---

The fact that Google is the most widely used search engine needs no elaboration. Along with Google search, millions of web users depend on the Google web ecosystem to get plenty of work accomplished everyday worldwide. Apart from billions of people, thousands of businesses also rely on Google’s search results for their work. So, it is imperative to ensure the search system returns consistently reliable and accurate results.

It was in 2010 that both business and regular web users started complaining about the low quality of the company’s search results online. That was when the content farms gained popularity. The existing algorithm of Google search gave priority to updated content over quality of content; which allowed the content spinning farms to thrive and the search results were replete with low-quality content- which left the users confused. Google responded by unleashing the Panda algorithm update.

What is Google Panda Algorithm?

In a nutshell, Google Panda algorithm is the internet search giant’s enhanced form of search results ranking algorithm unveiled in Feb 2011. It was aimed at tackling the low-quality sites with thin content and preventing them from getting higher ranks in Google search results.

Panda was also meant for thwarting the tactics deployed by the so-called content farms and restore the high-quality content sites at top of the search results. It was initially called the farmer update.

Post the rollout which took place on Feb 2011, Google Panda obtained a number of updates and their effects were felt globally by April 2011. To help out the affected websites hit by Panda update, Google published a blog advisory to recovery the sites.

It is assumed that the update was actually named after Navneet Panda, a Google engineer who was the mastermind behind that technology.

Prior to Google unleashing the Panda algorithm and ranking update, each web page was assessed individually-on merit on content in it. This was changed after the arrival of Panda, In other words, if a website has quality content on a few pages and fills the remaining pages with spun and low-quality content, the total site ranking will go down. This put an end to the ranking tactics deployed by the content farms.

For the initial 2 years, the Panda's updates were released once every month. In 2013, Google said that subsequent updates will be made a part of the algorithm. Hence, it will become less noticeable yet continuous. A slow rollout, named Panda 4.2 was unveiled on July 2015.

When Google Panda came into effect?

In 2010, the search result reliability and accuracy of Google hit a serious low- which left the users and web technology experts fuming. Content spinning farms like Answers.com and Demand Media became famous (or infamous) as top content farms spinning low-quality content.

Their content started dominating the Google search results. Reportedly, the latter churned out approx 7000 articles/blogs a day. They generated spun content and used social software to make these viral and stay at the top of ranking. They also used ads to generate huge revenues.

Soon, the leading news agencies and publications started publishing articles on how the content farms were exploiting prevalent Google search ranking method to make huge revenues while essentially fooling the end-users.

At that time, Google’s search engine algorithm gave more weight to more updated content over quality content. These developments led to a huge backlash for Google and it came up with the Panda algorithm in 2011 to resolve the chaos.

Factors Involved in Google Panda

As already mentioned Google Panda algorithm and ranking update targets low-quality content in websites and affects the ranking of such sites adversely. However, it is not just about low-quality content in websites that Panda looks for.

Listed below are the major parameters that are analyzed by Panda to assess the ranking of the websites.

1. Thin Content - Thin content basically means content in web pages that have little or no value to the target viewers. One example is it is like generic information on real estate on a blog that has specific topics listed on real estate in a region. It not only gets a site lower-ranking owing to Panda but such content can tarnish the reputation of a website.

Even if a few pages in a website has such content, the overall site ranking will dive downwards- thanks to Google’s stringent SEO implementations and new ranking algorithms. Rectifying the menace of thin content in a small website is not that hard but for large companies with multipage websites; it can be quite a tedious experience.

2. Duplicate Content - Duplicate content is basically content that can be found in more than one website and page on the internet. It can be created both deliberately and unintentionally. It can also earn the wrath of Google panda- leading to lower search engine ranking eventually.

Besides, it also makes the task of search engines harder. The search engines face hardships in identifying the original content among those with similar content. They also find it hard to direct link metrics.

There was a time some sites resorted to deliberate copy-pasting of information from other websites but that has now become a thing of the past. Problems can occur while using information on products in various e-commerce websites though.

3. Low-Quality Content - As per Google’s revised Quality Rater Guidelines, low-quality web content is content that delivers completely different than what is promised. This may happen mostly for 2 reasons. Either there is inadequate main content to meet the expectation of the reader or the content developer lacks skill and expertise in the topic concerned.

4. Spun Content - Spun content can be defined as an outdated SEO technique that was used at large by digital marketers even a few years back to escape the content duplication analysis of search engines. In this technique, an article already published online was altered in parts and bits to bypass the scrutiny of search engines.

Specialized content spinning software was used for this purpose through manual editing was also used. Certain phrases and words were carefully replaced with synonyms or phrases with the same meanings. Such content will not be of much use to the viewers eventually but they would bypass the duplication scan.

Many website owners resorted to this tactic as spinning content from a published one takes far less time than composing original content. However, Panda’s arrival poured cold water on such practices and subsequent algorithm changes can detect spun content better.

5. Content Farming - Literally, it was the rampant growth of content farms and their malpractices are what compelled Google to come up with Panda. A content farm can be defined as a web content creation agency that recruits plenty of freelance writers to produce content that is low in quality, less span of time and then uses specific SEO tactics to ensure such web content gets high search engine ranking.

In the past, such content farms went on an overdrive- affecting the reliability of Google search results and user experience adversely. The Panda algorithm update actually targeted such content farms and low-quality content produced by them in bulk-a reason it was initially called the farmer update.

The majority of such farms were hit directly after the first iteration of Panda was released and subsequent editions also took toll on such companies.

