We all know that Google frequently updates its frequent algorithm indexing. January 2013 also witnessed minor updates from Google and it just turned out to be the major setback for all. However, the most drastic updates from Google were in 2012 with arrival of Google Panda and Penguin. Is something also going to happen in rest of the 2013??
I’m not seeing anything mentioned in the official blog: http://googleblog.blogspot.com/
But, that doesn’t mean anything. I don’t recalling normally seeing announcements to search engine changes that have a long lead time before the changes actually happen. Usually, there’s a blurb about the changes right before they are rolled out or at the very beginning of the roll out.
The change wasn’t actually a setback for sites using legitimate SEO techniques, though it did hurt sites using black-hat SEO techniques (such as spamdexing and link bombing). It was meant to level the playing field, which it did.
In anything based on ranking/weighing of a range of factors, the claim that “it was bad for all” is by definition nonsense. It was only bad for those that artificially bumped their unhelpful site up in organic rankings with the help of link buying and similar techniques. There are just as many sites “on page 1” as before, it simply shifted to the benefit of those sites that have accurate, informative, up to date and relevant content at the cost of those using blackhat or greyhat; a good thing indeed.
Google can come out with updates related to Google Panda and Penguin but lets hope that updates will not make drastic changes which were made in 2012.