The warning of a new Penguin Update has caused a stir in the world of online publishing and eCommerce. Google’s top web spam fighter Matt Cutts has promised a new release of the anti-spam algorithm--and it's a few weeks away.
The Penguin releases have a shroud of mystery surrounding them. For example, it is unclear whether the new release is a Penguin 2 or Penguin 4. Although Matt Cutts calls this next roll-out Penguin 2, the index update has already had three releases...hence the confusion.
This algorithm change was designed to fight spam, and supposedly the next update will be a big refresh. Google first released the Penguin Update in April 2012. The goal of the system was to improve the way Google catches websites attempting to be spam or fool its search results. It's focus was on catching websites that buy links or gain links through link networks or chains that were designed to only promote rank increases.
Google has also tried to provide guidance as to what good and bad behavior is when it comes to SEO. It launched a tool to help website owners remove or disown bad links--the Google disavow links tool. Obviously, these mysterious anti-spam updates have caused concern to even white hat marketers and website owners out of a concern for “False positives." The Webmaster tools by Google also has become a vital resource for many website owners, hoping to play nice with Google and not get punished by the wrath of an angry Penguin. Fighting spam is a vital part of keeping a strong user experience for the search engine, and by following best practices, publishers can avoid the penalties of these anti-spam releases.
