Now that the Penguin 2.0 refresh is upon us, webmasters are scrambling to clean up their link profiles and get a step ahead of all the madness – as far as I’ve seen, the ramifications of the latest Penguin update haven’t come close to the ranking destruction that Google left in its path last year.
While some SEO’s and business owners are claiming the sky is falling, I think the smartest thing to do is remember that history repeats itself – Google has been updating their algorithm for years, and will continue to do so until the end of time – has anything really changed?
Initial Takeaways of Penguin 2.0
Not surprising, the Penguin 2.0 update has seemingly targeted the same two factors as the last refresh: quality vs. spam links and anchor text distribution. As far as I’m concerned, Google has simply yelled from the rooftops, “stop optimizing your site so heavily!” Think more naturally; think brand links, generic links, “click here,” “on this resource” and so on.
Google knows about the SEO industry, yet they’re doing all they can to keep it in check. Adjusting your strategy according to the most recent research is the answer. Tone down your anchor text, continue to do guest posts and keep your link profile as natural as possible – end of story.
Other than keeping recent research and those ranking success principles in mind, what else can you be doing to stay ahead of the curve?
#1 – Keep Your Ear to the Ground
No one likes to get blindsided by a stampede – do like the ancestors used to, keep your ear to the ground and listen for any rumbling. Staying informed about any important, future Google updates is key – stay up to date with the latest research and A.B.T. – always, be, testing.
#2 – Continue to Tone Back Your Anchor Text
Toning back your anchor text is important these days – Google has made it clear that they want to see a clean, natural link profile if you hope to escape any future updates. Again, think natural, normal, brand links, generics – yes, this still does include some anchor and partial anchor matches.
Anchor text isn’t dead, but it is wounded – throw in some naked URLs. Think natural, natural, natural.
#3 – Strive for High Quality, Relevant Links
At the end of the day, you should keep your eyes on the prize – and no, the prize isn’t something new and flashy. Relevant, high quality, authoritative, links win, period – they always have and will continue to do so into the foreseeable future.
While the locals run around screaming the sky is falling, stay the path – keep your head up, ear to the ground and hit your link goals; research and adjust accordingly. Keep it up and you’ll be smashing ranking goals in no time!