Penguin 4.0 – What link building practices can ruin your website?

It’s been four-plus years now when Google launched the Penguin algorithm. You would have heard a lot about this Penguin update. The main target to design this algorithm was to combat web spam which was then stated would impact only 3% of search queries.

After so much frustration from the website owners and search engine marketer, in September 2016, Google updated Penguin. The latest announced release, Penguin 4.0, was the last update. Now it runs in real time within the core search algorithm.

According to Google with this change;

Penguin’s data is refreshed in real time, so changes will be visible much faster, typically taking effect shortly after we recrawl and reindex a page.

Also, Penguin becomes more page-specific, not site wide only

Penguin is now more granular. Penguin now devalues spam by adjusting ranking based on spam signals, rather than affecting the ranking of the whole site.

Google realized the need of this enforcer algorithm to reduce public fear over the crazy link building beast. As Penguin runs with core search algorithm, make no mistake. Other wise get ready to be hunted by this cute and cuddly named algorithm.

As the fact of the matter, Google loves and appreciates GOOD link building behaviour and rewards in response. It is the time to stop practising bad link building behaviours.

Do you believe that Google knows who is who? Google is the company who knows where you work, where you live, who is your family and friends even what colour you like most and what is your favourite dish. Then why don’t you think Google also knows what practices you are performing to achieve a high rank for your business? Let’s have a look what bad practices can caught you by Penguin.

Link building in short time frame?

If you have generated too many backlinks in a very small span of time, get ready to be penalized under Penguin update. Obviously, if some type of link building is easy to handle, you will be blasting on it. But ultimately, Penguin will blast your page and/or website. To Penguin, such kind of backlinks generation behave is counted as web spam.

Links from a Link Farm

A small piece of text content on a web page contain a huge amount of links is considered as a link farm. In this case Text to Link ratio counts for any page. In reality, sites who are selling event tickets do not count into this Text to Link Ratio category.

On contrary, if a blog page or a product page contains outbound links more than the set ratio to the Text by Google it’s alarming to Penguin. Avoid getting a link from a link form.

Relevance in link building counts

If the only purpose is to create links for a website, Google discourages it. The relevance of the backlink generated from a webpage/website matters a lot to Google. Whenever you are working to create backlinks for a website do prefer the relevance. Always check if the site is relevant to your business. This actually gives a positive signal to Google and counted as GOOD backlink generation behaviour.

Link Building through Forum Commenting

If anyone has something to explore, they can find related Forums and ask the online community for the solution. In the Backlink marathon, internet marketers start creating backlinks by commenting in the forums. Usually, if the discussion is about some domestic problem like child abuse, the generated backlink will be a shipping company. Penguin 4.0 will not bear you for generating such links. Get ready for the penalty.

But if a forum is specifically talking about something which your product can help, you are good to go.

Content Marketing with Article submissions

Content is the king but Article Submission sites are the waste of time, energy and money invested. If Articles are not structured to solve a problem of your prospects, you must avoid going with it. Content can only be king if it is treated like wise.

Link building while Penguin 4.0 is Live

Don’t follow the success, follow the prospects. Listen to them. Solve their problems. Win their hearts. Google will reward.

Only go for the legitimate SEO links to keep Penguin happy. Always publish your content into your industry related places.

For example, if you are a baby sitter, find online places where mothers are seeking help in their busy lives. Go to the places and share tips to handle tiny tasks in handling their baby. For the purpose, you can go everywhere like mom blogs, mom forums, moms groups on social media channels, etc.

Today, if you are not leading your online business by focusing your future customers you are likely to make Penguin unhappy. It is not that hard as it seems. Yes, you can do it. Bravo!

Did you get hit by Latest Penguin update? Share your experience with us.