What is Google’s algorithm?

Google algorithm is a complex system of mathematical formulas and set of many rules to determine the ranking and relevance of web pages in google search results. 

Google analyzes several factors to determine the relevance and usefulness of a web page to a user search query. 

1. Relevance of content – Google always entertains pages that content is relevant to  the user search query. The relevance is determined by many factors such as keywords, quality and length of the content and freshness of the content.

2. Quality of content –  Google also evaluates the overall quality page’s content including factors like grammar, spelling, and factual accuracy.

3. Authority and credibility – When ranking pages in search results, Google considers various factors related to links reputation and authority. This includes both external links from other websites to the page and internal links (links within the same website). Google evaluates the number and quality of external and internal links pointing to the page, as well as the reputation and authority of the website or page. Pages that are linked to by other reputable and high-quality websites are more likely to be viewed as authoritative.

4. User experience – User experience is a crucial factor in Google’s algorithm when ranking pages. If the user experience is poor so the bounce rate is high, it can negatively impact the page’s ranking. There are multiple factors that affect user experience such as bad website layout, font size issue, page load time, not mobile-friendliness, navigation, broken links, and color schemes that are easy to read and understand.

Top 12 Major google algorithm updates

1. Google panda update – The Google Panda update which was released in February 2011 was a Big update in Google’s algorithm. The objective of this update was to promote high-quality content and reduce the visibility of low-quality duplicate content in Google results pages. After this update websites with high-quality content and good user experiences increased in search ranking, while websites with low-quality or duplicate content saw a drop in rankings.
2. Penguin – The Penguin update which was released in April 2012 was a major update to Google’s algorithm. The objective of this update was to reduce or remove the visibility of websites that were using manipulative techniques such as hidden links, black hat techniques, and paid links to gain higher search rankings. This update specifically targeted websites that engaged in practices like keyword stuffing, cloaking, and link schemes. Websites that were found to be engaging in these activities experienced a significant drop in search result page rankings.
3. Knowledge Graph – The Google Knowledge Graph was launched in 2012 as part of Google search algorithm. The main objective is to collect information from different sources in order to provide more accurate search results. The Knowledge Graph achieves this by understanding the relationships between entities such as people, places, organizations, events, and things. It provides additional information about users’ queries and improves the Google search experience.
4. Hummingbird – In 2013, Google launched the Hummingbird update to improve search results by better understanding search queries and providing more relevant results. The update introduced features such as natural language processing and semantic search making it easier for users to find what they search quickly and efficiently. With these changes Google’s search algorithm became more advanced and effective enhancing the overall search experience for users.
5. Pigeon – The Google Pigeon was launched in 2014 as part of google search algorithm update to improve and focus the relevance and accuracy of local search results for small and medium size of business. The update used traditional web search ranking factors such as keyword usage, content quality, backlinks, and user engagement metrics, among others and made it important for businesses to have accurate and consistent information across various directories and websites. Google has continued to refine its local search algorithms since the Pigeon update in 2014.
6. Mobile-Friendly Update –  The Google Mobile – Friendly update was launched in April 2015 as part of google search algorithm also known as Mobilegeddon. The update prioritized mobile-friendly websites in search results and pushed down those that were not optimized for mobile devices. The criteria for mobile-friendly website ranking included responsive design, font size, and button spacing. This update gave a boost in visibility to mobile-friendly websites and made it easier for users to access them.
7. RankBrain –  The RankBrain update was launched in October 2015 as part of Google search algorithm to help Google better understand the intent behind search queries and provide the best and most relevant search results. Google uses machine learning models and artificial intelligence to analyze search queries allowing website owners and businesses to focus on providing high-quality content that matches and solves the user’s intent.
8. Possum – In September 2016, Google released the Possum update to improve local search accuracy by filtering out spam and duplicate listings. This made it harder for businesses with multiple listings to dominate search results, resulting in a better user experience and preventing search manipulation.
9. Fred – The Google Fred update was launched in March 2017.  It was designed to penalize websites that use black hat SEO techniques, particularly those that specially monetization over user experience and content quality. The Fred update mainly targeted low-quality, ad-heavy websites that use manipulative tactics to generate traffic and revenue. Websites that were affected by the Fred update saw a significant drop in traffic and search rankings. To avoid being penalized by the Fred update, website owners should focus on providing high-quality content that prioritizes the user experience rather than just generating revenue through ads and affiliate links.
10. Medic – The Google Medic update, launched in August 2018, primarily impacted websites related to health and wellness. However it also affected other types of websites. The update targeted “Your Money Your Life” websites which provide information on health, finance and other important life decisions. The focus was on prioritizing high-quality content from authoritative sources and devaluing low-quality content that could harm users.
11. BERT – Google launched BERT in October 2019 to help its search algorithm understand the context and meaning behind longer, conversational search queries. BERT uses natural language processing to provide more relevant and precise search results. Bert algorithm emphasizes the importance of producing high- quality, conversational content that addresses user intent.
12. Google Core Updates – Google Core Updates are periodic updates to the search algorithm aimed at improving the quality of search results. These updates can have an impact on website rankings and traffic. The updates reward high-quality relevant content and demote low-quality or spammy content. Website owners should focus on creating user-focused content to maintain or improve their rankings.

How does Google’s ranking algorithm work?

Google’s ranking algorithm works by analyzing web pages and determining their relevance and authority to a particular search query. Google analyzes several factors to determine the relevance and usefulness of a web page to a user search query. 

1. Keywords and search terms

2. Content quality and relevance

3. Page structure and navigation

4. Inbound links

5. Authority and relevance of the linking domains

6. User engagement signals

Google algorithm Complete list