Why So Many Google Updates?

A great question was asked in Women in Tech SEO last week: "WHY oh why has Google (dramatically) increased the number of core algorithm updates recently?"

There's a reason we're all feeling underwater, and it's not just due to the fast pace of AI & LLM changes in 2023.

The short answer? There are a lot of good reasons!

Let's chat through the big ones & their context.

1) It's no secret that Google's been feeling the pressure from, well, so very many directions lately:

1a) Investors are mad that Bing got the jump on Google with their announcement of BingGPT. Then Google fumbled the launch of Bard, their chatbot & answer to BingGPT.

Google shares drop $100 billion after its new AI chatbot makes a mistake

1b) Users across the web are complaining that Google search results are worse than they used to be.

Goog Enough

1c) Reporters and regulators are deep in antitrust trials, and the findings have been, shall we say... interesting?

• Google Ads team asks Search team for worse search results so Ads team can hit target goals
• Expedia Chairman & Senior Exec threatens "Revolt" over Ads, citing ~1330% ($21M -> $300M) cost increases with no traffic or conversion increases
• Justice Department Sues Google for Monopolizing Digital Advertising Technologies

This all translates to some obvious PR challenges for Google. And what better way to show that they care about Search Quality than some big & frequent algorithm updates?

2) In addition to PR challenges, there are also real, actual search-quality issues.

2a) The rise in LLMs (e.g. automatic long-form text generation) means it's significantly easier for everyone to create new content.

Much of that content is going on the web - and that means a LOT more content for Google to crawl & index. Much of that content is pretty crappy - or spam! - and it's coming in so fast, Google will need new and innovative ways to cut through the noise.

2b) Google's already known about & been hard at work improving the quality of reviews & review sites, and generally (re)defining what "Helpful Content" actually is. Or, at minimum, redefining how their algos identify it, to rank it effectively.

What do you do when you want to actually improve Search Quality? Algorithm updates!

3) Samantha Torres ' take says the biggest reason is: Competition is alive and well!

Between generational behavioral differences, TikTok (recommendations), Reddit (human reviews), the resurgence of Pinterest, and Amazon (shopping)... Users might not be making Google their one-stop-shop for all things “search” anymore.

Algorithm updates are how new features are released. Features that might just include social and shopping functionality...

4) What if they aren't actually doing any more updates than normal - maybe they are simply communicating about it more?

Credit: Areej AbuAli

5) Or that - given the chaos of covid - there was a temporary decrease in large/regular updates, which are now returning to a normal cadence.

Credit: Angie Rooney

6) New update types (PRU, HCU) may be more worthy of communicating to a broader audience.

Credit: Areej AbuAli

7) Finally, Google tests stuff all the time: they could be using algorithm updates to fix mistakes, over-corrections, and to generally tweak the inputs to get the best results.

E.g. after announcing that FAQs would be removed for everyone but the most authoritative sites, we're now seeing a resurgence.

Google Showing More FAQ Rich Results By Tweaking Which Sites Can Show Them?

Credit: Angie Rooney

There we go! Seven good reasons Google might be doing more algorithm updates than usual.

Anything we're missing? Please share your thoughts, too.

And - as always - join us for more insights over at Gray Dot Company !