As a marketer and SEO specialist, you should be well aware of the changing algorithms of Google. Often, the website traffic rate drops, and one of the primary reasons for it might be the change in the Google algorithms. With a prodigious history of changing search index and algorithm updates in recent times, Google has made it clear about its frequent alterations and updates.
It is essential to understand what Google Algorithm is and its types. It is vital because it helps us know the A to Z of how algorithms influence and impact the SEO and the rankings of a webpage.
What is Google Algorithm?
Google Algorithms are an extremely complicated system that enables google to search and provide a different rank page for a specific search topic. The web page rankings are obtained by combining both the algorithms and the different ranking results used by the search engines on the result pages. The various search results tend to appear in the SERPs based on the algorithms. However, Google never discloses the exact algorithms publicly.
Multiple elements work together to impact the result of the page’s position. It includes:
- The Keywords appearing in the title, meta description, and header tags.
- The number of organic links.
- Mobile-friendliness of the websites
Types of Google Algorithms
Presently, Google has been updating and changing its SEO innumerable times annually. However, this was rare before. In most cases, these algorithm changes are minute and therefore tend to remain unobserved. As a result, the impact is also less on SEO. On the contrary, at times, the updates are major and totally alter and interrupt the way SEO has been working for a site.
Google has 8 major algorithm updates that have been undertaken at different points, Let’s discuss about it –
1) Panda:
This Panda algorithm deals with the content quality and helps a site with the quality content rank higher in the SERP. This algorithm update can seriously impact a site with low-quality content. Therefore, make sure your site has relevant and good quality content for securing better ranks. It checks your on-page optimization quality of the site. The better the content quality, the higher is the rank provided by Panda.
2) Penguin
The updated versions of the Penguin algorithm often hits the site and swoops down your site rank. Much like algorithm Panda, Penguin, however, evaluates the websites for different factors like the link of the profiles. A site’s ranking is much impacted depending on the source of the backlinks. For gaining higher ranks, they must be linked to trustworthy sources. If the links belong from shady and unknown sources, the ranks will be influenced accordingly as the algorithm indexes them in lower positions. Additionally, other factors like keyword stuffing, the absence of diversity in the backlink texts, and low-quality links affect a site’s ranking.
3) Hummingbird
The chief aim of the Hummingbird algorithm is to improve and develop the search results. Unlike Panda and Penguin, the Hummingbird algorithm doesn’t deal with the website rankings. It helps in interpreting the intent of the users behind a specific query. Therefore, along with the keywords incorporated, the content around those words is equally important. The very existence of the semantic search is due to this particular algorithm. The central idea is to understand what exactly the users want during an online search.
4) Pigeon
Google uses 2 separate search algorithms for local search and traditional web search. Google encompassed the update to help these 2 algorithms cooperate and function properly together. Presently, a site’s ranking also depends on the business locations and its distance from its users. The closer the distance between these 2, the higher the rank will be. However, the distance between the business location and its users is not under much control. Hence, it’s better to improve the rank position through proper SEO, such as creating quality content, using location-based keywords, and creating mobile-friendly sites.
5) Fred
Fred is not just a single algorithm update but rather a series of minor updates by Google undertaken daily. However, one of these little updates once turned out to be a big and significant issue. There are several factors that trigger Fred to lower your site ranking position. It includes a bad user experience to low-quality content and even irrelevant and hostile advertisements. The best way to deal with this Fred algorithm is to opt for the patterns which have led to the drop in website traffic. Prioritize the content over advertisement and also ensure a great user experience.
6) Payday Loan:
Rolled out in 2013, Google Payday Loan has many similarities with Google Panda and Penguin. This updated algorithm’s chief focus is to remove the curtain from the shabby sites such as casinos, pornography, and high-interest loan sites. The websites with excessive spammy links and risky SEO procedures are the central target of this algorithm. However, adequately optimized sites without spam links tend to do better. The best way to encounter this algorithm-affected downrank is to cast aside the spam links and reduce the overly risky SEO activities.
7) Mobile-Friendly Update:
Google introduced the mobile-friendly algorithm search ranking factor, and hence the new updated algorithm called Mobilegeddon came into existence in 2015. This specific algorithm type’s chief focus was to improve the user experience while viewing through small screens like mobiles. With its farsightedness, Google was confident about a world driven by mobile phones. Hence, Mobile optimized sites are the newest necessity. Years down the line, it turned out to be accurate as presently, mobile-optimized sites are way more popular than desktop versions. Factors like responsive designs, large font size, page loading speed create a mobile responsive site
8) Bert:
In 2019, Google came up with Bert’s update for improving the content quality of the websites. It takes into account the poor content, lack of focus, and absence of context in a site’s content. Therefore, as a site owner, be sure to concentrate on the content copy as the Bert algorithm might lower your site rank for poorly developed content. It enables Google to understand the search queries and the search results. Focus on the research and adapt a descriptive writing style with relevant content as per the concerned site.
How does Google Search Algorithm work?
Google Search Algorithm works based on numerable factors such as:
- Search Query: Google must understand the search topic in order to provide you with the search results. However, it gives the best possible search results for specific topics with additional options.
For example, Google will provide you with 2 options for the word Bark.
Search results related to a dog’s bark.
Search results related to the bark of a tree.
- Page Relevancy: Google focuses on finding the best possible search results for the user’s search query. Therefore, it analyses the google websites’ content by crawling through them and indexing them.
- Content Quality: Amidst the ocean of content available, Google needs to analyze and find the quality content. Google’s PageRank algorithm takes care of both the quality and quantity of the sites’ content.
- Page Usability: Google also incorporates usability and user-friendliness of the websites and the content quality and relevancy. It takes into account the page speed, responsiveness rate, website security, and other factors for site ranking.
Why is the Google Algorithm Important for SEO?
Google uses the various keywords for determining the page rank in the SERPs. Enabling the search engine optimization of a website helps Google understand the type of website and its products and services. The specific keywords for a concerned business are incorporated for improvising the google page ranking of that website.
However, these keywords are placed randomly and frequently, which results in keyword stuffing. Google algorithms intervene to prevent these keywords’ spamming in the site content. It filters the site with relevant keywords-related content and places the rankings accordingly. Therefore, if you have been stuffing your content with keywords that aren’t relevant, thinking that it would fetch your website higher ranks, then you are completely wrong.
Conclusion:-
Google hardly gives any indication about the minor changes in the updated algorithms. The changes are minute, and the impact is not felt as such. However, when the updates are major, a severe effect is observed in the website ranking and position dropping. Hence, try and be aware of the updated algorithms. However, it is more important to optimize your site with quality content, reliable backlink sources, and a good user experience with an interesting website.