Every Year Google makes approximately 500-600 changes to its
algorithm. Now, not all of these changes are major, and most you won’t
even notice any differences where your SEO strategy would need changed
at all, but some are severe enough that they cause an earthquake effect
to many website owners who aren’t prepared.
So, how do you prepare?
It’s simple; you research, read and keep up with all the latest SEO news. You should be one step ahead of the changes at minimum, I mean; seriously, Google does give warning to their updates and changes…
2016 Updates
Mobile-friendly 2 — May 12, 2016
Just more than a year after the original "mobile friendly" update, Google rolled out another ranking signal boost to benefit mobile-friendly sites on mobile search. Since the majority of sites we track are already mobile-friendly, it's likely the impact of the latest update was small.
Google’s mobile-friendly algorithm boost has rolled out (SEL)
Continuing to make the web more mobile friendly (Google)
Unnamed Major Update — May 10, 2016
MozCast and other Google weather trackers showed a historically rare week-long pattern of algorithm activity, including a 97-degree spike. Google would not confirm this update, and no explanation is currently available.
Google Dismisses Any Recent Major Algorithm Update (SER)
AdWords Shake-up — February 23, 2016
Google made major changes to AdWords, removing right-column ads entirely and rolling out 4-ad top blocks on many commercial searches. While this was a paid search update, it had significant implications for CTR for both paid and organic results, especially on competitive keywords.
Four Ads on Top: The Wait Is Over (Moz)
Google AdWords Switching to 4 Ads on Top, None on Sidebar (SEM Post)
Unnamed Update — January 8, 2016
Multiple tracking tools (including MozCast) reported historically-large rankings movement, which Google later confirmed as a "core algo update". Google officially said that this was not a Penguin update, but details remain sketchy.
Google Confirms: Core Search Ranking Update Took Place But Not Penguin Related (SER)
2015 Updates
RankBrain* — October 26, 2015
Google made a major announcement, revealing that machine learning had been a part of the algorithm for months, contributing to the 3rd most influential ranking factor. *Note: This is an announcement date - we believe the actual launch was closer to spring 2015.
Google Turning Its Lucrative Web Search Over to AI Machines (Bloomberg)
FAQ: All About The New Google RankBrain Algorithm (SEL)
Panda 4.2 (#28) — July 17, 2015
Google announced what was most likely a Panda data refresh, saying that it could take months to fully roll out. The immediate impact was unclear, and there were no clear signs of a major algorithm update.
Google Panda Update: Everything We Know About Panda 4.2 (The SEM Post)
Google Panda 4.2 Is Here (SEL)
The Quality Update — May 3, 2015
After many reports of large-scale ranking changes, originally dubbed "Phantom 2", Google acknowledged a core algorithm change impacting "quality signals". This update seems to have had a broad impact, but Google didn't reveal any specifics about the nature of the signals involved.
The Quality Update: Google Confirms Changing How Quality Is Assessed, Resulting In Rankings Shake-Up (SEL)
Google's 'phantom' algorithm update hits websites (CNBC)
Mobile Update AKA "Mobilegeddon" — April 22, 2015
In a rare move, Google pre-announced an algorithm update, telling us that mobile rankings would differ for mobile-friendly sites starting on April 21st. The impact of this update was, in the short-term, much smaller than expected, and our data showed that algorithm flux peaked on April 22nd.
Finding more mobile-friendly search results (Google)
7 Days After Mobilegeddon: How Far Did the Sky Fall? (Moz)
Unnamed Update — February 4, 2015
Multiple SERP-trackers and many webmasters reported major flux in Google SERPs. Speculation ranged from an e-commerce focused update to a mobile usability update. Google did not officially confirm an update.
Significant Google Search Algorithm Update Yesterday (SER)
Google Brand-eCommerce “Update” causing fluctuations (Searchmetrics)
2014 Updates
Pigeon Expands (UK, CA, AU) — December 22, 2014
Google's major local algorithm update, dubbed "Pigeon", expanded to the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia. The original update hit the United States in July 2014. The update was confirmed on the 22nd but may have rolled out as early as the 19th.
