Penguin 4.0 update: drop in results end of September
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Has anyone noticed certain drops in keyword rankings on/around 29 September?
Has this to do with the Penguin 4.0 update?
I read that this hasn't come "bug-free". Will this be adjusted the upcoming weeks? Or is this drop content-based based on the new algorithms and the content needs to be adjusted/updated?
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Hi Rob, I run an ecommerce site. My site used to rank #2 (my homepage) and #3 (my product page) for my primary keyword. #1 has always been my competitor's homepage. Now, my competitor's Shop page -- which uses this keyword only 6x within the content of that page -- is #2 bumping me down to #3 and #4
Any advice or guidance would be much appreciated.
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Based on what I've been reading, there are a hefty number of SEO's who have been seeing drops in their rankings (about a third of my SEO friends have reported drops, while some have reported increases). I think there is definitely something to be said by the fact that drops are occurring about 1-2 weeks after the gradual rollout of Penguin 4.0. There's definitely a correlation.
The algorithm is always being adjusted, but that doesn't mean the drops are going to be affected significantly.
Lastly, there are very few people I have spoken to who are relating their drops to poor content. Most engaged in some form of sketchy link building at some point during the history of their website(s) and they are now paying the price. I would encourage you to look back through your link profile and determine if this is what is going on for your site(s).
However, if you are seeing drops and your link profile is squeaky clean, it may very well be your content (Panda or Hummingbird). I doubt this because your drops sync so well with the release of Penguin 4.0, but it might be worth checking over your content and using GA to see where your drops are occurring. From what I have read, a telltale sign of Penguin 4.0 affecting your site is to look at your individual page rankings (rather than your Home page). Google isn't penalizing your entire domain anymore, just the pages that have link spam on them.
Looking forward to what other folks are seeing with regard to these new developments.
Cheers,
Rob
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Hi
Yes this is quite possible as in September Google realsesd few updates one of them was Penguin 4.0
here is the some useful links:
https://www.mariehaynes.com/penguin-4-0-recovery-case-studies/
https://moz.com/blog/how-real-time-penguin-model-changes-seo-whiteboard-friday
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