What is a Search Engine Algorithm Update?
Search engines like Google, Bing, Yahoo, and DuckDuckGo use algorithms to rank web pages on their organic listings. These algorithms decide which pages appear first when you search. An algorithm update changes how search engines rank pages. This can affect your website’s position in search results.
Why Does Google Update Its Algorithm?
Google wants to give you the best results. It updates its algorithm to improve search quality. Updates help remove spam and low-quality content and rank high-quality and relevant content better.
Types of Google Algorithm Updates
Google makes different types of updates. Some updates are small, and some are big. Small updates happen almost every day. Big updates happen a few times a year. Big updates can change search results a lot.
Major Google Algorithm Updates
Here is a list of all major Google algorithm updates. Each update has a name and a purpose. The list will help you understand how Google’s algorithm has changed over time.
| Update Name | Release Date | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Panda | February 2011 | Reduce the rank of low-quality sites |
| Penguin | April 2012 | Reduce the rank of sites with spammy links |
| Hummingbird | August 2013 | Improve the understanding of search queries |
| Pigeon | July 2014 | Improve local search results |
| Mobilegeddon | April 2015 | Boost mobile-friendly pages |
| RankBrain | October 2015 | Improve understanding of search queries |
| Fred | March 2017 | Target low-value content |
| Medic | August 2018 | Focus on health and medical sites |
| BERT | October 2019 | Better understand the context of words |
| Core Updates | Several Times a Year | Improve overall search quality |
Details of Major Google Algorithm Updates
Panda Update
The Panda update was launched in February 2011. It aimed to lower the rank of low-quality sites. These sites had thin content or lots of ads. Panda helped high-quality sites rank better.
Penguin Update
The Penguin update came out in April 2012. It targeted sites with spammy links. Sites that used bad link practices saw a drop in rank. Penguin helped clean up the web.
Hummingbird Update
The Hummingbird update was released in August 2013. It aimed to understand search queries better. This update focused on the meaning behind the words. It helped Google give more accurate results.
Pigeon Update
The Pigeon update came out in July 2014. It improved local search results. Businesses with good local SEO saw a boost. Pigeon made local searches more accurate.
Mobilegeddon Update
The Mobilegeddon update was launched in April 2015. It boosted mobile-friendly pages. Sites that worked well on mobile ranked higher. This update made the web better for mobile users.
Rankbrain Update
The RankBrain update came out in October 2015. It used machine learning to understand search queries. RankBrain helped Google understand complex queries better. It improved search accuracy.
Fred Update
The Fred update was launched in March 2017. It targeted low-value content. Sites with lots of ads and poor content were affected. Fred aimed to improve the quality of search results.
Medic Update
The Medic update came out in August 2018. It focused on health and medical sites. Sites with good content saw a boost. Medic aimed to improve the quality of health information online.
Bert Update
The BERT update was released in October 2019. It aimed to understand the context of words better. BERT helped Google understand longer and more complex queries. It improved search results for conversational queries.
Core Updates
Core updates happen several times a year. They aim to improve overall search quality. Core updates make many changes at once. They help Google deliver better and more relevant results.