Google has just released Google Penguin 2.0, an update that lets the spam-killing service delve deeper into websites to provide more accurate search rankings.

Penguin plods on

Penguin, which was first released in April 2012, is an algorithm that trawls the net for websites violating Google's Webmaster Guidelines and decreases their search ranking. Violations can include keyword stuffing, backlinks, cloaking and posting duplicate content.

Google Distinguished Engineer Matt Cutts announced the update in a blog post. He explained around 2.3 per cent of English-US queries will be affected and the update included a form where users can report spam sites. 

Content is king

Google released this video explaining what SEOs can expect from the update, which broadly hinted that content rather than links or SEO would rank more favourably with Penguin 2.0.

The update is important because it reflects Google's shift towards prioritising relevant content such as blog posts, images and video over links and, to some extend, SEO.

Teething problems

Since launch the update has proved a challenge for several established brands.

Searchmetrics has released its initial findings into which websites have been negatively affected by Penguin 2.0. While adult and gambling sites have received a hit, so too have bigger brands including the Salvation Army and Dish.com.

To find out more or report any issues with your website ranking visit googlewebmastercentral.blogspot.com.au.

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