The speculations were on. There were discussions on Twitter and on almost all online forums. Everyone was expecting Google to bring forth its latest Penguin Update. Gary Illyes, Webmaster Trends Analyst and Search Quality Engineer at Google, had made an announcement regarding this update a few days back. So, it was only a matter of time before the websites could experience the changes brought about by Google’s new updates to its Penguin algorithm.
Since last Friday, a number of major SEO companies had noticed some major changes in the Google search result trends. It hinted at the arrival of Google’s Penguin Update algorithm once more. And finally Google also confirmed that they have done it – the first Penguin Update in more than year’s time came on October 17, 2014.
This is surely one of the major news, if not the most important one, in the web world right now. And for the web masters, this is likely to have several consequences. In fact, according to experts, Google Penguin Update 3.0 is expected to be completely different in nature from all the earlier Penguin Updates by the Company.
What can you expect of the latest Penguin Update 3.0?
This is a million dollar question now. And it is giving web masters several sleepless nights. Is it going to be as impactful as its earlier versions? “What is this Penguin Update going to bring for my website?” This is probably the most pertinent question that web masters are exploring right now. It is going to be a “delight”, as Google has already said? Or, is are the websites going to be hit hard, as Google Penguin Update 2.0 did? The discussion is still on, and the answer still ambiguous.
Will Your Website be Negatively Impacted?
That’s probably the only question that the website owners are pondering about. But there’s really no definite answer to it as of now. However, the predictions are on. And as they are based on the probabilities, many of them might materialize as well. Here’s a quick look at some of the changes that this algorithm is expected to bring for the websites.
Did You Suffer from the Last Penguin Update?
The answer to this question may play a major role in ensuring whether your site is safe or not. Was your website hit by the last Penguin Update? Have you worked on the site after that and removed all disavow and illegal links from the internet that directed to your website? If yes, then this update is surely going to be close to a “delight” for you. So, if you have removed all the links timely then you can remain assured that your website is not going to be negatively impacted by this algorithm by Google.
More Accurate Local Searches
Local queries are growing in importance of late. And the new Penguin Update is aimed at that. So, many of the local businesses are likely to experience a change in search engine results. There might be an increase or the decrease in terms of the search engine results for the websites. The local searches are expected to become similar to the organic search rankings. This is because, the queries are going to have more connection with Google’s web search capabilities, such as synonyms, knowledge graph, and so on.
Maps Also Set to Change
Along with these, the Update also had its effect on the maps. The maps and the distance measurement tools there have also been updated. So, these are also likely to emerge as a major factor for the websites in near future. They are going to be an integral part of the local searches and are expected to make them more comprehensive.
Security to Get a Boost
Google is all set to support the websites that are properly secured. It is going to stress on user security a lot now. In fact, Google is already giving a light boost to websites that are encrypted. It has also added HTTPS/SSL encryption to most of the services it offers. This is surely a great news for the users of Google services. They are going to get extra security when they use Gmail, Google Search, Google Drive, and so on. Besides, with the increase in the cloud-based functions, Google is focusing on providing security to SaaS as well.
Despite the fact that Google is saying that this algorithm is going to be delightful for them, it is important for the web masters to remain alert enough. A proactive link audit can help significantly. Besides, they should remain abreast of the updates and be aware of the ways that can help them avoid the negative impacts of Google Penguin 3.0 and future Penguin Updates.
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