Google is cracking down on black hat search engine optimizers once again. Following updates for page layout and ranking, the search giant has announced yet another change this week. The latest update aims to keep webspam out of search results.
With Google coming down on webspam with full force, it is best to stick to white hat SEO techniques. Simple measures like regularly updating your site with fresh content can have a considerable impact on your search ranking. If you lack required resources, professional SEO writers are a great option.
The new update has been confirmed by Matt Cutts, the head of Google webspam team, and announced on Google Web Master Central Blog. The blog post also clarifies the motivations behind the change. The last Panda update (3.4) hit on the 23rd of March. The most recent update (3.5) will come into effect over the next week for all languages. In English, it is expected to affect approximately 3.1% search queries, a noticeable change for regular users.
Now that the update is out, the big question is – who are the winners and the losers? The list of traffic winners includes sites like Spotify and Poynter. The list of losers has some surprises like Digg, Appspot and Cult of Mac.