Penguin 2.0: Our predictions for the next SEO epidemic

Rumours are rife in the SEO world after Matt Cuts released information linking to changes that Google has planned for the next algorithm update.

Penguin 2.0 is just around the corner so here are Upperdog’s thoughts on what’s set to be important for SEO as the algorithm update is rolled out.

Exact Match Anchors

The first Penguin update was based around how much anchor text was exact match in a website’s backlink profile. Traditional SEO techniques focused on building up a high volume of exact match keyword anchor links, which are now being frowned upon. The reason behind this is that it looks very spammy. Penguin 2.0 is likely to take this to the next level, so building branded links is more important than ever now.

Link velocity

Its common sense that a high volume of links built within a small period of time is going to look unnatural. What’s worse is if you’re doing this on a regular basis. SEO links built in bulk will indicate straight away that link manipulation is taking place. Start building links gradually and don’t build too many in one go. Natural is the way to go.

Disavow tool

Google launched the disavow tool last year enabling web masters to report spam links that looked unnatural. This will be the first time Google has had this data when doing an algorithm update. There’s lots of speculation as to whether Google will or won’t use this data. Our guess is that if they spent the time developing it then it is likely that they’ll want to utilise the big bunch of data that has landed on their doorstep, the question is how much will this factor in to the update?

Social signals

Social and SEO go hand in hand these days, but lots of websites are capitalising on this as another chance to manipulate their link profiles. Yes, social signals can benefit SEO but buying 200 +1s or Facebook likes is going to look suspicious. Expect a more stringent analysis of social metrics and scrutiny as to how quickly these were gained. Overall, manage your own social content strategy and grow followers organically.

We don’t know what will and won’t feature in the new algorithm update but it’s best to stay one step ahead of the game and attempt to anticipate the changes in advance.

If you need any help with your SEO or want to talk to one of our experts then contact us!