Updated 18 September 2026. Originally published in 2016; revised to replace outdated advice and links.
Panda is a name you may still encounter in older SEO advice. It referred to a Google system aimed at rewarding higher-quality, original content.
Is Panda a separate update to chase?
Google’s ranking systems guide lists Panda among its retired system names: it launched in 2011 and became part of core ranking systems in 2015. Our original article’s description of a separate filter running after another algorithm was too simplistic.
Review the page, not the nickname
Ask whether the content answers the visitor’s question, contains something useful from your own work and clearly explains who is behind it. Remove inaccuracies and unnecessary repetition. Do not expand an article just to reach an arbitrary word count.
For a service business, useful additions might include the process, suitability, constraints and a real project example. These help a prospective customer make a decision; they are not a promise of a particular ranking.
If traffic has fallen
Do not assume an old algorithm name explains a new drop. Check your own data and recent site changes first. Our traffic diagnosis guide sets out the checks, and our SEO team can help interpret them.
