Is This New Panda Update Helping Small Sites?

If you’re feeling the effects of a Google algorithm update this week, there’s a good chance it’s Panda. No, Google hasn’t already launched another one. It’s still the last one. It’s just not done rolling out (at least as of Monday).

Have you felt the effects of Google’s algorithm this week? Let us know in the comments.

On September 25th, Google launched the update, which it suggested should help small sites. Google’s Pierre Far said on Google+:

Earlier this week, we started a slow rollout of an improved Panda algorithm, and we expect to have everything done sometime next week. Based on user (and webmaster!) feedback, we’ve been able to discover a few more signals to help Panda identify low-quality content more precisely. This results in a greater diversity of high-quality small- and medium-sized sites ranking higher, which is nice. Depending on the locale, around 3-5% of queries are affected.

Search Engine Land reported on Monday that the roll-out was still occurring, claiming to have confirmed as much with Google. That is indeed a “slow rollout,” and webmaster/SEOs are still feeling the effects.

A new Penguin update is on the way as well, but we still don’t know exactly when that will hit. It could be as early this week, but will most likely happen before the end of the year at the latest.

So, has the latest Panda update actually been helping smaller sites? Well, probably some, but others feel like they’re being left out in the cold, while others are just generally skeptical.

“I still don’t see small businesses appearing in the search results,” one reader recently commented. “I suspect this new Panda is just more smoke and mirrors from Google…”

Another said, “There is nothing favorable for small business in this update.”

That was early in the roll-out, however, and if it’s still rolling out, who knows how long it will actually take.

Searchmetrics put out its regular lists of winners and losers from the Panda update, which are as follows:

Losers:

Winners:

These lists were also released early in the roll-out, so it’s likely that they’ve changed significantly by now. It’s also worth keeping in mind that these lists have in the past not always been a completely accurate view of sites affected by Panda, as other signals have come into play. It’s an interesting look some sites that have lost and gained search visibility in Google, but strictly speaking about Panda, the lists should be taken with a grain of salt.

Notice that eHow – the content farm poster child, which has been a major victim of Panda over the years – is in the losers list yet again.

While you’re dealing with the new Panda update and anticipating the next Penguin, keep in mind that Google is also bumping up HTTPS sites and is apparently adding mobile site usability as a ranking signal. Also, you might want to take another look at that list of Panda-related guidelines Google provided.

What are your thoughts about the latest Panda so far? A step in the right direction? Let us know in the comments.

Note: This article has been updated from a previous form to include additional information.

Image via Wikimedia Commons