Google Algorithm Updates

Algorithms are computer programs that look for clues to give you back exactly what you want.

For a typical query, there are thousands, if not millions, of webpages with helpful information. Algorithms are the computer processes and formulas that take your questions and turn them into answers. Today Google’s algorithms rely on more than 200 unique signals or “clues” that make it possible to guess what you might really be looking for. These signals include things like the terms on websites, the freshness of content, your region and PageRank.

What is Google Algorithm

What is Google updates

Each year, Google changes its search algorithm around 500–600 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

Panda

Google Panda is a change to Google's search results ranking algorithm that was first released in February 2011. The change aimed to lower the rank of "low-quality sites" or "thin sites", in particular "content farms", and return higher-quality sites near the top of the search results.

Penguin Google launched the Penguin Update in April 2012 to better catch sites considered to be

spamming its search results, in particular those doing so by buying links or obtaining them through link networks designed primarily to boost Google rankings.

Pigeon Google Pigeon is the code name given to one of Google's local search algorithm updates. This

update was released on July 24, 2014. The update is aimed to increase the ranking of local listing in a search. The changes will also affect the search results shown in Google Maps along with the regular Google search results.

Hummingbird

Google started using Hummingbird about August 30, 2013, Hummingbird is about synonyms but also about context. Hummingbird it is also able to judge context—thereby judging the intent of a person carrying out a search, to determine what they are trying to find out. This concept is called semantic search.

Possum

Google's Possum Update, How It Rocked Local SEO Rankings. The is one of the biggest Google updates to rock the local SEO rankings in a long time. ... It's nicknamed "Possum" by the SEO community. Possum, unlike most other updates, affects only local search results. Updated on Oct 26, 2016

RankBrain Google's using a machine learning technology called RankBrain to help deliver its search results.

Google uses a machine-learning artificial intelligence system called “RankBrain” to help sort through its search results. Updated on Jun 23, 2016

Updates

2016: Till 10 updates now

AdWords Shake-up — February 23, 2016Mobile-friendly 2 — May 12, 2016"Possum" — September 1, 2016Image/Universal Drop — September 13, 2016Penguin 4.0 Announcement — September 23, 2016Penguin 4.0, Phase 1 — September 27, 2016Penguin 4.0, Phase 2 — October 6, 2016And Three Updates are Unknown Google updates.

Updates

2015: Total 5 updates

Mobile Update AKA "Mobilegeddon" — April 22, 2015The Quality Update — May 3, 2015Panda 4.2 — July 17, 2015RankBrain — October 26, 2015

https://moz.com/google-algorithm-change#2015http://searchengineland.com/library/google/google-algorithm-updates

References

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