Get A-Panda-dents: Answer a Google Update Panda Blog

When Google launched the first Panda update on February 23, 2011, we saw our website traffic plummet 40%. I learned that four hours after quitting my day job to become a full time blogger. I do not regret the decision for a second, but presents some unique challenges for the coming days.

Since then, we used different strategies to regain our former glory. Site Investigation and analysis has led us to eliminate the potentially low quality content. We experimented with the modification and removal of ads, all the while trying to improve the user experience. It is important to know that we have not seen a recovery ... yet. Nothing I am about to share has made a significant improvement, but hopefully this article will give an idea of ​​other publishers.

Google has mentioned time and again that the new document classifier Panda affects the entire site. Before, you could have a handful of very well and put the onus was on Google to find them. Now, assume responsibility for webmasters carefully preserve every piece of content.

Since the end of poor quality is subject to interpretation, we begin our analysis of the site to identify high quality content. The aim was to improve the link profile and delete all but the best of our content. Using data from Google Analytics, Webmaster Tools, tools and backlink analysis, classification, each individual message. Specifically, we look at the top landing pages, content by the number of links, content by the number of linking domains and domain authority. Many of these factors are correlated with AdSense income therefore also taken into account.

We decided that the items needed to go and stay. It was painful to think about how to remove 75% of our files, so it was a relief to find alternative ways to "eliminate" the content. By blocking the track, which would be able to maintain the informational messages that did not make the cut, and preserve the links.

On another forum, John Mu said you should use a 404 or 410 error code pages to not worth saving, items 301 redirect can be combined, and a "noindex" meta tag for content that will write . Matt Cutts did a live broadcast on May 25 which found that noindexing is a good solution for the disposal of low-quality content. Blocking robots in the file. txt Googlebots prevents trawling, while allowing noindexing tracking and following links.

He seemed very telling that the AdSense team released new guidelines for ad placement two months after a release of Panda. A lot of editors was offended because the AdSense optimization specialists have always pushed for more ad units and placements more aggressive. Now it seemed that there was a threshold for ads that pushes content below the fold. This section is not, as Google does each page of the preview that offer search results. They know where the ad units fall.

I have to admit that we were being aggressive with our placement of ads. We took the plunge and removed AdSense for over a month, through the Panda 2.2 update, but saw no improvement. Since then, we have only replaced AdSense in a handful of articles.

We suspect that Google is the affiliate links similar to the ads, especially as the publisher may bias toward a specific product. The elimination of most of the links to our affiliates was easy since only a few converts. But it goes without saying that in general these changes actually have beaten us where it hurts.

Michael shares had difficulty finding examples of scrapers beating the original authors, but it hits the nail on the head in the last line of the section. If Panda is not demote your site, you will still outperform the scrapers. Our site not.

I made a lot of takedown notices since hit Panda, but that's not the only duplicate content we've been reviewing. Many of our items are overlapping due to the similar (but different) issues. We started working to ensure that each item could remain on its own merits, with unique ideas and new perspectives. This was not an easy task, and is still a work in progress.

Bloggers have known that the social marketing (a good metric for the user experience) is an important part of your online identity and a great way to create readers. With moves like the +1 button, Google shifts some of the power of the owners of the site for the internet every day. Before, we build relationships and advocate for the links to webmasters, but the system is easily gamed. Now, the end user experience and how they interact on your site is more important than ever.

We made a lot of improvements, and somehow I am pleased Panda has had such a dramatic impact. Nothing has been promoted in many of the changes we have made. Our site will be refined in the fire with the end result will be much better than before. Sometimes webmasters are too close to their own products.

If you have ideas on how to overcome Panda demotion, or suggestions on how we can improve, I'd love to hear.

Posted in: Search Engine Optimization