What are Google Algorithm Updates?

Every year Google changes its Google Algorithm updates. Sometimes Google updates a few major algorithm updates that given the best result in the SERPs.

Google Algorithm Updates were roles out at regular intervals to tackle vulnerabilities and identify techniques that don’t lock up to Google webmaster guidelines.

Google began its journey in 1998. Google has evolved as one of the biggest innovations in the history of mankind and the biggest thing on the Internet.

Google search engine works with the background algorithm. Google algorithm plays a crucial role in SEO as it helps the companies in boosting up their SEO rankings.

Google changes its algorithm around 500-600 times every year to combat poor quality websites from appearing on the SERPs. Most of the changes are not major, but Google occasionally goes for a major change.

Google Algorithm Updates come in all shapes and sizes while some are detailed and some minor. Google handles more than 2 trillion searches yearly and every algorithm update is probably to impact any website severely.

Google has to update its indexing and ranking systems regularly to put up new technologies and tools to deliver a seamless and quick user experience.

Google algorithm updates are done with a view to keep the spammers and unethical SEO practitioners under check. Most of these changes are minor and negligible.

The Google algorithm updates and advancements ensure that the results generated by search queries are original, appropriate, and of high quality.

Google is targeted around enhancing its Internet search administrations for online users, and keeping a track of changes in Google algorithm update.

There is a brief history of Google algorithm updates. It’ll help to understand how over the years a tiny research project transformed into the biggest ever search engine.

List of Major Google Algorithm Updates –

Google has a long history of known SEO algorithm update that channelizes the ranking mechanism of SERPs. The major Google algorithm updates are in sequential order:-

# Panda (Feb 2011) – Google fixed a major Panda update which incorporates an algorithm update as well as a data refresh. Google Panda was a powerful update to prevent websites with low-quality content into higher search results.

This Google algorithm update was designed to penalize poor quality websites that deliver low quality, plagiarized and duplicate content to users.

The websites with thin content, user-generated spam, and keyword stuffing saw a huge drop in their rankings. Panda was a prominent Google algorithm update and hit the websites hard. It’s mainly used to assign a quality score to web content and functioned more like a filter.

Google Panda identifies and acknowledged hard, informative and genuine content. This Google algorithm update was to identifying quality content and rewarding it with high organic rankings.

Google’s Panda algorithm update was cruel for websites with duplicate, plagiarized or spun content. It witnessed 2 rollouts in subsequently in September 2014 and July 2015.

Google Panda update imposed a penalty on websites with low quality, spammy or thin content, and websites with keyword stuffing.

This algorithm update had helped small and medium-sized with fresh and meaningful content to rise in their rankings.

Few important updates from Google Panda were:

—- No multiple pages with the same keyword

—- Get rid of auto-generated content and comparison type of pages

—- No pages only with 1-2 text paragraphs

—- No scraped content

—- It likes always new content

—- Be careful with Affiliate Links and Ads

—- Too many outbound links with keywords are bad

# Penguin (April 2012) – This Google algorithm update was named Penguin’s goal was to identify and down-rank the spamming websites which contained unnatural link profiles.

Penguin focused on hazards like irrelevant or spammy links and over-optimized text links. Websites using black-hat link building tactics were penalized by Google which caused a major shakeup in SERPs.

Penguin was aimed to decrease search rankings of websites that violate Google webmaster guidelines and use black-hat SEO techniques to increase website ranking.

Penguin saw several rollouts and since 2016, it’s been an essential part of Google’s core algorithm and it’s an important ranking factor operating in real-time.

Google Penguin algorithm update was to prevent another black-hat practice with acquiring external links manipulatively from shady resources to boost SERPs.

Penguin is entirely based on the concept that quality inbound links from your website to other portals increase the relevance of your content.

Google Penguin deals with link quality and penalizes those websites which purchase backlinks from third party websites.

Websites that don’t follow Google webmaster guidelines have to face the music. Google algorithm update called Penguin’s another main initiative was the introduction of the Disavow Tool.

With the help of the Disavow Tool, you can remove any link which harms the website and can inform Google not to consider link juice from that specific link.

