Google, the biggest search engine and a backbone of many a million online businesses rolled out its new algorithm to fight the web spam, Google Penguin. After Panda, it came as another jolt to a significant number of websites who were pulled down from their top rankings by Google. Basically, Google Penguin did the below tasks:

1. Took away the high SERPs from the spam websites.
2. Penalized the sites having low quality of backlinks coming from low quality websites.
3. Punished the websites following negative SEO or black hat SEO techniques.
4. Sites using keyword stuffing to gain high search engine rankings were tagged as spam and got axed by the Google Penguin.
5. Excessive backlinking without any quality content.
6. Websites using spun content or copied content to rank high. Plagiarism is not tolerated by Google any more.

Penguin has been there to improve the quality of the search results produced by the Google. This update came as a huge blow to the search engine traffic of some websites which had been cashing on the spam linking and keyword techniques earlier. Though according to Google’s Web Spam Team Leader Matt Cutts, only 3% of the queries have been affected. May be this is an indication from the Google that only quality  content and natural link building will be rewarded.

Though there have been cases where websites using no spamming techniques and absolutely no fake content also came under the hammer. But as we know that Google team is smart and fast enough to rectify its mistakes, there have been only very few exceptions.

How to Avoid Google Penguin After-Effects

Recovering from Algorithm updates is never easy for the webmasters. But it really takes some easy steps like below to avoid any further penalizing by Google :

• If you notice that your search engine traffic specially from Google has decreased to a significant amount, then you may have been hit by the Penguin. Try using Google Webmasters Tools to be aware of any problems on your site.
• If there has been any spun or duplicate content on your site, consider removing it right now else you will completely vanish in a few days.
• Guest post on other relevant sites as guest posting is still the most natural form of link building.
• Avoid linking from sites which are of low quality or are of high risk.
• Keywords. Yes, they are the key to the SEO. Use them only where they are needed. Do not stuff them or else it will only do bad for your website.
• Do not use same anchor text all over the web. Make a good use of LSI keywords along with your main keyword to gain maximum benefits as well as avoiding Google Penguin wrath at the same time.

This Penguin update affects the most important factor in the process of  online earning, i.e., traffic. Without traffic, your blog or website will go nowhere. Hence keep the above blogging tips in mind and you can play safe.