Google Panda 4.0 Update - What You Need to Know

Google Panda 4.0 Update - What You Need to Know
By Allison Platte
On May 20th, Matt Cutts sent the SEO world into a frenzy by announcing the roll out of Google's Panda 4.0 update. As with all other Google algorithm updates, marketers began researching and speculating what the effects of the algorithm update would be. The good news is, if you have been following Google's overall recommendation of generating high-quality, relevant content, you were probably not penalized during this update. However, a few case studies (source: Cognitiveseo.com) revealed three noteworthy insights into the details surrounding the Panda 4.0 update.
Insight 1: "Content Based Topical Authority" websites, or websites that dive deep into a particular topic, were given a rankings boost in the organic search results. The fact that a site with a large amount of specific content ranks higher than a site with a small amount of content may seem obvious. However, this pattern emerged in situations where sites had a lot of overview or generic content but did not dive deep into specific topics. When a site has a large volume of articles that explore a particular topic in depth, it will be given more authority than a site that has articles written as a high-level overview or that are a more general overview of the topic.
Insight 2: Websites that have high user engagement will receive even more visibility in the search results than those that do not. While Matt Cutts clarified that Facebook and Twitter social shares do not help your site's rankings any more than other types of links in this video, high user interaction does still seem to correspond with higher rankings. Sites with a high volume of comments and sharing seem to have received a boost after the Panda 4.0 update.
Insight 3: Automatically generated content is not as likely to be included in the search results, even if it is relevant to the query. For example, Ask.com was penalized during this update since the answers that they display to users are often scraped from other Q&A sites.
The key takeaway is that the Google Panda 4.0 update is just another step in Google's quest to provide its users with the most helpful website available in response to the user's search query. Websites that are an authority on a topic, provide users an opportunity to respond and engage with content, and provide unique (not automated) content will ultimately offer the user a great experience. If the goal of your content marketing strategy has been to provide your users with useful and quality content, then you have nothing to fear from Google Panda 4.0.
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