Google Pigeon Update Rolls Out To UK, Canada & Australia (SEL)
Local Search Results Affected as Google Pigeon Update Hits UK (Strategy Digital)
Penguin Everflux — December 10, 2014
A Google representative said that Penguin had shifted to continuous updates, moving away from infrequent, major updates. While the exact timeline was unclear, this claim seemed to fit ongoing flux after Penguin 3.0 (including unconfirmed claims of a Penguin 3.1).
Google Says Penguin To Shift To “Continuous Updates” (SEL)
Pirate 2.0 — October 21, 2014
More than two years after the original DMCA/"Pirate" update, Google launched another update to combat software and digital media piracy. This update was highly targeted, causing dramatic drops in ranking to a relatively small group of sites.
Google Pirate Update Analysis and Loser List (Searchmetrics)
Google's New Search Downranking Hits Torrent Sites Hard (TorrentFreak)
Penguin 3.0 — October 17, 2014
More than a year after the previous Penguin update (2.1), Google launched a Penguin refresh. This update appeared to be smaller than expected (<1% of US/English queries affected) and was probably data-only (not a new Penguin algorithm). The timing of the update was unclear, especially internationally, and Google claimed it was spread out over "weeks".
Google AutoCorrects: Penguin 3.0 Still Rolling Out & 1% Impact (SER)
Penguin 3.0 Analysis – Penguin Tremors, Recoveries, Fresh Hits, and Crossing Algorithms (GSQi)
"In The News" Box — October 2014
Google made what looked like a display change to News-box results, but later announced that they had expanded news links to a much larger set of potential sites. The presence of news results in SERPs also spiked, and major news sites reported substantial traffic changes.
Google’s “In The News” Box Now Lists More Than Traditional News Sites (SEL)
New Publishers Upset With Google's "In The News" Box (SER)
Panda 4.1 (#27) — September 23, 2014
Google announced a significant Panda update, which included an algorithmic component. They estimated the impact at 3-5% of queries affected. Given the "slow rollout," the exact timing was unclear.
Panda 4.1 — Google’s 27th Panda Update — Is Rolling Out (SEL)
Panda 4.1 Analysis and Findings – Affiliate Marketing, Keyword Stuffing, Security Warnings, and Deception Prevalent (GSQI)
Authorship Removed — August 28, 2014
Following up on the June 28th drop of authorship photos, Google announced that they would be completely removing authorship markup (and would no longer process it). By the next morning, authorship bylines had disappeared from all SERPs.
Official Announcement from John Mueller (Google+)
It’s Over: The Rise & Fall Of Google Authorship For Search Results (SEL)
HTTPS/SSL Update — August 6, 2014
After months of speculation, Google announced that they would be giving preference to secure sites, and that adding encryption would provide a "lightweight" rankings boost. They stressed that this boost would start out small, but implied it might increase if the changed proved to be positive.
HTTPS as a ranking signal (Google)
Google Starts Giving A Ranking Boost To Secure HTTPS/SSL Sites (SEL)
Pigeon — July 24, 2014
Google shook the local SEO world with an update that dramatically altered some local results and modified how they handle and interpret location cues. Google claimed that Pigeon created closer ties between the local algorithm and core algorithm(s).
Google “Pigeon” Updates Local Search Algorithm With Stronger Ties To Web Search Signal (SEL)
Google Updates Local Algo with More Web Based Signals - Turmoil in SERPs (Blumenthals.com)
Authorship Photo Drop — June 28, 2014
John Mueller made a surprise announcement (on June 25th) that Google would be dropping all authorship photos from SERPs (after heavily promoting authorship as a connection to Google+). The drop was complete around June 28th.
Google Announces the End of Author Photos in Search: What You Should Know (Moz)
Google Removes Author Photos From Search: Why And What Does It Mean? (SEL)
Payday Loan 3.0 — June 12, 2014
Less than a month after the Payday Loan 2.0 anti-spam update, Google launched another major iteration. Official statements suggested that 2.0 targeted specific sites, while 3.0 targeted spammy queries.
