The much-awaited moment is just a few weeks away when Google will lift the veil on its latest Penguin update. A Google insider revealed that the company should roll it out by the end of the first quarter. It has been more than a year since Google came forth with an update to its link spam algorithm, Penguin 3.0, launched back in October 2014. Technically speaking, it was viewed as more of a “refresh” than an update. The major reason attributed to it is the fact that it did not affect US English search queries by any chalk.
Before digging any deeper into it, let’s illustrate the difference between an algorithm update and an algorithm refresh.
Difference between Update and Refresh
An update does not introduce any additional signals to the algorithm. Unlike it, a refresh demotes sites, featuring spam signals, which were absent when the previous update was in operation. Apart from this, a refresh serves to assist sites who have their spam issues fixed since the last update.
Advancements in Algorithm over the Years
Prior to the introduction of Penguin 3.0, the Penguin 2.1, hit the market on October 2013, made huge waves across the digital landscape. The algorithm update was considered as the follow-up of Penguin 2.0, introduced way back in May 2013. As per Google, Penguin 2.0 was equipped with new spam-fighting technology. Moreover, it was the last instance when the search giant confirmed introducing new signals to the algorithm.
While the rumours have already begun to make rounds regarding what Google lays in store for us this time, we are less likely to hit the nail on the head until the update finally rolls out.