Google recently announced the launch of Panda 4.2, an algorithm update that will roll out over the next few months. It’s suggested that the start date for this was July 18th 2015.
What does it mean?
It’s not necessarily an ‘update’ of the algorithm – nothing is really changing – but it’s a definite refresh. This means that if you start to make changes on your website in regards to content right now, it might not necessarily make a difference. Google tends to add a cut-off point to a refresh or update of an algorithm, so it’s always best to have an effective strategy implemented all year round, rather than when you’re concerned about an update.
It also means that some sites will be rewarded by the update, whereas others will be penalised. Of course, as with all SEO, we won’t see any dramatic changes straight away – you may start to notice an increase or decrease in your organic traffic over a period of time, rather than see everything drop off over the weekend.
The most recent Panda update before this was September 25th 2014, where we saw smaller, high-quality sites flourish. 3-5% of search queries were affected. This time, Google expects to see 2-3% of search queries affected.
If you want further information on the Panda algorithm in general, check this out.
Will my website be affected?
If you have an effective and strategic content marketing and SEO plan in place, then you’ll either see your organic traffic remain the same or increase over time. If you have ignored any content marketing efforts, then we can’t guarantee what the future might hold for your website.
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To ensure you don’t run the risk of losing organic traffic in the future, contact us today to speak to one of our SEO experts on how to develop and implement the most effective strategy for your website/industry.
Sources: Wikipedia | Search Engine Land | The SEM Post
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