SEO forums are buzzing with the news that the long-awaited/feared Penguin 2.0 update is on its way. Unlike past Penguin rumors, this one was confirmed by Google SEO czar Matt Cutts.
Cutts’ announcement on Twitter that, “the next generation of Penguin,” would be rolling out flies in the face of previous promises to not announce updates at all. It also suggests that Penguin 2.0 will be big and bad.
While no one knows exactly what Penguin 2.0 has in store, reliable industry sources like Search Engine Journal are suggesting that the last vestiges of paid link exchanges could take a big hit from the update. It’s also believed that advertorial content that straddles the line between white and black hat SEO will also be dangerous territory after Penguin 2.0.
One question that’s certain to be hotly debated is how information gathered through Google’s Link Disavowal tool might have been used in developing Penguin 2.0. Plenty of SEOs were concerned that providing Google with bad link data could come back to bite them and it looks like they’re about to find out if those fears were warranted.
Though it probably won’t be much comfort for webmasters who thought they were in clear before the original Penguin update, SEJ had this to say about Penguin’s latest incarnation:
Google is of the view that Penguin 2.0 holds no risk for all those who practice the so-called ‘white hat’ SEO tactics. “
Watch CAP for Penguin 2.0 updates as they become available.
Are you ready for Penguin 2.0 (or are you still recovering from Penguin 1.0?) Share your thoughts in the comments section below.