Brafton introduces its latest infographic about how to build high-grade links in light of the newest Penguin update.

You’ve heard it from Brafton and you’ve heard it from Google’s Matt Cutts – Penguin 2.0 is here. But instead of running for the hills, take a deep breath, and understand how to dodge any PageRank downgrades with Brafton’s “How To Avoid A Fight With Penguin” graphic.

Over the course of 2013, several news reports have hinted at a new Penguin update aimed at removing spam from the web. Cutts said that Penguin 2.0 would be the most-talked-about update of the year. But you don’t have to fear the bird (it can’t even fly!), if you know how to build links the right way.

In Brafton’s latest infographic, we map out the history of Penguin and note that it has grown stronger with each refresh and update. Using Portent data, we show how the technology has learned about black hat linking schemes, and the percentage of websites affected by each iteration. Of course, a lot still needs to be revealed about Penguin 2.0 before anyone can report on its effect, but it’s safe to say you should be prepared for the worst in case Google’s link-crunching birds find their way toward your web presence.

Penguin 2Our “How To Avoid A Fight With Penguin” graphic also highlights six steps for cleaning up your backlinks and building stronger ones down the line. We hope these simple tips put you on the path to SEO success and help you make nice with Penguin 2.0 and any future version moving forward. Here’s more on Brafton’s six steps for link success:

1.) Build out the homepage with more content
Adding fresh headlines to homepages keep crawlers coming back, so you’re less link dependent.

2.) Create more landing pages
Better organizes the website and shows internet users where to go next on the site. Each new landing page is an opportunity to acquire more organic links.

3.) Develop a site map
Improves crawlability and ensures all pages are indexed regardless of how many links are pointing to them.

4.) Begin varied and dynamic organic linking
For every two diverse internal links on a page, there must be one external link. Also, internal links should use a mix of exact match anchor text and diverse keywords.

5.) Enhance social media presence
Social marketing builds social link bait, promoting high-quality content and driving niche, social links.

6.) Add high-quality, relevant and engaging content to the website
Create custom content to help populate your website with natural link bait: high-quality blog posts, landing pages and rich content.

Bonus tip: If you’re going to use the disavow tool, Google’s Matt Cutts suggests disavowing the whole domain.

Penguin 2.0 spotlight

Matt Cutts announced Penguin 2.0’s roll out during the latest episode of “This Week in Google.” The update targets websites with spammy backlinks and uses new technology to uncover and punish pages that deviate away from Google’s webmaster guidelines. According to Cutts, Penguin 2.0 will affect 2.3 percent of English queries. Note: The two previous refreshes didn’t touch above 1 percent of English searches, so the newest version packs a punch.

Make sure you check out our latest infographic – and don’t be afraid to show your friends.

Ted Karczewski is an Executive Communications Associate at Brafton. He works to develop his own voice and apply his passions to the evolving world of SEO and content marketing, but he doesn't shy away from writing for fun. After graduating from Suffolk University, Ted used his Communications degree to test out Sports Journalism before Marketing at Brafton.