In February 2013, Google set live a significant algorithm with the aim of seeking out lower quality sites and webpages, calling the algorithm ‘Panda’. Google has explained that in order to provide users with ‘the highest quality, most relevant pages on the web’ Panda targets pages that may feature text relevant to a query, but that fail to provide a positive user experience.

Since the original launch Google have updated the algorithm to include all English language queries, with some additional, fairly minor updates which have been estimated to impact around 2.3% of U.S. queries. The update is now live across the world and is expected to create a substantial impact for English-speaking searchers, as in the initial launch in the U.S affected almost 12% of searches.

Google uses many indicators to categorise search results and identify whether they are relevant or not, some of these indicators are founded on user behavior. Recently, Google has launched two new ways for searchers to block sites from the search results page. First of all Google launched an extension for Chrome, now a direct block feature has been introduced which allows users to block sites after they have clicked to view a site and returned to the results page.

Since the initial launch of Panda, Google have always maintained that they do not use user data in the development of algorithms, but rather that they use the data of sites being blocked by users as confirmation that their algorithm was working well. It has been reported that Google found an 84% overlap in the sites users were blocking using the Chrome extension and the sites affected by Panda.

Google have now begun to use searcher data in ‘high confidence situations’ as a secondary method of seeking out low quality sites. In the initial launch Google stated that: ‘We are focused on showing users the highest quality, most relevant pages on the web. We’re cautious not to roll out changes until we’re confident that they improve the user experience.’

Additionally the fourth generation of Google’s anti-spam algorithm ‘Penguin Update’ is now live, which uses what Google refers to as ‘a new generation of tech that should better stop spam’.

After Penguin’s initial release, the second and third still were quite basic data refreshes with only minor alterations. However, Penguin 4 is a substantial change, so much so that internally Google has classified it as Penguin 2.0. Penguin 1, released in April 2012, impacted around 3% of queries, while updates 2 and 3 both impacted less than 0.4%. Penguin 4, set live on the 22nd of May, has impacted a substantial 2.3% of queries.

So what does Panda 2.0 mean for SEO?

It’s no doubt that the launch of Panda 2.0 and Penguin 4 will make significant changes in search rankings and optimisation techniques. Matt Cutts, Google’s head of Webspam, recently said that the latest Penguin update is ‘a major update that goes go deeper than the original Penguin update, and will impact many more SEO’s and Webmasters than the first generation version.’

What is certain is more than ever sites need strong and original content and valuable page authority if they are to create a useful and positive user experience and stay ahead of Google algorithms.