The Google Penguin 2.0 update was released on May 22nd. With this update to its search engine, Google is targeting black hat SEO techniques. Think spam links and paid backlinks. Hack sites are targeted as well, and better tracked.
Matt Cutts has some things to share from Google with regards to SEO and the Google Penguin 2.0 update:
Main takeaway from the above video:
Build and release HIGH QUALITY content on your site(s) that users want, bookmark to return to, and can employ and your site will be fine.
Google Penguin 2.0 update: be clear about advertorials and other paid content
Advertorials will come under scrutiny too, by the way:
“Likewise, if you are doing disclosure, you need to make sure that it’s clear to people,” he said. “So a good rule of thumb is there should be clear and conspicuous disclosure. It shouldn’t be the case where people have to dig around buried in small print or have to click and look around a long time to find out, ‘Oh, this content that I am reading was actually paid.’”
From ClickZ.
Google Penguin 2.0 update: Active social signals mean better ranking
Social signals are becoming more and more important for Google search ranking. The Google Penguin 2.0 update means that if people actively engage with your web site and content on social platforms, your site will end up higher in the results. Hooray for those with a strong social following. Boohoo for those who had worked harder on backlinks than social.
To summarize:
– Lots of backlinks might hit you back, either paid/spam or not.
– Advertorials? Make it clear to visitors that they -are- looking at advertorials.
– Social signals have more influence on results. Do some community building, and keep at it!
Here’s a German victim of the Google Penguin 2.0 update, which sunk in the Google SERPs because paid/spam backlinks to their web site.
More sources
Search Engine Watch
Matt Cutts blog
Search Engine Land
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