On September 23, 2016, Google announced that they would be integrating the Penguin filter into their core algorithm with version 4.0. The update came in two parts, which rolled out on September 27, 2016, and October 6, 2016.
It’s crucial to note that Penguin was developed to monitor the SERPs for websites with bad links and devalue them. The filter is one of many ranking signals that make sure the search engine delivers only the most relevant results to users.
These are the two significant changes that came with Penguin 4.0:
SERP flux began a few days after Google made the announcement for Penguin 4.0. It led to massive changes in the positions since pages with sketchy links were moved lower, and those that practiced the right link building tactics moved up the ranks and got a boost in visibility as well as organic traffic.
The update was rolled out internationally. There was positive feedback on the integration of the filter into the search engine’s core algorithm. Some webmasters believe that it would make the algorithm fairer since you get rewarded for high-quality content instantaneously.
As a site operator or owner, you cannot control all aspects of your backlink profile, especially in the comments section and guests posts. Fortunately, Penguin now updates its data in real-time, and any penalty can be lifted as soon as you make the changes in your end.
Here are the things that you can do to resolve penalties brought about by Penguin: