Fixing Hidden Panda Hits

As discussed in our previous blog, Visualising Hidden Panda Hits, we discussed the importance of carefully analysing fluctuations in traffic to look for subtle downgrades as a result of algorithmic changes.

On the surface, the analytics for this particular client do not appear to be particularly worrying. Keen SEOs may spot a few sharp downgrades but are unlikely to associate them with or diagnose Panda and Penguin updates. In this particular case study, we took the average between the updates. We can clearly see where an algorithmic downgrading has occurred and can take action swiftly to prevent further damage to a particular site.

Normally, we would expect Panda to affect a site that has on-site issues that need to be addressed. For example, content duplication and irrelevant copy can cause a site to suddenly see a drop in traffic and rankings. However, in the case of this particular client, they had no on-site issues and their content was up to standard in terms of what Google would like to see on a high quality site. So how was this client so clearly affected by Panda algorithmic updates?

It was in fact discovered that many of the sites linking to this particular client could have been the cause of the problem. The back links came from sites with poor quality content that resulted in their sites being hit by Panda. It is likely that the loss of trust by Google in these particular sites caused the subtle downgrading as the authority and power of the links diminished. As a result, stringent maintenance of backlink profiles is essential sites linking to you have not been and will likely not be hit by algorithmic changes in the future.

Subsequent removal of these weak, poor quality links was carried out and a high quality natural link building strategy was put in place. The replacement links had not been affected by Panda and were carefully scrutinised to ensure the trust of the domain would always remain high. As a result, through careful analysis and swift action, we managed to stop the downgrading that was a result of algorithmic changes and put the client back on track to recovery and increased traffic.

If you are worried that your site may be suffering from hidden Panda hits or other algorithmic changes, you can get to the root of the problem with our SEO specialists. Let us uncover the cause of your traffic drops and get you back on the path to profitable results.