Google Panda is an algorithm update aimed at removing low-quality sites from search results. It considers factors like duplicate content, thin or machine-generated content, inappropriate advertising, and whether users would consider a site as authoritative. Sites affected by Panda see large drops in traffic. To improve rankings, sites should focus on unique, original content; establish authority in their topic; maintain a healthy ratio of content to appropriate advertising; and track Panda updates that could impact their traffic.
2. Google Panda is a change to Google's search
results ranking algorithm that was first
released in February 2011.
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3. GOOGLE PANDA
Affects the ranking of an
entire site or a specific
section, including
individual pages
PREVIOUS ALGORITHMS
Affected ranking of just
the individual pages on a
site
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4. To remove poor quality sites from the top of Google’s results page
In a 2011 Wired.com interview, Matt Cutts and Amit Singhal, Google’s
spam engineers, reveal how Google came up with the definition of “low
quality / shallow-content” sites
Google asked people, yes people like you and I (raters), questions to the
likes of:
1. “Would you be comfortable giving the site your credit card?”
2. “Would you be comfortable giving medicines prescribed by this site to
your kids?”
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5. Additionally, Chrome Site Blocker was also built
Allowed users to specify sites they wanted blocked from their search
results.
Other significant survey questions included:
1. Do you consider this site to be authoritative?
2. Would it be OK if this site was in a magazine?
3. Does this site have excessive Ads?
It was out of users’ experience and intuition that Google came up with
the mathematical definition of low-quality sites which had ‘thin content,
content farm, high Ad-to-content ratios’.
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6. A high % of duplicate content.
This might apply to a page, a site or
both. If it’s a site measure then that
might contribute to each page’s
evaluation.
A low amount of original content on
a page or site.
A high % (or number) of pages with a
low amount of original content.
A high amount of inappropriate
(they don’t match the search queries a
page does well for) adverts,
especially high on the page.
Low or no mentions or links to a
page or site in social media and from
other sites.
Page content (and page title tag) not
matching the search queries a page
does well for.
Unnatural language on a page
including heavy-handed on-page
SEO (‘over-optimization’ to use a
common oxymoron). Eg unnatural
overuse of a word on a page.
High bounce rate on page or site.
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7. Low visit times on page
or site.
Low % of users returning
to a site.
Low click through % from
Google’s results pages
(for page or site).
High % of boilerplate
content (the same on
every page).
Low or no quality inbound
links to a page or site (by
count or %).
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8. 1. Separate out low quality
content
2. Focus on Unique Content
3. Concentrate on clout (power)
and authority
4. Keep advertising ratio healthy
5. Recognize and track Panda
updates
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9. 1. Separate out low quality
content
Does the site have duplicate,
overlapping, redundant
articles on the same or similar
topics with slightly different
keyword variations?
Is the content mass-produced
by or outsourced to a large
number of creators, or spread
across a large network of sites,
so that individual pages or
sites don’t get as much
attention or care?
Are the articles short,
unsubstantial, or otherwise
lacking in helpful specifics?
Are pages produced with great
care & attention to detail vs. less
attention to detail?
Does this article have spelling,
stylistic, or factual errors?
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10. 2. Focus on Unique Content
Try to look at your
place in your industry
and say to yourself:
“What is the topic that
my readers will be
interested about?”
“What do I offer to my
readers that are unique?
What about my content is
just here and nowhere
else?”
Don’t copy or retype out
the article from other site,
but craft your article out
with your own topic and
opinion.
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11. 3. Concentrate on clout
(power) and authority
trust and authority
matter
Would you trust the
information presented in
this paper?
Is this paper written by an
expert/enthusiast who
knows the topic well, or is
it more shallow in nature?
Is the site a recognized authority
on its topic?
Would you recognize this site as
an authoritative source when
mentioned by name?
Is this the sort of page you’d
want to bookmark, share with a
friend, or recommend?
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12. 4.Keep advertising
ratio healthy
Apply ads with attitude
3 sponsors at $10K are better
than 20 ads at $500.
A healthy ratio is not only good
with Panda but it also improves
your reader’s user experience.
Healthy advertising ratio is
even the reason that your
readers will love and
recommend your site than
those sites with nastily
cluttered ads, and by doing
so will indirectly raise the
trustworthiness and
authority of your site.
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13. 5. Recognize and track Panda updates
Sites hit by Panda will show massive changes especially the
page views.
When using Google Analytics you will see an epic fall in
traffic, that’s the possible sign of Panda.
Limiting the search parameters in Google Analytics to the
United States market will show the clear result of Panda
attack.
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14. Implement the changes suggested above.
Ask Google to restore your rankings.
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15. SEO < about optimizing for specific keywords
SEO > about technical issues, social signals &
overall trustworthiness of a company & website
Have a real content, social media marketing
strategy
Hire real writers who can write high quality blogs
and articles for your website
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Keywords: Google Panda, PageRank, link analysis algorithm, unique content, trust & authority, social media marketing strategy, low quality content, high quality content, content management system (CMS), SEO 26/07/13