Google: Algorithm Updates

Google has a long narration of eminent algorithm updates, search index changes and refreshes. Below are links to some of the most important resources for search marketers:

1. Google Mobile Friendly Update
2. Google Hummingbird
3. Google Panda Update
4. Google Penguin Update
5. Google Pigeon Update
6. Google Payday Update
7. Google Pirate Update
8. Google EMD (Exact Match Domain) Update
9. Google Top profound Update

• Google Mobile Friendly Update

On April 21, 2015, Google released a significant new mobile-friendly standing algorithm that’s designed to give a boost to mobile-friendly pages in Google’s mobile search results.

The change is so momentous that the date it happened is being referred to by a variety of names. Here at Search Engine Land, we’re calling it mobilegeddon, but sometimes it’s also referred to as mobilepocalyse, mopocalypse or mobocalypse.

One of the best ways to prepare is to test that Google considers your web pages to be mobile-friendly by using its Mobile-Friendly Test tool.

• Google Hummingbird

“ Hummingbird” is the name of the new search platform that Google is using as of September 2013; the name comes from being “defined and rapid” and is designed to better focus on the meaning behind the words. Read our  Google Hummingbird FAQ here .

Hummingbird is paying more attention to each word in a query, ensuring that the whole query — the whole sentence or discussion or meaning — is taken into account, rather than particular words. The goal is that pages matching the meaning do better, rather than pages matching just a few words.

Google Hummingbird is designed to apply the meaning expertise to billions of pages from across the web, in addition to Knowledge Graph facts, which may bring back better results.

• Google Panda Update

Google’s Panda Update is a search filter introduced in February 2011 meant to stop sites with underprivileged quality content from working their way into Google’s top search results. Panda is updated from time-to-time. When this happens, sites previously hit may flight, if they’ve made the right changes. Panda may also catch sites that escaped before. A refresh also means “ false positives” might get released.

• Google Penguin Update

Launched on July 24, 2014 for U.S. English results, the “ Pigeon Update” is a new algorithm to provide more useful, relevant and exact local search results that are tied more closely to conventional web search ranking signals. Google stated that this new algorithm improves their distance and location ranking parameters.

Google Payday Update

Launched on June 11, 2013 – the “ Payday Update” was a new algorithm targeted at cleaning up search results for conventionally “spam queries” such as [ payday loan], pornographic and other heavily spammed queries.

• Google Pirate Update

Google’s Pirate Update is a filter introduced in August 2012 designed to prevent sites with many copyright infringement reports, as filed through Google’s DMCA system, from ranking well in Google’s listings. The filter is sporadically updated. When this happens, sites previously impacted may escape, if they’ve made the right improvements. The filter may also catch new sites that escaped being caught before, plus it may release “ false positives” that were caught.

The EMD Update — for “ Exact Match Domain” — is a filter Google launched in September 2012 to prevent poor quality sites from ranking well simply because they had words that match search terms in their area names. When a fresh EMD Update happens, sites that have improved their content may regain good rankings. New sites with poor content — or those previously missed by EMD — may get caught. In addition, “ false positives” may get released. Our latest news about the EMD Update is below.

Google Top profound Update

Top Heavy was  launched in January 2012 by Google as a means to put off sites that were “ top heavy” with ads from ranking well in its listings. Top Heavy is sporadically updated. When a fresh Top Heavy Update happen, sites that have removed unnecessary ads may recuperate lost rankings. New sites deemed too “top heavy” may get caught.