6. Auto Spin content - Before the advent of Panda, some content farms used automated article and content spinning software to generate a huge number of articles per day. The manual spinning of content is slower compared to automated spinning.

Such software would replace nouns and verbs in source content fast and create content that would pass the duplication test but would appear less readable to human viewers.

7. Low-quality content with lots of affiliate links and Ads - Panda does more than just checking for low quality and existing content on the web. It also cracks down on those sites that have excess amounts of links in the pages. While a certain amount of ads and links to affiliate third party sites are present even in sites with quality content- there has to be a limit.

Google pays the highest priority to the interest of the users/web page visitors. Typically, website visitors detest the sites with excess amounts of ads, inform of link and banner ads, etc.

Other important factors- Google panda algorithm update also looks for a few other factors in web pages.

• Short content- Google Panda does not consider short content as useful to the end-users- generally. However, there can be exceptions as not all the short contents across the web are useless! For example, an article with a title like” comprehensive guide on buying a wireless router” covering generic information and with a length of 300 words, will be deemed short and inadequate.
• Broken links and pages- If a website has content with links that do not lead to any credible reference source or has pages with 404 broken link errors, that does not go down well with Panda. Logically, such websites will make the visitors irate and they will waste a significant amount of time finding the information they are looking for.
• The other factors that can affect the website ranking negatively by Panda include spelling and grammar issues in content and an excess number of keywords.

How does Google Panda affect website rankings? How Could I Know that?

Google introduced the Panda algorithm and ranking update to ensure sites with low-quality content can’t get high ranking and the sites with useful, fresh content rank higher. The update has made sure the Google algorithm analyzes aspects like the reputation of a website, UI design, loading speed, content freshness, and quality much like a human user will do.

The impact of Panda was quite massive and not all websites hit by it have recovered yet. Upon release, Panda affected nearly 12% of search queries-indicating 12% of Google rankings changed. The major content farms like About.com, eHow, and Demand Media were the most affected. That was only the first update.

A website that gets affected by Panda update faces two major changes:

• There is a marked reduction in organic traffic
• There is a significant fall in Google search ranking.

The most obvious warning sign is a big drop in site traffic. If it took place when a new algorithm update was being rolled out by Google- it may be related to Panda. However, you can also use dedicated third-party tools like Rank Tracker to find out if Google penalties have affected the site or not.

How to Recover from Google Panda Algorithm?

Recovering from Google Panda algorithm update is both simple and complex. This may sound contradictory but finer analysis of the statement makes sense. The algorithm and ranking update was unleashed by Google to tackle the menace of thin and low-quality content created by the content farms. So, the best way to recover from panda update onslaught is improving the content quality in your website.

 However, this is definitely easier said than done. A thorough analysis of site content will help you determine the parts with flaws. Thereafter, you need to replace those with relevant and quality content. Apart from that, you need to perform many other related tasks to improve site ranking. This can be time-intensive and you can’t expect overnight changes in site ranking!

Listed below are the aspects you need to focus on for overall content quality enhancement:

• Keywords - Your site content should contain the relevant keywords and in the right density. The used keywords should be relevant to the content and they should not be used just for linking with other sites and getting traffic. These older SEO tactics fall flat after Panda’s arrival.
• Content quality - The content published on a website, whether it is a typical web page or blog needs to be high quality to get a good ranking in Google search. The length and structure of the content are relevant in this context. You also have to be careful about grammar, punctuation, and spellings, etc. The content also needs to be updated.
• Duplicate content - Removing low-quality content from a website hit by Panda update is necessary and same can be said about duplicate content. Panda can affect a site where duplicate content exists because it is of little use to the viewer- eventually. So, the entire website has to be checked for duplicate content and when instances are found they have to be replaced with relevant and fresh content.
• Ad content ratio - Nearly all websites you come across contain ads in varying amounts. To stay safe from Panda, ensure the ad on your website is kept at a minimal level. If your site is already hit by Panda, discarding ads until its ranking shows signs of recovery will be prudent.
• Site and page loading speed - Google has come down heavily on the websites that take ages to load on PC or mobile web browsers. Enough case studies are available to show how slower site loading can affect conversion rate too. There are dedicated tools like Pingdom and GTMetrix that can be used to determine site load speed. Usually, using a lot of widgets in site slows downloading speed.
• Clean layout - This can be somewhat tricky and subjective. Not every viewer has the same aesthetic preferences. However, using enough white space in a site helps as does use contrasting colors for background and text. The navigation should be easy as well.
• It is also necessary to have simple, clear site architecture. Having clear site architecture helps improve indexation. Google can spot the changes made on the site and update the index faster. The users will be able to navigate the site easily too.

The site should not have broken links and 404 error pages. These hinder indexing process and makes using the site painful for the end-users.

Even after you have changed site content and implemented all these changes, recovery from Panda will take time. It is true that you will spot a little boost in site traffic and performance while deploying the changes. However, it’s not until Google reruns its algorithm you can expect a significant boost in site ranking.

Conclusion

Google Panda is a two-edged sword that rewards sites with relevant and fresh content by boosting their ranking and at the same time punishes the low content sites by lowering their rankings. Adhering to the Panda guidelines is actually beneficial for any website owner.

If your website has content developed as per Google’s new algorithm specifications- it will get a higher ranking. This, in turn, will get you more viewers and more buyers in the long run. So, it is prudent that you analyze the content of your website to ensure it meets the basic requirements of Panda.

This is better than being hit by Panda and spending a long time in modification and waiting for recovery! SEO is still relevant but now it is more focused on user needs rather than earning huge revenue for the website owners.