What You Must Know About Google’s Search Algorithm

SAN DIEGO, Calif.—In the days leading up to April 21, 2015, online marketing experts prepared for an event that was being coined “Mobilegeddon.”

Although April 21 proved to be an important day in the web marketing milieu, it was not the apocalyptic event that many had anticipated. Instead, April 21, 2015 marked the date that Google quietly rolled out its latest search algorithm update. For those of you who are not familiar with Google’s most recent algorithm update—or any of the ones prior—here is a brief history of the most significant ones.

What’s Google’s Search Algorithm?
When an Internet user types a query into the Google search engine, Google uses its homegrown search algorithm to decide which results to return to the user and in what order. The algorithm takes more than 200 factors into account when ranking the value of each of the websites that it has in its vast database. Over time, “black hat” search engine optimization (SEO) practitioners started manipulating this system to their advantage. To preserve the integrity of its ranking system, Google periodically updates its search algorithm. The following are Google’s most noteworthy algorithm updates.

Panda. Introduced in September 2014, the Panda update helps eliminate low-quality content, such as keyword-stuffed or duplicated (plagiarized) content. Gone are the days of writing about a San Diego online marketing company that offers San Diego online marketing clients online marketing services in San Diego.

Penguin. Google released the Penguin update in October 2014 to eliminate “spammy” linking tactics. For example, when word got out that Google’s algorithm uses the number of backlinks (i.e., incoming links) that a website has as one of its main ranking factors, black hat SEO practitioners started buying thousands of backlinks from disreputable sources to satisfy this ranking criterion and thereby improve their search rankings.

Pigeon. In December 2014, Google released the Pigeon update to enhance search results that are closely tied to the user’s location. For instance, a user searching for the term “optometrist” will now get results based on local optometry practices before seeing a result for an optometrist in another city or state.

Hummingbird. This update is different from the others because it does not focus on users’ SEO tactics. Instead, Hummingbird allows the Google search engine to do its job better by improving its semantic search ability. This means that the search engine better understands conversational search queries and can deduce the intent and contextual meaning of the terms used in search queries.

April 21 Update. This highly dramatized update penalizes websites that are not mobile friendly, illustrating Google’s commitment to ensuring that online visitors have a user-friendly experience, whether they are searching on their desktop computer or smartphone.

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Learn More. For more information about how Google’s algorithm updates affect your website’s ranking, SEO or online marketing in general, download a free e-book called “Wake Up Your Website’s Potential” by iMatrix, a leader in brand-specific websites and web marketing.