What Should You Do If Your Website has been Hit by Google Panda 4.0

Google Panda 4.0 was rolled out yesterday on the 2oth of May 2014.

We observed sudden changes in rankings of hundreds of websites managed by us. Although more than 80% were positive changes, we sensed an algorithmic update. Yet, there was no buzz about it on any SEO community.

I even checked Matt Cutts’ Twitter profile but there was no news there. Though several hours after our nervousness, Matt Cutts finally tweeted that it is Panda 4.0 update. Up until now, we were believing that It might be the Penguin 3.0 as we were under the impression that Google Panda has been integrated with the algorithm.

It means Panda 4.0 is a major update to the Panda algorithm.

Google Panda algorithm favors websites having superior content. So, if you have not been producing high-quality content then it’s the time to do it.

What should you do if you have been hit by Google Panda 4.0:

1) 1) Check the overall impact on the website traffic and then create an excel spreadsheet with the current ranking before the actual rollout.

2) If the ranking drop is minor –  say you shifted from position no.1 to 2 or 3, then rest assured that you are not penalized. It’s a sign that you have been doing good work and you can regain your ranking by doing even better.

3) If you have seen major drops in ranking during this Panda 4.0 rollout, then you need to stop and do a content audit of your website and compare it with the sites that are ranking on top of your ow. If your content is shallow, then replace all the content with longer and more detailed content instead.

4) We observed that Penguin 4.0 has treated each page separately unlike past algorithmic changes that penalized the whole domain. So, if your specific pages have lost ranking, then Its time to replace the existing content with high-quality content.