# Pirate (Aug 2012) – This Google algorithm update was launched to protect Intellectual Property and penalized the websites that made pirated content (songs, movies, books, etc) available free for users.

It penalizes websites that received copyright infringement reports. The majority of websites (music, and movies) were affected that made pirated content. If any Intellectual Property right is violated you can file a DMCA takedown request against the website.

Google Pirate update was:

—- Google penalized websites that received a high volume of copyright violation reports

—- Win-win for media, movies, and artists

—- A page removal from indexing requires valid documentation

# Hummingbird (Aug 2013) – Hummingbird was a major overhaul that affected the important concepts of semantics.

It works on Natural Language Processing (NLP) method which relies on synonyms, co-occurring terms and Latent Semantic Indexing (LSI).

The Hummingbird name shows its ability to be precise and fast. This Google algorithm updates provides better interpretation of search queries and focus on searcher’s intent.

This Google algorithm update had much to do with the interpretation of search queries, the longer and conversational ones in particular. Google Hummingbird was launched to manage Long Tail Keywords based on the user’s intent.

This algorithm update focused on matching the searcher’s intent rather than individual keywords within the query. Google Hummingbird intends to bring a qualitative improvement in the overall searching mechanism intuitively.

Hummingbird updates were related to:

—- Use of information graph details to verify higher search results

—- Easy recognition of keyword stuffing

—- Effectiveness of Long-tail keywords

# Pigeon (Jul 2014) – This Google algorithm updates shook the local SEO world with a new update. It’s the power of effectively modifying some local results and changing how they manage and interpret location clues.

This Google algorithm update enhances the business distance and website losing parameters in an additional result-oriented manner.

It had an effect on search results shown in Google Maps and it allows Google to give search results supported the user location and listing.

Google Pigeon update provides more relevant, accurate results based on the user’s location. The intent of this Google algorithm updates was to dramatically influence local search results.

Google Pigeon affected the search results majorly based on searcher’s location. It successfully provided a push to local SEO strategies and boosted local websites.

Local SEO became very important and Google My Business became a critical ingredient which shows entities on the map based on three factors:

1) Relevance, 2) Searcher Distance, and 3) Prominence, and NAP (Name, Address, & Phone Number) consistency is the major factor to have an edge over your competitors.

Google Pigeon updates were:

—- Location matters more than ever

—- Don’t over-optimize your website

—- Strong domains matter more

# Mobilegeddon (Apr 2015) – Google introduced a mobile-friendly formula which meant to communicate to promote the mobile-friendly websites in SERPs.

This algorithm improved the visibility of mobile-friendly websites on mobile search results and on the other hand, non-responsive websites dropped their rankings.

This Google algorithm update was to ensure that the mobile-optimized pages rank higher on mobile searches. It affected mobile search queries across the world in all languages and down-ranked the incompatible websites for mobile phones.

This update digs over mobile-unfriendly websites and recognizes the mobile-friendly websites to ensure flawless user experience.

Mobile-friendliness became an essential attribute and subsequently Accelerated Mobile Pages were introduced to enhance speed. If your website is not mobile or other devices friendly, it’ll not rank higher in the search results.

Your website must be run through Google mobile-friendly test tool where you’ll get to know how well you perform on mobiles and where all you need to improve.

Google mobile-friendly update was:

—- Google mobile-friendly testing tools have API access

—- Google begins mobile-first indexing and use of mobile content for all search rankings

—- Google will show AMP URLs before applications deep link URLs in mobile search results

—- Page speed ranking factor to use mobile page speed for mobile websites

# RankBrain (Oct 2015) – RankBrain was essentially a ranking signal involving the use of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning to serve better-matched search results.

This Google algorithm updates affected the pages with thin content, poor UX/UI and lack of features related to the search query.

It decoded the unspoken meaning behind search queries. Google RankBrain was an improved and sophisticated version of Hummingbird.

Machine learning is a process by which the computer teaches how to do a specific task by itself rather than being taught by a human being.

Machine learning is being used to recognize the general picture of searcher’s query and popular results accordingly.

RankBrain is an AI program that built-up to help understand search related queries. RankBrain algorithm helps you in learning, recognizing new patterns and revising search engine results.

