algorithm-updates

Rap Genius Recovery: Analyzing The Keyword Gains and Losses After The Google Penalty Was Lifted

On Christmas Day, Rap Genius was given a heck of a gift from Google.  A penalty that sent their rankings plummeting faster than an anvil off the Eiffel tower.  The loss in traffic has been documented heavily as many keywords dropped from page one to page five and beyond.  And many of those keywords used … Read more

Panda Report – How To Find Low Quality Content By Comparing Top Landing Pages From Google Organic

Note, this tutorial works in conjunction with my Search Engine Watch column, which explains how to analyze the top landing pages from Google Organic prior to, and then after, Panda arrives.  With the amount of confusion circling Panda, I wanted to cover a report webmasters can run today that can help guide them down the … Read more

Google’s Pirate Algorithm and DMCA Takedowns | Exploring the Impact Threshold

In August of 2012, Google announced an update to its search algorithm that targeted websites receiving a high number of DMCA takedown requests.  The update was unofficially called “The Pirate Update”, based on the concept of pirating someone else’s content like music, movies, articles, etc.  With the update, Google explained that “sites receiving a lot … Read more

A Double Penguin Recovery (via 2.1 Update) – But Does It Reveal A Penguin Glitch?

Summary: I analyzed the first double Penguin recovery I have come across during my research (after the Penguin 2.1 update). But what I found could reveal a glitch in the Penguin algorithm. And that glitch could be providing a false sense of security to some business owners. If you have followed my blog and Search … Read more

Penguin 2.1 Analysis and Findings (Based on the October 4, 2013 Update)

On Friday, October 4th at 4:50PM, Matt Cutts announced that Penguin 2.1 was rolling out.  It was shortly after reading that update that I tweeted we could be in for an icy weekend (as the latest update would surely take out more websites).  But on the flip side, a new update also meant that more … Read more

A Wolf in Panda’s Clothing – How An Expired SSL Certificate Could Impact Organic Search Traffic

Summary: How I helped an ecommerce retailer recover from Panda in eight days, when it was never Panda in the first place. A few weeks ago, I had a business owner reach out to me about a potential Panda hit.  His initial email to me was similar to many others I have seen.  He noticed … Read more

Panda To Roll Out Monthly Over Ten Days — What It Means for Website Owners and SEOs

At SMX West, Matt Cutts spoke about the latest Panda changes, and mentioned that the algorithm update had matured.  He explained that Panda will now roll out monthly, but slowly over a 10 day period.  Previously, Panda would roll out every 4-6 weeks and the rollout would be relatively quick (all in one shot).  In … Read more

Penguin 2.0 Initial Findings – A Deeper Update, But Not Broader [Analysis]

Penguin 2.0 launched on Wednesday, May 22nd, and it’s an update that most SEOs have been eagerly awaiting.  Leading up to the rollout, all signs pointed to a nasty algorithm update that was going to be bigger and badder than the Penguin 1.0.  There was a lot of speculation about how aggressive it would be, … Read more

SEO Findings From Google’s Phantom Update on May 8th, 2013 | Was It Penguin 2.0 in the Wild?

In early May there was a lot of chatter in the webmaster forums about a major Google update.  Google wouldn’t confirm that it occurred (big shock), but the level of chatter was significant.  Not long after that, Matt Cutts announced that Penguin 2.0 would be rolling out within the next few weeks, and that it … Read more

The Pandeguin Penalty: What to do if your website has been hit by both Penguin and Panda

If you’ve been following my blog recently, then you know how much Penguin analysis I’ve been performing.  Since the algorithm update first hit on 4/24, I’ve been working hard at analyzing websites impacted by Penguin.  You can read my previous posts to learn more, including my most recent post detailing my findings based on analyzing over … Read more