The updates seem to focus on reducing spam from what I've seen as well. Of course, Google is not going to tell us everything about their updates.
The new Panda update is focused on the types of keywords used and the types of backlinks gained. It is important to get the backlink profile of your website and check the backlinks you have.
Google’s Panda 4.0 update is stickier than initial Panda update. This time it can be called as strike against press release. (In fact, low quality content is the target). It hit the large press release distribution company, PR Newswire very hard. PR Newswire dropped about 63% from its previous position. We who are doing SEO as a business need to take it as an alarm and find a quick solution to recover our sites those may hit due to most recent press release service. Press release was considered one of the best practice ranking website even in most recent days. Now we have to think twice about relevancy and content requirement before submitting any press release. Basically Panda 4.0 update is to remove low quality content from google’s search result; whereas good, relevant content always wins the game. But however, this no longer applies to press release. Especially those sites were hit by latest update.
The latest update from Google is Panda 4.0 algorithm, which was designed to help boost great-quality content sites while pushing down thin or low-quality content sites in the search results, has always targeted scraper sites and low-quality content sites in order to provide searchers with the best search results possible.
It concerns poor quality content, duplicate content and spun content. So keep away from all this stuff! Besides it touches upon the balance of various types of links in your backlinking profile.
It's more of the same really. They just keep hitting poor quality content, just keep building your site naturally with great content and you'll be fine. There really is nothing much to worry about.
The latest update in Google Panda 4.0 was back then in May 2014 and now there is an local search algorithm update and it is called Google Pigeon that aims to improve local search in web and map search results.
@KylieSweet I still laugh at name of their latest algo. What's next? Google Rhino? An algo that destroys every SEO on its path.
It has to happen, I mean people were expecting Press Release after Article Directories. I am sure next time, it would be guest posts.
Yes, Google Panda update 4.0 hit press release site very hard this time. Read the full news and affects of this update on search engine land http://searchengineland.com/google-panda-4-0-go-press-release-sites-192789 I think more updates coming soon to squeeze those SEO techniques we apply to gain back links and page rank
In fact Google has already tightened this also. SEO experts reacted against Matt Cutts' claim when he said "Guest Blogging is Dead" January this year. Here is the full reactions from top SEO companies: http://searchengineland.com/seo-blo...att-cutts-claim-guest-blogging-is-dead-182199 I can only say that, whatever you do for SEO, think ahead of one year. What may happen after six months or a year? Will that affect your link building by Panda, Penguin or Hummingbird like updates? Many big companies that earning thousands a month now earning zero from their websites just because of the changes in SEO regulations.
It seems to be a mixture of factors wherein thin content combined with low page speed and duplicate content sites were hit.
Most recent Google update Panda 4.0 gives high ranking for relevant and unique contents and diminish ranking for duplicate contents.
on 18th July 2015 google update their panda Algo. Google says it's really slow rolling and takes several months to complete. And it's affected about 2%–3% of English language queries.
I think the latest update is still eradicate those websites who wants to spam and manipulate search engine rules.