Google Spam Algorithm Version 3.0 Launches Today (SER)
Panda 4.0 (#26) — May 19, 2014
Google confirmed a major Panda update that likely included both an algorithm update and a data refresh. Officially, about 7.5% of English-language queries were affected. While Matt Cutts said it began rolling out on 5/20, our data strongly suggests it started earlier.
Google Begins Rolling Out Panda 4.0 Now (SEL)
Panda 4.0, Payday Loan 2.0 & eBay's Very Bad Day (Moz)
Payday Loan 2.0 — May 16, 2014
Just prior to Panda 4.0, Google updated it's "payday loan" algorithm, which targets especially spammy queries. The exact date of the roll-out was unclear (Google said "this past weekend" on 5/20), and the back-to-back updates made the details difficult to sort out.
Official: Google Payday Loan Algorithm 2.0 Launched: Targets “Very Spammy Queries” (SEL)
Unnamed Update — March 24, 2014
Major algorithm flux trackers and webmaster chatter spiked around 3/24-3/25, and some speculated that the new, "softer" Panda update had arrived. Many sites reported ranking changes, but this update was never confirmed by Google.
Did Google Do An Algorithm Update Yesterday? (SER)
Did the Softer Panda Update Arrive on March 24, 2014? (GSQi)
Page Layout #3 — February 6, 2014
Google "refreshed" their page layout algorithm, also known as "top heavy". Originally launched in January 2012, the page layout algorithm penalizes sites with too many ads above the fold.
Google Updates Its Page Layout Algorithm To Go After Sites "Top Heavy" With Ads (SEL)
2013 Updates
Authorship Shake-up — December 19, 2013
As predicted by Matt Cutts at Pubcon Las Vegas, authorship mark-up disappeared from roughly 15% of queries over a period of about a month. The fall bottomed out around December 19th, but the numbers remain volatile and have not recovered to earlier highs.
Google's December Authorship Shake-up (Moz)
Authorshipocalypse! The Great Google Authorship Purge Has Begun (Virante)
Unnamed Update — December 17, 2013
Almost all global flux trackers registered historically high activity. Google would not confirm an update, suggesting that they avoid updates near the holidays. MozCast also registered a rise in some Partial-Match Domains (PMDs), but the patterns were unclear.
The Biggest SERP Flux Since Penguin 2.0 (Dejan SEO)
Google Denies A Major Update On December 17th (SEL)
Unnamed Update — November 14, 2013
Multiple Google trackers picked up unusual activity, which co-occurred with a report of widespread DNS errors in Google Webmaster Tools. Google did not confirm an update, and the cause and nature of this flux was unclear.
Was There a November 14th Google Update? (Moz)
Was There A Google Update On November 14th? (SER)
Penguin 2.1 (#5) — October 4, 2013
After a 4-1/2 month gap, Google launched another Penguin update. Given the 2.1 designation, this was probably a data update (primarily) and not a major change to the Penguin algorithm. The overall impact seemed to be moderate, although some webmasters reported being hit hard.
Penguin 5, With The Penguin 2.1 Spam-Filtering Algorithm, Is Now Live (SEL)
Google Penguin 2.1 Was A Big Hit (SER)
Hummingbird — August 20, 2013
Announced on September 26th, Google suggested that the "Hummingbird" update rolled out about a month earlier. Our best guess ties it to a MozCast spike on August 20th and many reports of flux from August 20-22. Hummingbird has been compared to Caffeine, and seems to be a core algorithm update that may power changes to semantic search and the Knowledge Graph for months to come.
FAQ: All About The New Google "Hummingbird" Algorithm (SEL)
Some Reports Of An August 21/22 Google Update (SER)
In-depth Articles — August 6, 2013
Google added a new type of news result called "in-depth articles", dedicated to more evergreen, long-form content. At launch, it included links to three articles, and appeared across about 3% of the searches that MozCast tracks.
