Series of testing and developments have led to the release of this latest algorithm by Google. Rolled out on the 3rd of September 2016, it will be the last of the series based on its real-time nature. Google Penguin 4.0 heralds the end of a two-year waiting period, developed out of its core search algorithm. Penguin 4.0 had transformed tremendously from how it worked when it was first released in 2012.
First launched in 2012 to deal with spamming sites, Penguin is a spamming filter meant to capture sites that are involved in spamming activities. Penguin is more effective than regular spamming systems. Simply put, Penguin filters out spamming sites out of search results. Any site or link that is felt to be spammy by the algorithm is weed out immediately.
Penguin operates on a periodic basis. Spammy sites are penalized by the filter when it runs. If the sites are improved, later on, it will remain sanctioned till later when the search is run. The last update is known as Penguin 3.0 filtered 1% of UK/US searches, translating roughly to 12 million queries. If a site used link schemes to throw itself into relevant search pages, Penguin is always looking for such.
What Penguin 4.0 offers
One of the few things that have been corrected as a result of the real-time functioning of the Penguin 4.0 is the waiting period of recovery. Two major changes to the Penguin algorithm are the real-time nature of the filter and the granularity, which doesn’t punish your sites for just a single spamming link.
Penguin is now in all languages; no one is free from its big hammer. With over 200 unique signals that can affect rankings, bad links have no way out of the spider’s web. Most individuals involved in Black hat SEO will be the most hit by the recent update. Guest blogging for building links will also suffer from the filter.
Also read: Google Search Engine Algorithm Updates 2019 – Infographics
Guest Blogging Vs. Penguin 4.0
Penguin updates have always affected Guest blogging in a different way; the recent update will not be an exception. As a popular way of building links, guest blogging will always be used for SEO ranking even in the face of the recent update.
Google has always encouraged writing quality content, but many bloggers focus on SEO ranking. Google’s new algorithm notices this quickly in real-time. The ranking of the platform and website you are guest blogging on does not matter with the recent Penguin 4.0 update. If you are churning out spamming and low-quality content for the benefits of backlinks via guest blogging, your content will be devalued and blacklisted in real-time.
Unlike before when the whole site you placed your link on suffers, it’s no more all for one, but one for one. The granular nature of the Penguin 4.0 treats your link as a lone criminal and leaves your guest blogging platform without negative effects. Google will no more be devaluing sites like before, but just the author and the links.
Guest Blogging and Spam results
Let’s start with the bio links that come with guest blogging content. Since Penguin 2.0, it has become an ineffective way of bringing in traffic. Penguin 4.0 has not changed this; these bio links now carry lesser weight than they used to.
So also, Penguin 4.0 will be choosy with the links they give preference and regards. Google will be pickier than it used to. Interestingly, your rich anchor text link embedded in the first paragraph or two within a guest post is deemed spammy, devaluation of such links may ultimately occur. By posting the same old infographics and bio on different sites, the links to those will be eventually devalued until removed.
Penguin is programmed to know that multiplying content all over the web is common, and it has been developed to see such content as spam. Even if you place them on top sites like Huffington Post, listserve, or Mashable, it is still multiple contents and will be treated as spam.
Final Opinion
Conclusively, Penguin 4.0 is here to stay with the decision of Google not to talk about future updates. What will prevent you from the hammer of the Penguin 4.0 filter is just to focus less on SEO but more on quality content. With lots of manipulative digital marketing strategies all over the internet, Penguin will be updating all the time and as such, no spam lead will be treated in isolation. In the final analysis, Penguin 4.0 will make it harder for spam tactics to thrive successfully.
