| Google has confirmed that its next generation webspam algorithm – Penguin 2.0 – has been rolled out. It's Google's fourth Penguin update, but it's much more hard-hitting than previous refreshes carried out by the search giant. | 
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In a blog post, Google's search chief Matt Cutts explained that about 2.3 per cent of English-US queries are affected to the degree that a regular user might notice.
He said: "The change has also finished rolling out for other languages worldwide. The scope of Penguin varies by language, e.g. languages with more webspam will see more impact."
Google seems to be pressing forward with it has described as its desire for "white hat search engine optimisation, or even no search engine optimisation at all".
No search engine optimisation? Sounds mad, doesn't it? Well, perhaps not, as Google makes the case for awesome content to be the objective by "creating amazing, compelling websites".
Spamming, keyword stuffing and link-building practices are being penalised heavily – what is generally described as black hat SEO. White hat, on the other hand, is all about finding ways to make your site rank well because it genuinely deserves to.
"Sites affected by this change might not be easily recognisable as spamming without deep analysis or expertise, but the common thread is that these sites are doing much more than white hat SEO; we believe they are engaging in webspam tactics to manipulate search engine rankings," the Webmaster Central Blog explained in April.
White hat versus black hat
"White hat search engine optimisers often improve the usability of a site, help create great content, or make sites faster, which is good for both users and search engines," the blog explained.
"Good search engine optimisation can also mean good marketing: thinking about creative ways to make a site more compelling, which can help with search engines as well as social media.
"The net result of making a great site is often greater awareness of that site on the web, which can translate into more people linking to or visiting a site."
The opposite of white hat SEO is black hat webspam.
"In the pursuit of higher rankings or traffic, a few sites use techniques that don’t benefit users, where the intent is to look for shortcuts or loopholes that would rank pages higher than they deserve to be ranked. We see all sorts of webspam techniques every day, from keyword stuffing to link schemes that attempt to propel sites higher in rankings," explains Google.
Check your site ranking now to see whether you've been affected. If you have, it might mean you need to think about producing great content and a genuinely engaging experience for users, rather than simply trying by hook or by crook to get on page one.
He said: "The change has also finished rolling out for other languages worldwide. The scope of Penguin varies by language, e.g. languages with more webspam will see more impact."
Google seems to be pressing forward with it has described as its desire for "white hat search engine optimisation, or even no search engine optimisation at all".
No search engine optimisation? Sounds mad, doesn't it? Well, perhaps not, as Google makes the case for awesome content to be the objective by "creating amazing, compelling websites".
Spamming, keyword stuffing and link-building practices are being penalised heavily – what is generally described as black hat SEO. White hat, on the other hand, is all about finding ways to make your site rank well because it genuinely deserves to.
"Sites affected by this change might not be easily recognisable as spamming without deep analysis or expertise, but the common thread is that these sites are doing much more than white hat SEO; we believe they are engaging in webspam tactics to manipulate search engine rankings," the Webmaster Central Blog explained in April.
White hat versus black hat
"White hat search engine optimisers often improve the usability of a site, help create great content, or make sites faster, which is good for both users and search engines," the blog explained.
"Good search engine optimisation can also mean good marketing: thinking about creative ways to make a site more compelling, which can help with search engines as well as social media.
"The net result of making a great site is often greater awareness of that site on the web, which can translate into more people linking to or visiting a site."
The opposite of white hat SEO is black hat webspam.
"In the pursuit of higher rankings or traffic, a few sites use techniques that don’t benefit users, where the intent is to look for shortcuts or loopholes that would rank pages higher than they deserve to be ranked. We see all sorts of webspam techniques every day, from keyword stuffing to link schemes that attempt to propel sites higher in rankings," explains Google.
Check your site ranking now to see whether you've been affected. If you have, it might mean you need to think about producing great content and a genuinely engaging experience for users, rather than simply trying by hook or by crook to get on page one.
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