Everything You Need to Know About the Google Panda Update

By Quiet Light

| Reading Time: 3 minutes

If you keep an eye on search news at all, you’ve undoubtedly heard about the Google Panda update, which was initially launched on February 23, 2011. But do you really know what it is, how it changed search, and what it means for your website and business?

Unfortunately, we see too many small business owners who contact us after their websites have lost their rankings, and as a result, much of their revenue. For these owners, the reality is that their businesses have also lost most of their value as well.

It’s not enough anymore just to build a site and then let it run on autopilot. Maintaining good rankings is an ongoing process that requires effort and keeping up with the numerous and frequent changes that take place in the world of search engines and digital marketing.

But it’s also not just about maintaining your current search engine stature. More importantly, you must ensure you’re always in compliance with Google’s best practices to avoid losing your ranking position or worse, being penalized and losing inclusion altogether.

We’ve put together this list of Google Panda resources to help you learn more about the update, determine whether you’re adhering to its principles, and to prepare for further Panda changes that may be coming down the pike.

What Is Google Panda?

Don’t leave your website, business and livelihood to the sometimes unconfirmed information on Wikipedia. Go straight to the source, and rely on sites in the know.

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Finding more high-quality sites in search – Google’s Official Blog explains their reasoning behind launching Panda
Google: Panda Update – Noted industry news site Search Engine Land’s library of information about the algorithm update
Google Algorithm Change History – Digital marketing software company Moz maintains a frequently updated list of all Google’s algorithm updates and changes, including Panda; keep an eye on this list for new algorithm update versions and launches

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How To Recover From a Panda Hit

If your site has already suffered the effects of Google Panda, you can recover, and avoid future hits. It will take time and effort, but it’s not impossible.

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The Holy Grail of Panda Recovery – A 1-Year Case Study
How to Identify and Recover from a Google Panda Penalty – Be aware that if your site is affected by Panda, it’s not necessarily a penalty, which is a much more serious issue and usually much more difficult to recover from. This article addresses that difference.
Google Panda – How Many Actually Recover?
16% Claim Recovery After Google’s Panda 4.0 Update

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The Latest On Google Panda

Google continues to tweak its Panda update, and every time a new one is released, many site owners (and business owners) have to spend a lot of time, energy, and money regaining their footing. Learn how to be prepared for future updates, and reduce recovery time.

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Education Equals Remediation

The best thing you can do to stay ahead of Google Panda—and any other update—is to educate yourself, put best practices to work, and stay informed via respected industry sites and blogs such as:

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You Don’t Have To Do It All

Google will continue to evolve as the Internet grows and changes. No business owner can be expected to know the ins and outs of their business and every facet of search engine marketing, too. Remember there’s always professional help available should you find yourself suffering the effects of Panda, or if you just want to make sure you’re ready for the next big update.