Google's Penguin 3.0 still being Rolled Out

Google has rolled out numerous updates to their search engine algorithm this year. They have affected countless websites across the web; and the effects of some updates are still ongoing.

The latest update, Google Penguin 3.0, was officially launched on October 17, 2014. Let's examine how widespread this update is, who it affects, and how the latest Penguin update differs from the rest to try to predict how many webmasters it will ultimately affect.

What is Google Penguin 3.0?

Penguin 3.0 is a world-wide update, affecting all versions of Google. Its deployment has been ongoing for some time. But, announcements from Google's Pierre Far on October 21, 2014 stated that the update should be finished deploying within the next few weeks.

The peculiar nature of the recent ongoing changes in search engine rankings for websites that have done little to no off-site SEO likely means that the "refresh" that Pierre Far cited is still continuing.

With that being said, Pierre Far reported that Google has only had a minimal impact on English-based queries. 1% of sites that are listed under English search results have seen a ranking fluctuation directly, because of this recent algorithm update.

Who Does the Penguin 3.0 Algorithm Update Affect?

The Penguin 3.0 update is directed specifically at websites that employed shady or poor link-building practices. There are no set parameters as to what qualifies as bad. But, it's possible to speculate that this update intends to demote websites that have been heavily into manipulating their search engine rankings with dubious content or spam links.

Google Penguin 3.0 is almost meant to help websites that have been working to create clean link profiles after experiencing penalties as a result of the previous Penguin updates. This makes it more of a "refresh" of rankings for websites that fall into this category.

How Does this Penguin Update Differ from the Rest?

Unlike previous Penguin updates, it seems that this update is directed at recompiling the data that Google already has for websites. There are no new search engine signals, which means that Penguin 3.0 is likely meant only to more accurately interpret the linking profiles that many websites already have, while filtering or flagging certain types of links.

With less English results being affected by this update, one point of speculation is that this update is a prelude to another forthcoming algorithm change. It may also be a continuation of the effects that Penguin 2.1 had back in the beginning of October, 2013, due to the fact that it seems like a change to how data is interpreted rather than what is collected.

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