Google changes their algorithm pretty often, so it can be kind of hard to stay on top of all the updates. Especially if you are trying to create content that you want to optimize. Digital marketing companies have no choice but to stay on top of all of these updates. There are eight main algorithm updates Google has gone through, and to make it even easier, they are all pretty simple names- Panda, Penguin, Hummingbird, Pigeon, Mobile, RankBrain, Possum, and Fred.
Panda
Panda was first released in early 2011. The basic idea of Panda was to assign certain scores to different web pages. These scores would then determine where each web page would rank on the search engine. Panda was more of a filter than anything at the beginning, but it is now totally integrated into the algorithm Google uses.
Penguin
Penguin is kind of similar to Panda in it’s ranking. However, Penguin down-ranks websites that use links or keywords that seem manipulative or spamming. Its main goal is to catch people trying to cheat the system when it comes to algorithm ranking. Digital marketing companies are responsible for coming up with ranking techniques that help companies but don’t cheat the system- a tricky job!
Hummingbird
The next big update was Hummingbird which launched in the summer of 2013. Hummingbird wasn’t as minor as Panda and Penguin, in fact, it changed the way search engines work to this day. Hummingbird made it so you could search questions and websites with answers would pop up, even if the title of the webpage didn’t have the same words as the questions. This update was a huge game changer for Google.
Pigeon
Pigeon was released in late 2014. This update worked to include a location in the search results. This helped to increase the rankings of local listings. This update also affected the search results in Google Maps.
Mobile
The mobile updated was released in 2015 and was designed to help make top ranking results be mobile-friendly. This made it so people on smartphones could also use Google to find answers.
RankBrain
RankBrain is pretty similar to Hummingbird as it is actually a part of that update. RankBrain helps to understand the meaning of questions typed into Google rather than the physical words written. It helps to get the most accurate results possible.
Possum
The Possum update was just an addition to Pigeon. It helped to make search results closer to your physical location. For example, when you search “Doctor’s Offices Near Me” instead of just showing results in your city, it shows doctor’s offices within a few miles of your current location.
Fred
Fred is the last Google algorithm update. This update helps filter out the websites that violate Google’s rules and guidelines. This update mostly affected blogs that generated really low-quality content to get ad revenue and that don’t have digital marketing companies to help them.
A huge responsibility of digital marketing companies is to understand and work with the Google algorithms updates. To learn more about SEO and specifically Google Analytics, click here. If you are interested in hiring digital marketing companies for help, contact us here at Fusion 360 Agency.
Sources:
https://searchengineland.com/8-major-google-algorithm-updates-explained-282627
