When Google’s Panda algorithm update was released in the US earlier this year, it wreaked havoc. It did so again when the update was rolled out across Google’s English-based sites internationally. Now, it looks like the latest tweaks on the algorithm update are likely to wreak a just a little more havoc on unsuspecting sites.
The Panda update, also previously known as the Farmer update, caused significant changes to most SEO plans as it focussed on content. Site owners and those in SEO careers from Washington to Merseyside scrambled to improve content quality on websites, and many were caught out.
Many sites in the US were again caught out when Google updated Panda once more at the end of September. This mini-update, being dubbed Panda 2.5, is one of many regular updates, but seems to have caused more damage than most. A number of prominent US companies have dropped in visibility since the update, including Technorati and Today.com, The Today Show’s website. PR News Wire continues to suffer, while YouTube and Last.fm have flourished.
Google has been making regular minor updates to the Panda algorithm change since it first came out, at an average rate of one every three to four weeks. This update has taken a little longer than most, being roughly seven weeks after the last confirmed update. Does this mean that site owners and search engine optimisation experts can relax, as Google’s perfected the algorithm? Unlikely, but it could indicate that Panda’s changes are going to slow down in future. Fingers crossed.
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