This Google algorithm update ensure meaningful searches, good user experience and better buy for SEO efforts. RankBrain is the most important factor in the ranking algorithm along with content and links.

RankBrain algorithm update makes a guess about a word or phrase which it might not be familiar with and accordingly shows the results. It’s a contextual based search that is said to prefer natural content.

# Possum Update (Sept 2016) – This Google algorithm update called Possum introduced various changes related to Local SEO.

This update focuses on providing local results based on the user’s location. The businesses closer to searcher’s location are more likely to come in local results.

The physical location of the searcher is where a business within the proximity of searchers is more likely to appear in SERPs.

The businesses which were located within a city and are outside the city boundaries used to face a tough time in the results of search engines. Possum update made local results very diversified and the spam is prevented from ranking well.

What To Do After Google Algorithm Update –

Google algorithms are very important for the ranking of your website and whenever search engine introduces any update in the ranking algorithm.

You can stay cool and make essential changes to follow these tips:-

# Wait & Watch – There is no need to get impatient because not every Google algorithm updates calls for action on your part.

If you’re employing white-hat techniques, your website will not be affected negatively. You should wait for a few days and respond only if it’s important.

# Don’t Assume – The Google algorithm updates motive is to make things simpler for the users. You’ll not face difficulties if you’ve been working according to the guidelines. You shouldn’t start assuming things of your own.

You should wait for Google to release the information and don’t follow what others are saying on the Internet.

# Do Your Own Research – Google algorithm updates are not always mentioning in their blogs. You should trust on credible sources and your own analysis. Any Google algorithm updates are definitely not to be feared. There’s nothing about the algorithm update to be feared and it’s only to be understood and responded.

Tips to Survive Google Algorithm Update –

Here are some tips to survive from Google algorithm updates and to get gain from algorithm updates:

# Use of Popup & Opt-in Widgets – Popups are great for webmasters who want to build their email lists faster but it can be terrible for users.  

Websites often suffered from aggressive or misleading popups. Google sees these popups as problematic for user experience, especially on mobile.

You should make sure that popup is very easy to close by clicking on the page margin outside of the popup.

Popups can be highly disruptive and annoying for users. Websites that get hit by Google algorithm updates often have aggressive popups and opt-in widgets.

# Low-Quality Ads – Google algorithm updates can hit websites with misleading and low-quality ads and websites with misleading ad blocks that look like related content.

If your website has aggressive advertising, then it’s highly prone to be causing ranking problems.

You should get clear of too many ads above the fold and avoid misleading ads that look like related content and also eliminate autoplay video ads.   

# View Search Console Reports – If Google sees a problem with your website, then you can find out about it in the Google Search Console. There a lot of valuable information in the Google Search Console.

Here are some reports to verify:

—- Mobile Usability – You can find out any mobile issues with your website.

—- Structured Data – You can see if there are issues with your structured data.

—- Security & Manual Actions – You’ll find out if your website has been hacked or it has any manual penalty.

—- Coverage – You can see the indexed pages and crawling problems in website.

# Low-Quality Pages – Google takes all indexed pages into account when evaluating the overall quality of your website.

Your low-quality pages can drag down the overall quality score and put you at a higher risk of getting hit by Google algorithm updates.

The low-quality pages include little or no text with a lot of ads, or pages with only an image or broken pages with display and code errors, and low-quality user profiles.

You should improve the page by adding high-quality content and you can redirect low-quality pages to relevant high-quality pages. You can add a no-index tag to hide them from the search results and you can also delete those pages.

# Mobile-Friendly Website – It’s important that your website performs well on all devices. You can check your website on smartphones and tablets to make sure that there aren’t any display issues.

You can find information on the mobile usability report of Google search console. You can use Google mobile-friendly test tool to check if there are any mobile errors on your pages.

Conclusion – Google algorithm updates aims at creating a better user experience and degrades black hat practices. Google is giving more importance to the quality content and wants to make sure that only the best quality content is available to visitors. Google can monitor the search results, but it’s also important that digital aspirants should know and understand the logic regarding the updates.