The ranking of websites in the result list of a search engine has significant effect on the online businesses. In order, to ensure this, the techniques adopted often cross the line into unethical practices like keyword stuffing, duplication of content etc. The news about the entry of the Google Penguin update on April 24, created waves of surprise all over the world. It is essentially an algorithm, designed to reduce the black hat SEO tactics and poor quality content.

A significant low in traffic was observed on this date, followed by a considerable hike on May 26, as per the Google Analytics graph. According to the site, the reason they were able to pull through was the effortless removal of over half a million links from sites. The update has also reestablished the fact that the legitimacy and the quality of the SEO practices have a significant effect on the success of any online business.

There were other numerous amendments, which did not create much of a difference. An SEO cleaning activity brought into light some non-existent or broken sitemaps. The cleaning activity also included issues involving duplicate title tags. One of the major points of interest about the Google Penguin is that its purpose is to penalize websites that use improper SEO strategies. It has turned the attention of many online businesses to check keyword density of websites, linking practices and value of the written content.

It is extremely interesting to note the diverse reactions the Google Penguin has brought. Many see it as a strong step taken to encourage online businesses to focus on quality and the value of content, rather than resort to dishonorable practices.