What is Google Algorithms?
google algorithms are a complex system used to retrieve data from its search index and instantly deliver the best possible results for a query. The search engine uses a combination of algorithms and numerous ranking signals to deliver webpages ranked by relevance on its search engine results pages (SERPs).
Each year, Google changes its search algorithm around 700-800 times.
While most of these changes are minor, Google occasionally rolls out a “major” algorithmic update (such as Google Panda and Google Penguin) that affects search results in significant ways.
Did any of the updates impact your organic traffic in any way? Read on to find out what each of the updates was about, what the main hazards are, and how you can keep your site safe.
Let’s Go We Start Know All About Google Algorithm
1. Panda
Launched: Feb 24, 2011
Rollouts: ~ monthly
Goal: Paralise sites with low-quality content
There Panda was introduced to filter high-quality sites from platforms of lower-quality, in line with Google’s aim of providing users with only the most relevant search results.google Panda examines the content that sits on a website, determines whether it is of a certain quality, and ranks it accordingly to its quality criteria.
Google Panda is a major change to Google‘s search results ranking algorithm that was first released in February 2011
2. Penguin
Launched: April 24, 2012
Rollouts: May 25, 2012; Oct 5, 2012; May 22, 2013; Oct 4, 2013; Oct 17, 2014; September 27, 2016; October 6, 2016; real-time since
Goal: De-rank sites with spammy, manipulative link profiles
Unlike Panda or Penguin, Hummingbird was not simply an algorithm change; it was a complete rework of Google’s overarching algorithm and indexing methods. It still Utilise Panda and Penguin, but at the time of implementation in August 2013, it completely changed Google’s approach to how websites are ranked.
I will commonly get people emailing me telling me that Hummingbird destroyed their rankings.
3. Humming Bird
Launched: August 22, 2013
Rollouts: —
Goal: Produce more relevant search results by better understanding the meaning behind queries
Unlike Panda or Penguin, Hummingbird was not simply an algorithm change; it was a complete rework of Google’s overarching algorithm and indexing methods.
I will commonly get people emailing me telling me that Hummingbird destroyed their rankings.
4. Pirate
Launched: Aug 2012
Rollouts: Oct 2014
Goal: De-rank sites with copyright infringement reports
Google’s Pirate Update was designed to prevent sites that have received numerous copyright infringement reports from ranking well in Google search.
5. Pigeon
Launched: July 24, 2014 (US)
Rollouts: December 22, 2014 (UK, Canada, Australia)
Goal: Provide high quality, relevant local search results
Google Pigeon (currently affecting searches in English only) dramatically altered the results Google returns for queries in which the searcher’s location plays a part. According to Google, Pigeon created closer ties between the local algorithm and the core algorithm.
6. Mobile Geddon
Launched: April 21, 2015
Rollouts: —
Goal: Give mobile friendly pages a ranking boost in mobile SERPs, and de-rank pages that aren't optimized for mobile
Google’s Mobile Friendly Update (aka Mobilegeddon) is meant to ensure that pages optimized for mobile devices rank at the top of mobile search, and subsequently, down-rank pages that are not mobile friendly. Desktop searches have not been affected by the update.
7. RankBrain
Launched: October 26, 2015 (possibly earlier)
Rollouts: —
Goal: Deliver better search results based on relevance & machine learning
RankBrain is a machine learning system that helps Google better decipher the meaning behind queries, and serve best-matching search results in response to those queries.
While there is a query processing component in RankBrain, there also is a ranking component to it (when RankBrain was first announced, Google called it the third most important ranking factor). Presumably, RankBrain can somehow summarize what a page is about, evaluate the relevancy of search results, and teach itself to get even better at it with time.
8. Possum
Launched: September 1, 2016
Rollouts: —
Goal: Deliver better, more diverse results based on the searcher's location and the business' address
The Possum update is the name for a number of recent changes in Google’s local ranking filter. After Possum, Google returns more varied results depending on the physical location of the searcher (the closer you are to a certain business physically, the more likely you’ll see it among local results) and the phrasing of the query (even close variations now produce different results).
9. Fred
Launched: March 8, 2017
Rollouts: —
Goal: Filter out low quality search results whose sole purpose is generating ad and affiliate revenue
The latest of Google’s confirmed updates, Fred got its name from Google’s Gary Illyes, who jokingly suggested that all updates be named “Fred”. Google confirmed the update took place, but refused to discuss the specifics of it, saying simply that the sites that Fred targets are the ones that violate Google’s webmaster guidelines.
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