Have you adjusted to web strategy to accommodate Panda 4.0 ?

There has been a lot of buzz around Google’s search results algorithm, Panda and the latest Panda 4.0 update.Panda, released in February 2011, is a special algorithm designed to filter search engine results based on the quality of content active on sites. This means an increased ranking of web sites providing fresh, original content on their blogs and social media, and a decreased ranking for web sites focusing on large amounts of advertising. Ever since this release, there has been a lot of complaints from affected companies claiming Panda incorrectly ranked their content. Google released a list of 23 points on its blog aimed at providing a map for delivering what they consider to be high-quality content.

But it doesn’t stop here. Google recently released a Panda 4.0 update making it even harder for the key target -aggregator sites- to get good ranking. Aggregator websites are sites that combine a specific type of information from multiple online sources, rather than posting original content.
After the release of Panda 4.0, there were several companies that suffered a major decrease in organic traffic (more than 60%) overnight. One of the most common problems these companies have is related to copied content. In this case, the solution is quite simple. Companies need to put more effort into writing fresh, original content in order to avoid serious drops in organic traffic.
Another issue that ‘upsets’ Panda is low user engagement. Low user engagement basically translates as high bounce rate. Getting a visitor to stay longer on your web site can be a challenge. In two of our previous blogs, 5 Common Strategic Marketing Mistakes and 4 Principles of Effective Web Design we were talking about how important it is for businesses pursuing online activity to have a blog and an up-to-date, mobile-optimised web site, full of dynamic content that visitors might find of interest and useful.

We cannot underestimate the power of algorithms like Panda anymore and businesses need to take a big step into reorganising their online strategy and aligning it to the newest requirements. A thorough analysis of the current presence is needed, as well as a deep focus on what Panda is looking for: original content, user engagement and a strong SEO strategy.

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