The code name for a Google algorithm update released in April 2012 aimed at combatting web spam by penalizing sites employing optimization tactics that violate Google’s guidelines.
While Google’s algorithms are a closely held secret, Google cited “black hat web spam” as the target, which is generally believed to refer to keyword stuffing, unnatural linking patterns and the buying and selling of links that pass page rank.
On May 22, 2013, Google began the roll out of Penguin 2.0, an updated, “more comprehensive” Penguin algorithm.
Unlike Google’s Panda update, Penguin has only been updated three times since its initial release making recovery a very difficult proposition.