The Google Panda Eats Shoots and Tweets: New Algorithm Changes April 20, 2012 by Sarah Bauer BA English Literature

The Google algorithm overhaul from February 2011, dubbed “Panda” by Google Fellow Amit Singhal and his team of SEO engineers, has reared its head once again. And this time, it’s been delivered in less than 140 characters.

On March 23^rd, a tweet rang out from the official news update Twitter handle for Google, @google:

“Panda refresh rolling out now. Only ~1.6% of queries noticeably affected. Background on Panda: goo.gl/mTKCH”

The link refers to the February 2011 Panda update announcement from Matt Cutts and Amit Singhal, posted via the Google blog.

In that now-infamous post, Cutts and Singhal are clear about what the Google Search Quality team wishes to accomplish for its users.

“Our goal is simple: to give people the most relevant answers to their queries as quickly as possible,” starts the article.

That this article was included in the tweeted announcement last week, suggests that the message holds true. Cutts and Singhal ultimately want to provide users with the most reliable, informative online resource available.

Yet like the Panda update of last year, the freshest change is hardly black-and-white. SEO experts and business owners must pander around in the dark for solutions to maintaining or increasing search rankings. As the February 2011 article mentions, optimal search results require “constant tuning of [the] algorithms, as new content-both good and bad-comes online all the time.”

We can expect that the Google Search Quality team is busy tinkering and adjusting the algorithm to best suit current content traffic; in return, high-rank aspirants must anticipate a bit of tinkering work themselves.

Last year, Cutts and Singhal said that the change would provide “better ranking for high-quality sites-sites with original content and information such as research, in-depth reports, thoughtful analysis, and so on,” igniting a content revolution that continues to distinguish the junk from the gold online.

With an update summary in less than 140 characters, the March 23^rd tweet from @google makes a statement about succinct communication, and compels its reader to reflect on past algorithm changes.  It leaves me wondering: can a panda change its spots?

In coming months, let the refresh roll out without any undue stress to your online business strategy.  If the Panda update from last year taught us anything, it’s that content reigns. Stacking your site with researched, original content that informs and delights will continue to improve your rankings and hone your site to be an authoritative resource for your industry.

Check back at kelownawebdesigns.com for tips and information as SEO experts crack into the algorithm change specifics!

References

Bauer, Sarah. “5 Things You Need to Know About SEO.” 23 September 2011. KelownaWebDesigns.com: http://www.kelownawebdesigns.com/search-engine-optimization/5-things-you-need-to-know-about-seo/

Cutts, Matt and Amit Singhal.”Finding more high-quality sites in search.” 24 February 2011. Google Blog : http://googleblog.blogspot.ca/2011/02/finding-more-high-quality-sites-in.html

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