Google Penguin 4.0 is Here

20/10/2016

Launched in 2012, Google Penguin is one of over 200 signals used to determine search engine rank. Penguin more specifically aims to penalise sites spamming its search results. This means sites that use artificial means to enhance search engine ranking are unlikely to rank in organic search results.

In the past, Penguin was a standalone algorithm which was periodically applied, meaning improvements made by webmasters were not instantly noticeable. After nearly two years, the Penguin algorithm has been incorporated into Google's core search algorithm, meaning it now works in real time. This is significant for those working to clean up their site as they are likely to see results much more quickly.

Up to now Penguin has devalued an entire site in its rankings, but Google has reported that Penguin now works on a more granular level. This implies specific pages or sections of the site are affected based on more specific spam signals.