A couple weeks ago, Google pushed out a large update to the Google Panda Algorithm, version Panda 4.1.
A weekend later, we saw major traffic shifts in Google, which Google said was likely Panda 4.1 still in the process of rolling out 1.5 weeks later.
But now, almost 2.5 weeks later, we are still seeing Panda swings. Glenn Gabe posted on Twitter that he is seeing "another Panda tremor yesterday (10/12)."
Glenn Gabe, who follows Google Panda sites incredibly closely added:
@rustybrick Wow, definitely something significant. Seeing it across many now. Looks like it could have started on 10/11, but most on 10/12.
— Glenn Gabe (@glenngabe) October 13, 2014
Adam Melson added:
@glenngabe @rustybrick seeing a big rebound for those impacted by 4.0 who took significant action to have better content/quality sites.
— Adam Melson (@adammelson) October 13, 2014
Glenn also shared a Google Webmaster Tools chart of a Panda client but explained this is data from 10/11 and 10/12 should be way higher:
San Sharp shared a chart from SearchMetrics of a Panda 4.1 winner:
There is some chatter at the generic WebmasterWorld thread:
...and reversed again.Is it just me, or is anyone else here seeing this yo-yo effect?
My guess is that something is being tested that affects "a small minority of sites", and is probably small enough and subtle enough to get under the radar of most observers: I only notice because it is my site, and I have only noticed the other couple of sites affected in my sector because, as a result of what my site is doing, I have taken a more detailed look at what is happening there.
I also had the rare opportunity, last week, off using a brand-new laptop on a new wi-fi network near (but not in the same immediate area as) my own system. The results - very obviously tightly focused on location - were interestingly different from what I have seen elsewhere locally, and really do confirm that there is now no such thing in Google as a "neutral" set of results.
But the Panda thread at WebmasterWorld has very little chatter since the 11th.
I wouldn't be surprised if Panda did refresh over the weekend, a lot of weird things going on since it launched back in late September.
Forum discussion at WebmasterWorld.