What are the 8 major Google algorithm updates
Almost
every day, Google introduces changes to its ranking
algorithm. Algorithm is the set of rules and regulations that are used
by the google algorithms Some are tiny tweaks; others seriously shake
up the SERP(SEARCH ENGINE RANKING PAGES).The main motive of on page SEO is to rank our webpage and reached at the position in the top three in SERP
Panda
update:
Launch
date of panda algorithm:
February
24, 2011
Panda algorithm remove
Duplicate
content , plagiarized or thin content; user-generated spam; keyword
stuffing.
How
it works:
Panda assigns a so-called “quality score” to web pages; this
score is then used as a ranking factor. Initially, Panda was a filter
rather than part of Google’s ranking algo, but in January 2016, it
was officially incorporated into the core algorithm. Panda rollouts
have become more frequent, so both penalties and recoveries now
happen faster.
Penguin
Launch
date: April
24, 2012
Spammy or irrelevant links; links with over-optimized
anchor text
How
it works:
Algorithm is the set of rules and regulations which is generated for
the proper functioning and behavior of the platform Google Penguin’s
objective is to down-rank sites whose links it deems manipulative.
Since late 2016, Penguin has been part of Google’s core algorithm;
unlike Panda, it works in real time.
Difference
between Google Panda and Google Penguin
Before
we attempt to understand the difference between Google Panda and
Google Penguin it is essential to keep in mind that Google’s
algorithm changes 600 times a year and this is the minimum we are
talking about over here. At times, the adjustments could be minor and
at times they could be really significant.If
you’ve ever heard the saying, “content is king”, the google penguins algorithm is most likely where it originated from. Announced in April 2012,
Google Penguin came along to target websites who were using black-hat
link schemes to manipulate their rankings. For example, site owners
who were deliberately copying and pasting keywords onto white
backgrounds to rank for those phrases were pretty much stopped in
their tracks. After its introduction, Penguin made sure that on-site
content and on-site optimisation produced nothing but relevant
high-quality information.
Hummingbird
Launch
date:August
22, 2013
Keyword
stuffing; low-quality content
How
it works:
Hummingbird
helps Google better interpret search queries and provide results that
match searcher intent (as opposed to the individual terms within the
query). While keywords continue to be important, Hummingbird makes it
possible for a page to rank for a query even if it doesn’t contain
the exact words the searcher entered. This is achieved with the help
of natural language processing that relies on latent semantic
indexing, co-occurring terms and synonyms.The
Hummingbird update revolves around semantic search and the ability to
return better results based on context and synonymy. These factors
were always taken into consideration when searching but, with
Hummingbird, allowed Google to ‘understand intent’, giving
long-tail keywords or suggestions more prominence. With the rise and
development of voice search, Hummingbird is sure to be the helping
hand search marketers need.
Pigeon
Launch
date:July
24, 2014 (US); December 22, 2014 (UK, Canada, Australia)Hazards:
Poor on- and off-page SEO
How
it works:
Pigeon affects those searches in which the user’s location plays an
important part. The update created closer ties between the local
algorithm and the core algorithm:traditional SEO factors are now used
to rank local results.
Mobile
Launch
date:mobile update is launch on April
21, 2015Hazards:
Lack of a mobile version of the page; poor mobile usability
How
it works:
Google’s Mobile Update (aka Mobilegeddon) ensures that
mobile-friendly pages rank at the top of mobile search, while pages
not optimized for mobile are filtered out from the SERPs or seriously
down-ranked.
6.
RankBrain
Launch
date: October
26, 2015Hazards:
Lack of query-specific relevance features; shallow content; poor UX
How
it works:
RankBrain is part of Google’s Hummingbird algorithm. It is a
machine learning system that helps Google understand the meaning
behind queries, and serve best-matching search results in response to
those queries. Google calls
RankBrain the third most important ranking factor. While we don’t
know the ins and outs of RankBrain, the general opinion is that it
identifies relevance features for web pages ranking for a given
query, which are basically query-specific ranking factors.
Possum
Launch
date:September
1, 2016Hazards:
Tense competition in your target location
How
it works: The
Possum update ensured that local results vary more depending on the
searcher’s location: the closer you are to a business’s address,
the more likely you are to see it among local results. Possum also
resulted in greater variety among results ranking for very similar
queries, like “dentist denver” and “dentist denver co.”
Interestingly, Possum also gave a boost to businesses located outside
the physical city area.
How
to adjust: Expand
your keyword list and do location-specific rank tracking. Local
businesses now need to be targeting more keywords than they used to,
due to the volatility Possum brought into the local SERPs. As you
check your rankings, make sure you’re doing this from your target
location (or, better yet, a bunch of them).
Fred
Launch
date:March
8, 2017Hazards:
Thin, affiliate-heavy or ad-centered content
How
it works: The
latest of Google’s confirmed updates, Fred targets websites that
violate Google’s webmaster guidelines. The majority of affected
are
blogs with low-quality posts that appear to be created mostly for the
purpose of generating ad revenue.
How
to adjust: Review
and
watch out for thin content. If you show ads, make sure the pages
they are found on are high-quality and offer relevant, ample
information. This is basically it: Don’t try to trick Google into
thinking your page is about something when it really is a gateway
page full of affiliate links. Most publishers make money off ads, and
that’s totally legit as long as you are not cheating.
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