In-depth articles in search results (Google)
Inside In-depth Articles: Dissecting Google's Latest Feature (Moz)
So, how do you prepare?
It’s simple; you research, read and keep up with all the latest SEO news. You should be one step ahead of the changes at minimum, I mean; seriously, Google does give warning to their updates and changes…
2016 Updates
Mobile-friendly 2 — May 12, 2016
Just more than a year after the original "mobile friendly" update, Google rolled out another ranking signal boost to benefit mobile-friendly sites on mobile search. Since the majority of sites we track are already mobile-friendly, it's likely the impact of the latest update was small.
Google’s mobile-friendly algorithm boost has rolled out (SEL)
Continuing to make the web more mobile friendly (Google)
Unnamed Major Update — May 10, 2016
MozCast and other Google weather trackers showed a historically rare week-long pattern of algorithm activity, including a 97-degree spike. Google would not confirm this update, and no explanation is currently available.
Google Dismisses Any Recent Major Algorithm Update (SER)
AdWords Shake-up — February 23, 2016
Google made major changes to AdWords, removing right-column ads entirely and rolling out 4-ad top blocks on many commercial searches. While this was a paid search update, it had significant implications for CTR for both paid and organic results, especially on competitive keywords.
Four Ads on Top: The Wait Is Over (Moz)
Google AdWords Switching to 4 Ads on Top, None on Sidebar (SEM Post)
Unnamed Update — January 8, 2016
Multiple tracking tools (including MozCast) reported historically-large rankings movement, which Google later confirmed as a "core algo update". Google officially said that this was not a Penguin update, but details remain sketchy.
Google Confirms: Core Search Ranking Update Took Place But Not Penguin Related (SER)
2015 Updates
RankBrain* — October 26, 2015
Google made a major announcement, revealing that machine learning had been a part of the algorithm for months, contributing to the 3rd most influential ranking factor. *Note: This is an announcement date - we believe the actual launch was closer to spring 2015.
Google Turning Its Lucrative Web Search Over to AI Machines (Bloomberg)
FAQ: All About The New Google RankBrain Algorithm (SEL)
Panda 4.2 (#28) — July 17, 2015
Google announced what was most likely a Panda data refresh, saying that it could take months to fully roll out. The immediate impact was unclear, and there were no clear signs of a major algorithm update.
Google Panda Update: Everything We Know About Panda 4.2 (The SEM Post)
Google Panda 4.2 Is Here (SEL)
The Quality Update — May 3, 2015
After many reports of large-scale ranking changes, originally dubbed "Phantom 2", Google acknowledged a core algorithm change impacting "quality signals". This update seems to have had a broad impact, but Google didn't reveal any specifics about the nature of the signals involved.
The Quality Update: Google Confirms Changing How Quality Is Assessed, Resulting In Rankings Shake-Up (SEL)
Google's 'phantom' algorithm update hits websites (CNBC)
Mobile Update AKA "Mobilegeddon" — April 22, 2015
In a rare move, Google pre-announced an algorithm update, telling us that mobile rankings would differ for mobile-friendly sites starting on April 21st. The impact of this update was, in the short-term, much smaller than expected, and our data showed that algorithm flux peaked on April 22nd.
Finding more mobile-friendly search results (Google)
7 Days After Mobilegeddon: How Far Did the Sky Fall? (Moz)
Unnamed Update — February 4, 2015
Multiple SERP-trackers and many webmasters reported major flux in Google SERPs. Speculation ranged from an e-commerce focused update to a mobile usability update. Google did not officially confirm an update.
Significant Google Search Algorithm Update Yesterday (SER)
Google Brand-eCommerce “Update” causing fluctuations (Searchmetrics)
2014 Updates
Pigeon Expands (UK, CA, AU) — December 22, 2014
Google's major local algorithm update, dubbed "Pigeon", expanded to the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia. The original update hit the United States in July 2014. The update was confirmed on the 22nd but may have rolled out as early as the 19th.
