Panda 4.2: The Silent Google Algorithm Refresh
When you are a digital marketer, you tend to notice anything and everything Google is doing. However, with the newest Panda refresh, Panda 4.2, the impact is far less noticeable due to it’s slow rollout. This marks the 30th update for the Panda Algorithm since it was launched in 2011. So what does Panda 4.2 have in store for us? Let’s take a deeper look into Google’s most recent algorithm refresh.
First thing to note about Panda 4.2 is that while Google started implementing the refresh on July 18th, 2015, it is going to take months before it is completely rolled out. Google has stated this will affect between 2-3% of english language search queries. I know what you’re thinking, it will take “months” to rollout, so how many months are we talking here? One to two? Six? Unfortunately, it's hard to say. Google hasn’t provided a clear enough picture yet for the general public to decipher how many months this will actually take. All we can hope is that they make another announcement giving us some more insight to this.
This is going to provide new opportunities for some, and headaches for others.
If you were penalized in the last Panda update this past September, this is a chance to redeem yourself. That is if, and only if, you already made the proper corrections to your site. Since the rollout is slow, you probably won’t notice much changes until months from now. But keep an eye on your organic traffic to see whether is was positively or negatively affected.
Another thing to note is that this is more of a “refresh” than an actual update. This means there are definitely slight tweaks in the algorithm, but not enough to be warranted a true update. However, you should still pay attention to what this can mean for you.
What does Panda 4.2 really mean for you and your website?
Small to medium sized, quality websites should see a boost in rankings. That is if all of your ducks are in a row. It is yet to be seen how much this refresh has the ability to potentially negatively affect a site.
One thing all of us SEOs and digital marketers can agree on, is that we have not seen a big impact from last weekends refresh. But don’t be quick to dismiss it. We have yet to see the full effect of Panda 4.2. So far the forecast seems sunny and positive for the majority of websites out there. Stay tuned to see what changes we report on as we acquire more information on this.
Takeaways
- Panda 4.2 is officially here and we still don't fully understand it's impact.
- You most likely won’t see the affects of this refresh until months from now.
- The effects of Panda 4.2 seem to be gradual and subtle.
- There is still more to come and a lot to learn from this refresh.
To keep up to date on what is happening in the digital world and with Google updates like Panda 4.2, check in with us regularly!
