Google Penguin has always caused a lot of heartaches and headaches. Ever since the first Google Penguin – now known as Penguin 1.0 – was released, many companies have been penalized and several have experienced dwindling organic traffic from search engines. Google Penguin 2.1 is the fifth update that was released in the first week of October. By now, you would know if your website has been hit or if the latest Google algorithm update has actually helped you.
Google Penguin 2.1 is nothing different from the earlier Google Penguin updates, from 1.0 through to 2.0. The two major Google Penguin updates that had caused the maximum impact were the first version and the 2.0 version. The interim versions between the two hardly had any major impact and websites were largely unaffected. The Google Penguin 2.1 is going to have a significant impact, not to the extent that Google Penguin 1.0 and Google Penguin 2.0 had but certainly more extensive than 1.2 and 1.3.
The latest Google algorithm update aims to perfect the spam detection system of the search engine giant. The purpose is still the same as that of the first Google Penguin. Google wishes to penalize websites that do not adhere to its guidelines and indulge in shady link building practices. Low quality links, back links or link wheels generated automatically and paid link exchanges are some of what would be spotted and penalized.
In addition to that, Google Penguin 2.1 attempts to go deeper into the world of web spamming and malpractices pertaining to link building. If there are any underlying wrong practices engaged to share cross links, to build links and to circulate an enormous number of back links through any channel or network of websites, such practices would be identified by Google Penguin 2.1 and the website which is the beneficiary of all these links would be penalized, along with the websites that are indulging in and encouraging such link building practices.
The Google algorithm update has been in play for almost a month now and if you haven’t noticed any significant differences in the quantum of traffic to your website then you haven’t been affected by Google Penguin 2.1. if you have witnessed any unpleasant changes then you should go through your links, back links, link wheels and all link building practices, remove the ones that are suspicious in the eyes of Google Penguin and disavow the others which may cause troubles.