What is Google Penguin Update?

Google Penguin is a code name for a Google algorithm update that was first announced on April 24, 2012. The update is aimed at decreasing search engine rankings of websites that violate Google’s Webmaster Guidelines by using now declared black-hat SEO techniques involved in increasing artificially the ranking of a webpage by manipulating the number of links pointing to the page. Such tactics are commonly described as link schemes. As Google prefers on organic results, thus they always make updates to remove spam sites such as over-optimized, low quality or bad sites etc.

Why my site is hit by Google Penguin Update?

If your site is hit by Google Penguin Update, then there must be a valid reason.

Your site may violate its quality guidelines.

Your site may show Google different then your users which is called ‘Cloaking’. Cloaking will definitely decrease your ranking on the search engines.

Your site may contain harmful elements such as Java Scripts, flash etc.that aren't crawl able by the boots.

Your site may involve in link exchange or receiving inbound links from bad sites.

History of the Google Penguin Algorithm Updates:-

• Penguin 1.0 on April 24, 2012 (impacting ~3.1% of queries)
• Penguin 1.1 on May 26, 2012 (impacting less than 0.1%)
• Penguin 1.2 on October 5, 2012 (impacting ~0.3% of queries)
• Penguin 2.0 on May 22, 2013 (impacting 2.3% of queries)
• Penguin 2.1 on Oct. 4, 2013 (impacting around 1% of queries)
• Penguin 3.0 on October 17, 2014 (impacting around 1% of queries)