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An Update On Google's Panda 4.2

Google is at it again. It has begun a new Panda update for the large search engine. Many of you may remember the last Panda update (4.1) which rolled out slowly beginning September 25, 2014. Many publishers and webmasters saw changes in their sites' visibility in Google's search during and after the rollout. This new update (4.2) started rolling out over the weekend of July 18, 2015 and is expected to roll out slowly over a period of months. It is unclear, because Google's announcement is vague, as to exactly how many months the rollout will last.

What Does Panda 4.2 Mean for Your Site?

Every time Panda is refreshed, sites can be redeemed from past penalties or penalized for new issues. If you put in place corrections from older Panda penalties, you may see positive changes in your site's search listings. However, because this update is rolling out so slowly, changes will not be as abrupt as in previous Panda updates.

Changes to Google Search

Panda 4.2 will affect about 2 to 3 percent of search queries, fewer than the last update which affected 3 to 5 percent and significantly lower than the initial Panda rollout in 2011 which affected 11.8 percent of queries. This update is announced and confirmed by the Google Search Team; therefore changes are definitely coming to the search engine. Changes to search queries include both positive and negative changes including some returning pages that have been deleted from search in the past. Google terms Panda 4.2 a refresh instead of an update which means that the signals sent out by this rollout have not changed since the last one.

If You Made Corrections to Your Site

If you made corrections to remove a previous Google penalty from earlier Panda updates, you are in luck. The current Panda filter will see your changes and revise the penalty accordingly. If you are in the process of changes and haven't completed them, Google will only see the impact of the completed changes. You will still be able to continue making corrections to your site; however you will have to wait for the next Panda update for them to get noticed.

How Long is the Rollout?

How Long Is The Roll Out

Google hasn't said exactly how long the Panda refresh will take other than "months." So the answer is that nobody knows but Google how long it will take. Because the rollout is slow, changes will be more subtle and harder to detect. It is also unclear whether the changes are being made over all Google search engines, U.S. and international, at the same time or in what order. Experts such as Dr. Pete Myers from Moz and Glenn Gabe from G-Squared Interactive have announced that they have not seen many changes so far. Search Engine Land agrees with this assessment.

The Bottom Line

For companies that have felt the crunch of previous Panda penalties, this new update is a long-awaited announcement. Most websites will not be affected, although regular updates to your sites are always recommended, removing dead links or any questionable or obsolete material. The best advice is to continue to make your website the best possible place to find high-quality information in your niche to maintain your authority in your field.

Chris Vendilli
About the Author
Chris is the founder and CEO of Vendilli Digital Group. In his free time, you’ll find him camping, fishing, or playing beer league ice hockey with a bunch of guys who refuse to admit they’re already over the hill.
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