If you’ve been reading our last few blogs (or have been doing some research on search engine optimization) you’ve probably seen the words panda, hummingbird, and penguin. Anywhere else in the world you’d think we were talking about zoo animals or maybe some obscure Batman villains. We’re going to be talking about Google’s search algorithm’s which, if you’re not careful, can do as much damage to your website’s findability as the Penguin did to Batman when he unleashed an army of hummingbirds on him (this actually happened). Over the past few years we have helped boost our clients’ findability through our knowledge of these search algorithms (the hummingbird, penguin and panda algorithm) which is why we’ve provided a brief explanation of each one below. So, if you feel as though you’re not getting the exposure you deserve or if you’re just interested in improving your tactics when it comes to SEO, Fat Guy has got you covered.
Understanding the Difference Between the Hummingbird, the Penguin and the Panda Algorithm
The Panda
Adorable, a little unique and completely devoted to quality content. The Panda Algorithm was the first of the more recent algorithms. Launched in 2011, the algorithm made content king and tore down the websites that had been using black-hat SEO techniques. Those techniques include publishing low quality content, duplicating ads and posting unrelated links. Panda just received an update and is still a dominant player when it comes to SEO so make sure your website has both quality content (usually in the form of a business blog) and the proper ad ratio.
The Penguin
The Penguin in the comics is one of Batman’s most infamous villains and it’s one of Google’s most important SEO assets. More lethal than its loveable predecessor, the Penguin was designed to better to detect maligned and black-hat SEO practices. It specifically targeted those sites that improperly used links (link farms, over-optimized inbound links, etc.). Introduced in 2013 the algorithm has effectively reduced the findability of spammy websites which should make it easier for your potential customers to find you if you can publish well-written original content and use links properly.
The Hummingbird
This is Google’s youngest algorithm and was designed to revamp Google’s search function in order to match users’ actual search intent. That meant more relevant data for users and, hopefully, more relevant exposure for your website. Hummingbird allows Google to better rank the answers to question searches and builds off the previous efforts of the Penguin Algorithm and the Panda Algorithm. If you have any further questions about the Panda Algorithm or search engine optimization please feel free to give us a call at 516-535-5353. We look forward to hearing from you! 