Google Pigeon Update Rolls Out To UK, Canada & Australia (SEL)
Local Search Results Affected as Google Pigeon Update Hits UK (Strategy Digital)
Penguin Everflux — December 10, 2014
A Google representative said that Penguin had shifted to continuous updates, moving away from infrequent, major updates. While the exact timeline was unclear, this claim seemed to fit ongoing flux after Penguin 3.0 (including unconfirmed claims of a Penguin 3.1).
Google Says Penguin To Shift To “Continuous Updates” (SEL)
Pirate 2.0 — October 21, 2014
More than two years after the original DMCA/"Pirate" update, Google launched another update to combat software and digital media piracy. This update was highly targeted, causing dramatic drops in ranking to a relatively small group of sites.
Google Pirate Update Analysis and Loser List (Searchmetrics)
Google's New Search Downranking Hits Torrent Sites Hard (TorrentFreak)
Penguin 3.0 — October 17, 2014
More than a year after the previous Penguin update (2.1), Google launched a Penguin refresh. This update appeared to be smaller than expected (<1% of US/English queries affected) and was probably data-only (not a new Penguin algorithm). The timing of the update was unclear, especially internationally, and Google claimed it was spread out over "weeks".
Google AutoCorrects: Penguin 3.0 Still Rolling Out & 1% Impact (SER)
Penguin 3.0 Analysis – Penguin Tremors, Recoveries, Fresh Hits, and Crossing Algorithms (GSQi)
"In The News" Box — October 2014
Google made what looked like a display change to News-box results, but later announced that they had expanded news links to a much larger set of potential sites. The presence of news results in SERPs also spiked, and major news sites reported substantial traffic changes.
Google’s “In The News” Box Now Lists More Than Traditional News Sites (SEL)
New Publishers Upset With Google's "In The News" Box (SER)
Panda 4.1 (#27) — September 23, 2014
Google announced a significant Panda update, which included an algorithmic component. They estimated the impact at 3-5% of queries affected. Given the "slow rollout," the exact timing was unclear.
Panda 4.1 — Google’s 27th Panda Update — Is Rolling Out (SEL)
Panda 4.1 Analysis and Findings – Affiliate Marketing, Keyword Stuffing, Security Warnings, and Deception Prevalent (GSQI)
Authorship Removed — August 28, 2014
Following up on the June 28th drop of authorship photos, Google announced that they would be completely removing authorship markup (and would no longer process it). By the next morning, authorship bylines had disappeared from all SERPs.
Official Announcement from John Mueller (Google+)
It’s Over: The Rise & Fall Of Google Authorship For Search Results (SEL)
HTTPS/SSL Update — August 6, 2014
After months of speculation, Google announced that they would be giving preference to secure sites, and that adding encryption would provide a "lightweight" rankings boost. They stressed that this boost would start out small, but implied it might increase if the changed proved to be positive.
HTTPS as a ranking signal (Google)
Google Starts Giving A Ranking Boost To Secure HTTPS/SSL Sites (SEL)
Pigeon — July 24, 2014
Google shook the local SEO world with an update that dramatically altered some local results and modified how they handle and interpret location cues. Google claimed that Pigeon created closer ties between the local algorithm and core algorithm(s).
Google “Pigeon” Updates Local Search Algorithm With Stronger Ties To Web Search Signal (SEL)
Google Updates Local Algo with More Web Based Signals - Turmoil in SERPs (Blumenthals.com)
Authorship Photo Drop — June 28, 2014
John Mueller made a surprise announcement (on June 25th) that Google would be dropping all authorship photos from SERPs (after heavily promoting authorship as a connection to Google+). The drop was complete around June 28th.
Google Announces the End of Author Photos in Search: What You Should Know (Moz)
Google Removes Author Photos From Search: Why And What Does It Mean? (SEL)
Payday Loan 3.0 — June 12, 2014
Less than a month after the Payday Loan 2.0 anti-spam update, Google launched another major iteration. Official statements suggested that 2.0 targeted specific sites, while 3.0 targeted spammy queries.
