Fred! That`s what SEO specialists are calling Google`s latest algorythm update. It`s not official but has hit many sites out there.
The update was first spotted by marketers last week, when several website reported a sudden decrease in traffic of up to 90%.
According to Search Engine Land, Fred is targeting low-value content sites that focus on generating revenue from AdSense. Most of the reported websites we`re in blog format and addressed general topics filled with backlinks, rather than targeted quality content.
Not an absolute novelty
I can`t imagine any respectable digital marketer would be surprised by Fred. It`s not an absolute novelty that Google doesn`t like artificial link building or cluttered pages. The problem is that up till now the tech giant didn`t seem to care a lot about this.
With this alleged update, Google is directly targeting spammy websites by penalty, hence the surprise. The deranking frenzy didn`t come with a warning and caught many off guard.
Why you shouldn`t worry and what you should do
Unless you paid one of those link bulding websites to generate a large ammount of artificial backlinks, you should be fine. Although you might want to take a look in your Search Console and check the links to your site. Make sure they are trusted link using online scanners like Scan URL.
Also you might want to consider decluttering your homepage. It will not only look better but it will also improve your UX and ranking.
Marele Diminutiv 