Google Launches Panda 2.2

Recently, Google introduced a new Panda algorithm update, now already referred to as Panda 2.2. Although the search giant has not yet provided any details about the changes Google Panda 2.2 brings, it’s clear that Google is keen on improving one of its most controversial algorithms. For many businesses, this update is yet another reason for them to hire professional SEO services.

What to Expect

It’s too early to judge Google Panda 2.2’s impact. Nevertheless, it has been speculated that the update will fix, or at least ameliorate, the scraper-sites problem.

A scraper website is one that openly republishes content from other websites, and that earns a lot of money with AdSense as a result. What many find outrageous about these websites is that in many cases Google ranks them higher than the websites from which the content originated. The latest Panda update likely tries to address this.

Google Panda 2.2 is making many anxious. Its previous releases, the first in February and the second in May, both had a strong impact. Some high-quality sites dropped positions in the search engine results page (SERP), without any apparent reason. It will be interesting to see whether Panda 2.2 will give rise to similar issues.

Dealing With Panda

Previous Google Panda updates had a negative impact on quite a few high-quality websites. The aim of the past releases was to remove low-quality content and thus improve the search experience. Few would argue against the effectiveness of Panda, but it seems that there has also been quite a lot of collateral damage.

All in all, though the key SEO factors Panda relies on remain largely a mystery, it has become clearer that online businesses that wish to maintain a steady SERP ranking are better off by using professional SEO services.

However, there are three effective strategies that any webmaster can use to improve site rankings, before hiring professional SEO services.

• Diversify traffic as much as possible.
• Fix any problems with usability.
• Add more excellent content, and ensure it’s distributed consistently across the website.

The last strategy is perhaps the most important, as it’s clear that Panda likes, above all else, high-quality content.