their evolution.

Penguin Information Updates

The most recent Penguin upgrade, which took nearly two years to arrive, generated quite a stir among SEO specialists. This is primarily due to the chaotic and inept launch. For some businesses, especially those affected by earlier upgrades, this update was welcomed, but for others, it had a detrimental impact on their website traffic and rank, potentially costing them business.

Google Penguin was updated more frequently in the early days of December 2014, but it took nearly two years for the long-awaited Penguin 4.0 to arrive. When it was launched, Google stated that this would most likely be the last significant Penguin update because it is now real-time and built into its core algorithm. Furthermore, this component of the algorithm is now more granular, which means they can now penalize the entire domain or just parts of it.

If you are concerned about being hit by the ongoing Penguin update, a good starting step is to check through your backlink profile once a month and eliminate anything that could harm your rankings.

Panda Upgrades

As previously stated, Panda is a filter that penalizes websites with poor, thin content. If you were affected by Panda 4.0, you should have changed your content to ensure that it is unique, notable, and long enough to be regarded as valuable. Google released Panda 'Everflux'' in March 2013, stating that, like Penguin, the update is now included within the fundamental algorithm and is regularly updated.

Conclusion

There have been numerous Panda and Penguin SEO upgrades throughout the years, and they will now be more frequent than ever. To prevent a penalty, be sure to keep your link development strategies and backlink profile up to current. Furthermore, ensure that you are upgrading your content and keeping it new, original, and not thin.