What Entrepreneurs Need To Know About The Upcoming Penguin 4 Update

At the core of any SEO practice is the quest to crack a code. By understanding the way search engines work, SEO professionals optimize their websites to boost their rankings and reputation. But when those algorithms change, it can send some code breakers back to square one — and that’s exactly what’s happening with the Penguin 4 update.

In March, Google’s head spam-buster,

White Hat, no worries

There are plenty of “how to avoid being affected by the Penguin update” claims making their way around the Internet. But the truth is, if you’ve been doing everything white hat — that is, ethically — then you don’t have much to worry about. Ask yourself:

Does my site provide high-quality content, like infographics, studies, white papers, how-to guides, educational videos, and blog posts?
Does my company reach out to build links via guest blog posts, forums, social media, social bookmarking, etc.?

If you answered yes to these questions — meaning you’ve been optimizing your site “by the book” — you don’t need worry. By taking a few steps to prepare for the update, your business will be fine. Most of the people nervous about these changes are those who are walking the line on ethically generating content and backlinks.

Penguin preparation

Here are five actionable steps every entrepreneur can take to prepare his online marketing for the next Penguin update:

# 1. Make your site more educational

I personally recommend my clients use various mediums — such as infographics, eBooks, how-to guides, apps, or videos — to promote their products and educate clients. (Different demographics respond to different mediums, so don’t be afraid to switch it up!)

# 2. Stay away from “fluff” content

No one wants to read rambling content that was written for search spiders, rather than people. Instead, write in a natural way about topics that are newsworthy, relevant, and informative to your audience — and avoid stuffing in keywords just to try to attract rankings. Did something new happen in your industry? Write a blog post about it. Is your company making some major changes in operations? Write an article in the company news section.

# 3. Start building your social equity

Make sure to update your social profiles and reach out regularly. If someone posts a reply to your post, message him back. If a Twitter follower says something clever, retweet it. If you have something clever or interesting to share, post it on Reddit. As long as you’re honest and post true-to-brand content, the social equity will come.

# 4. Clean up your site

If it’s been more than two years since your last site redesign, it may be time for a refresh using the latest SEO techniques. Remember, the key is to convey educational content without overwhelming your visitors.

# 5. Monitor your SEO vitals

Use tools like SEOzio.com, which gives you all the stats the search engines use in this post-Penguin world.

Because user experience is at the forefront of these Google updates, it’s vital to ensure that your site is as educational and user-friendly as possible — starting now. By practicing ethical SEO and cleaning up your site before the change, your code-breaking skills will put your business on top when the next Penguin generation hatches.

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