A Look into Google’s 10 Most Important Recent Algorithm Updates
Google is the world’s leading Search Engine that connects internet users with the information they are looking for. Google is known to regularly update their search algorithms to ensure that Google Search Engine users are provided with a great experience. As highly technical SEO experts with over 25 years of combined experience, we share what we believe to be the most important Google Algorithm Updates that webmasters should be aware of.
Most Important Google Updates you Should be Aware Off
1. Mobile First Indexing – March 26, 2018
Google Announced that they will index the mobile version of your website first, meaning that the importance of having a mobile-friendly website is increasing, this move is also in-line with general internet user behaviour where the average amount of mobile internet users increases annually while the number of desktop users is decreasing.
2. “Brackets” Core Update – March 8, 2018
This was a major core update on Google’s Algorithm with a broad focus on improving the quality of search results they provide. The sites that seem to have been impacted the worst was sites with aggressive, disruptive, and deceptive advertising. I have seen aggressive, disruptive, or deceptive ads many, many times while analysing sites negatively impacted during these broad quality updates.
3. Snippet Length Increase – November 30, 2017
Google increased the length of their snippets from 155 characters to 300 characters, meaning that you can now add a longer description of your landing pages with a call to action.
4. Chrome HTTPS Warnings – October 17, 2017
With the launch of Chrome 62, Google started warning visitors to sites with unsecured forms, while not an algorithm update, this was an important step in Google’s push towards HTTPS, providing search engine users with a more secure online experience.
5. Intrusive Interstitial Penalty – January 10, 2017
Google rolled out a penalty to punish aggressive interstitials and pop-ups that might damage the mobile user experience.
6. Penguin 4.0 – September 27, 2016
Google rolled out a new Penguin algorithm that devalues rather than penalises bad links, this update again tried to curb sites with Spammy non-relevant links from reaching the top of search results.
7. Mobile-friendly – May 12, 2016
Google rolled out another ranking signal boost to benefit mobile-friendly sites on mobile search.
8. The Quality Update – May 3, 2016
After many reports of large-scale ranking changes, originally dubbed “Phantom 2”, Google acknowledged a core algorithm change impacting “quality signals”. Meaning that better quality websites with quality, relevant content ranks higher than lower quality websites.
9. RankBrain – October 26, 2015
Google announced that machine learning had been a part of their algorithm for months and contributes to the 3rd most influential ranking factor.
10. Google Panda 4.0 – July 17, 2015
Google’s latest Panda Algorithm update is geared towards removing low-quality spammy sites from the top of their search results and rewarding sites with quality content and user experience in the top of their search results.
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