Google Panda is one of several algorithm packages developed by Google to help determine the quality of all sites indexed by the search engine giant. As many who are involved with website management and content creation are aware, a new version of algorithms can mean disaster for a website that was not properly prepared or optimized ahead of time to comply with the recent changes. Even trusted sites with ample authority and PageRank are occasionally victims of these changes; nobody knows what exactly will change with each update and this can create sudden panic. If your traditionally-compliant and trusted website has been hurt by Panda 4.1 and you are unsure why that is the case, continue reading to learn about four elements that may be causing it.

Sliding from Slideshows

Pinging search engines with a variety of content, SEO and social media signals is essential to success in today’s world of Google. Unfortunately, some of these multimedia offerings can cause issues with Panda 4.1: slideshows are a prime example. This feature can help increase the number of page views you receive and add a splash of rich multimedia, but it can also be interpreted by Panda as a form of sparse content. In addition to this, if your slideshow is redirecting content from other pages, this can be seen as a form of duplication – a big no-no for websites with respect to authority and PageRank. To combat this, make sure that the content is accessible from the main page and disable indexing for the slideshow itself.

Down from Duplication

Many sites can easily have multiple forms of content and pages that are duplicated across other pages or websites. In some cases, pages with very little content can even be flagged for having the same page elements and code. Panda 4.1 is strict in the sense that you need quality content on all of your indexed pages in order to avoid being hit with penalties. If you currently have content published  across more than one page that is identical, then you need to remove this content from all but one page ASAP (or make sure that the duplicate pages are not indexed). If there is any duplication created by URL tracking codes, then you’ll want to make sure this is dealt with, too.

Falling from a Lack of Fullness

Panda 4.1 is focusing predominantly on sparse content; that is, pages that do not have enough content to be considered viable. One way to address this issue is to set a minimum word count for each of your pages. There is no magic number, but a page with only a few dozen words can cause issues for you if that dynamic exists on multiple pages. Any page that cannot be justified with more content should either be deleted or removed from the equation by making sure Google is not indexing it.

Malaise from Mobile

Last but not least, pinging search engines without a mobile responsive template can be a recipe for disaster with Panda. With two out of every five page views on the web now coming via mobile devices, you simply cannot avoid accommodating mobile users. This isn’t just bad for Panda and Google rankings, but also bad with respect to those who attempt to view your site on mobile. They likely will bounce from the site never to return if the site takes too long to load or is otherwise poorly-formatted.