Google Spam Algorithm Version 3.0 Launches Today (SER)
Panda 4.0 (#26) — May 19, 2014
Google confirmed a major Panda update that likely included both an algorithm update and a data refresh. Officially, about 7.5% of English-language queries were affected. While Matt Cutts said it began rolling out on 5/20, our data strongly suggests it started earlier.
Google Begins Rolling Out Panda 4.0 Now (SEL)
Panda 4.0, Payday Loan 2.0 & eBay's Very Bad Day (Moz)
Payday Loan 2.0 — May 16, 2014
Just prior to Panda 4.0, Google updated it's "payday loan" algorithm, which targets especially spammy queries. The exact date of the roll-out was unclear (Google said "this past weekend" on 5/20), and the back-to-back updates made the details difficult to sort out.
Official: Google Payday Loan Algorithm 2.0 Launched: Targets “Very Spammy Queries” (SEL)
Unnamed Update — March 24, 2014
Major algorithm flux trackers and webmaster chatter spiked around 3/24-3/25, and some speculated that the new, "softer" Panda update had arrived. Many sites reported ranking changes, but this update was never confirmed by Google.
Did Google Do An Algorithm Update Yesterday? (SER)
Did the Softer Panda Update Arrive on March 24, 2014? (GSQi)
Page Layout #3 — February 6, 2014
Google "refreshed" their page layout algorithm, also known as "top heavy". Originally launched in January 2012, the page layout algorithm penalizes sites with too many ads above the fold.
Google Updates Its Page Layout Algorithm To Go After Sites "Top Heavy" With Ads (SEL)
2013 Updates
Authorship Shake-up — December 19, 2013
As predicted by Matt Cutts at Pubcon Las Vegas, authorship mark-up disappeared from roughly 15% of queries over a period of about a month. The fall bottomed out around December 19th, but the numbers remain volatile and have not recovered to earlier highs.
Google's December Authorship Shake-up (Moz)
Authorshipocalypse! The Great Google Authorship Purge Has Begun (Virante)
Unnamed Update — December 17, 2013
Almost all global flux trackers registered historically high activity. Google would not confirm an update, suggesting that they avoid updates near the holidays. MozCast also registered a rise in some Partial-Match Domains (PMDs), but the patterns were unclear.
The Biggest SERP Flux Since Penguin 2.0 (Dejan SEO)
Google Denies A Major Update On December 17th (SEL)
Unnamed Update — November 14, 2013
Multiple Google trackers picked up unusual activity, which co-occurred with a report of widespread DNS errors in Google Webmaster Tools. Google did not confirm an update, and the cause and nature of this flux was unclear.
Was There a November 14th Google Update? (Moz)
Was There A Google Update On November 14th? (SER)
Penguin 2.1 (#5) — October 4, 2013
After a 4-1/2 month gap, Google launched another Penguin update. Given the 2.1 designation, this was probably a data update (primarily) and not a major change to the Penguin algorithm. The overall impact seemed to be moderate, although some webmasters reported being hit hard.
Penguin 5, With The Penguin 2.1 Spam-Filtering Algorithm, Is Now Live (SEL)
Google Penguin 2.1 Was A Big Hit (SER)
Hummingbird — August 20, 2013
Announced on September 26th, Google suggested that the "Hummingbird" update rolled out about a month earlier. Our best guess ties it to a MozCast spike on August 20th and many reports of flux from August 20-22. Hummingbird has been compared to Caffeine, and seems to be a core algorithm update that may power changes to semantic search and the Knowledge Graph for months to come.
FAQ: All About The New Google "Hummingbird" Algorithm (SEL)
Some Reports Of An August 21/22 Google Update (SER)
In-depth Articles — August 6, 2013
Google added a new type of news result called "in-depth articles", dedicated to more evergreen, long-form content. At launch, it included links to three articles, and appeared across about 3% of the searches that MozCast tracks.
In-depth articles in search results (Google)
Inside In-depth Articles: Dissecting Google's Latest Feature (Moz)
