Google Penguin 4.0 is here! The long-awaited update (and the last of its kind) has released today and is running in real-time as part of Google’s core algorithm.
This is the last Penguin update we will hear about, as further updates will be baked into Google’s continuous algorithm updates.
Read on to find out more about Penguin.
What to Expect from Google Penguin 4.0
Google Penguin 4.0 will work like past Penguin updates have in the past. Penguin is designed to root out websites that are trying to increase their rankings with black hat SEO techniques such as buying links through link farms.
Penguin 4.0 was developed and tested extensively by Google, and features a couple of changes from past updates:
- Future Penguin updates will roll out in real-time. Before, Google Penguin updates were rolled out at the same time. Webmasters who improved their sites in response to getting hit with a Penguin update would have to wait until the next one to see the results. Now that Penguin will be rolling out in real-time, the results will come much faster, leading to a faster reindexing of the site. Google has also said they’re “not going to comment on future refreshes.”
- Penguin 4.0 is “more granular.” Penguin will now adjust rankings based on “spam signals.” Before, Penguin had adjusted rankings based on the entire site. This will allow Penguin to be a bit more discerning in how it values a place.
Penguin was first released in 2012. The last update, Penguin 3.0, launched October 2014. Penguin 4.0 joins over 200 different ranking signals as part of Google’s core algorithm, meaning it will be continuously updated rather than announced in one massive push. Since Google will no longer announce Penguin, webmasters are “free to focus on creating amazing, compelling websites” rather than wait for the next update.
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Dalton Grant, a seasoned veteran with over 15 years in the Internet Marketing industry, brings extensive experience and dynamic leadership to SEO Inc. He initially served in various roles within the company, displaying his multifaceted talent and versatile expertise. Today, he holds several critical roles at SEO Inc., including Senior SEO Analyst, Linking Director, Brand Specialist, and Google Link Penalty Guru.
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