Now that the Panda is out of the box, did Google succeed in improving site content quality or has the Panda update become Pandora’s box?
As many of you who keep up with Google SEO news know, the online search giant, Google updated its algorithm to improve the quality of its searches. The algorithm (initially called Farmer update and affectionately known as Panda by Google insiders) was designed to reduce rankings for lower quality content sites while improving the rankings for high quality sites. Since the first update in late February, there has been a second Panda update. Now, many of you are left wondering if it was worthwhile for Google to conduct these updates. Before we unpack this discussion, let’s look at where both sides stand on the issue.
For Vs. Against
On the one side of the algorithm equation, some are thrilled by the update and thought it to be long overdue and absolutely necessary. You’ll find that those who are in favor of the update are frequent web searchers, website managers and some online freelancers. These frequent searchers are among a growing group of people who demand the highest content standards and provide only the highest quality product and information. The argument here is that if you provide a good product, you will get a good result. The opposite is also true. Remember the old adage? Junk in, Junk out. And really, if you think about it, why should anyone settle for anything less than good, quality information? Certainly, you would want the Google SEO news you receive to be first-rate and of the highest quality.
On the other side of this equation are those who are against the Panda update and honestly quite irate over it. Some reputable and not so reputable sites have equally seen their rankings plummet as a result of the Google algorithm update. Keep in mind that Google’s goal was to reduce rankings for lower quality content. In the short term, some respectable sites may be affected. The notorious sites know who they are and they use content farms to boost their Google SEO rankings. These websites have spammed up with low-quality content to line the pockets of the owners while depriving the searcher of information they need.
Victim Vs. Victor
Apparently, there have been some legitimate casualties in the war against poor web content. Some sites that use 100% original content and original reporting are are now demoted in the Google search rankings. Many of these web-based companies are asking – why us? Google states that only 11.8% of search queries will be affected by this latest update and assures us that the content farms with shallow content will decrease. If this is true, the cream will rise to the top and reputable websites will not be adversely affected but rather flourish in the long-term. The true victims here are the website owners that are looking out for their own interests. People are not interested in buying the garbage they are selling. It is that premise that is raising the bar on quality site content.
Superior Vs. Inferior
If the Panda update is really going to do what Google tells us it will do, the superior sites and content will prevail. The high quality site owners provide a real service for the public by insisting on original content, thoughtful and thought-provoking data and research. Think about it this way, if Google continued to provide content that was sub par, would you use it anymore? No. You would find a search engine that was known for its high standards and superior information. The search engines that take the easy road will soon be taking the high road. They will become obsolete. Keep in mind that the sites that were the hardest hit by the Panda update were the sites that were completely saturated with garbage topics like, Male Enhancement Drug and How To Get Your Ex Back. You get the picture here. These inferior sites don’t provide any real service for people and just clog up the system.
Eye on the Prize
As controversial as the Google algorithm update has been, we have to keep the prize in sight. The prize is a search engine that has integrity and has the consumer’s best interests in mind. Google responded to the needs of searchers for more quality sites by implementing this update. In the end, we all benefit when a search engine leader like Google demonstrates exceptional standards and integrity through its algorithm updates. In the end, it was worth letting the Panda loose.