Search engines use a set of rules to determine the significance of a webpage. These are known as algorithms and different algorithms are used by different search engines. The algorithm used by search engines prevents cheating on websites and the Google search algorithm also provides better search results and relevant content for internet users.
Over the years, Google has introduced various algorithm updates that have made significant changes to the way website optimization services are carried out.
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Panda
A game-changer, Panda was introduced in 2011 and is the first major update in what can be referred to as the modern SEO era. The update tried to deal with websites that were created purely to rank in search engines and focused mainly on on-page factors.
Simply put, Panda determined whether a website genuinely offered information about the search term used by the visitor. Two types of websites were especially hard hit by this algorithm; Affiliate links and websites with very thin content.
With the update, site owners could not get away from building websites full of low-quality pages. Due to this, the algorithm permanently affected SEO and the way a digital marketing agency in Sri Lanka, for instance, would optimize a website.
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Venice
In 2012, Google introduced an algorithm update known as Venice. This was a noteworthy update and after the update, Google search results included pages based on the userā€™s set location or IP address.
The Venice algorithm update showed that Google understood that users are sometimes looking for results that are local to them.
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Penguin
The Penguin algorithm update in 2012 was also of significance and it looked at the links websites got from other sites. Penguin analyzed backlinks and determined if they were genuine or had been bought to trick the search engine.
This update also had an impact on social media marketing and search engine optimization as it used to be common for people to pay for links as a shortcut to boosting their rankings. The Penguin algorithm update by Google discouraged the practice of buying, exchanging, or artificially creating links.
This was done by assigning a negative value to any site found to have artificial links and websites with artificial links essentially disappeared from search results. With the introduction of Penguin, site owners had to develop a successful link-building strategy to get relevant links from valued sources instead of merely getting low-effort paid links.
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Pirate
Another key algorithm update from 2012 is Pirate, which aimed at combatting the illegal spreading of copyrighted content. The update took into consideration takedown requests as per the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) to give a website a negative ranking. This was the first time DMCA takedown requests were considered a negative ranking factor.
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Hummingbird
In 2014, Google introduced the Hummingbird update through which they lay down the groundwork for voice-search, which is becoming more important as more and more devices use the technology.
Hummingbird paid attention to each word in a query and ensured the entire search query was taken into account, instead of particular words only. This allowed the search engine to understand the search query better and give a user an answer instead of a list of results.
Unlike most algorithm updates, Hummingbird did not intend to punish bad practices and so the impact of the update was not immediately clear. However, the update pushed website optimization services to make sure SEO content was readable, used natural language, and used similar words instead of over-optimizing the same few words.
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Pigeon
The 2014 Pigeon update focused on local SEO and affected both the results page and Google maps. It aimed to increase the relevance and quality of local results by taking organic factors into account. Accurate localization and results near the userā€™s location being given preference were two key results of this algorithm update.
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HTTPS/SSL
In 2014, Google also introduced an algorithm update that highlighted the importance of security. The HTTPS/SSL update gave a small ranking boost to websites that correctly implemented HTTPS in order to make the connection between the website and the user secure.
Despite the update being introduced as a lightweight ranking signal, Google also hinted at making encryption more important.
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Mobile Update
Known as the Mobilegeddon within the SEO industry, Googleā€™s mobile update in 2015 gave mobile-friendly websites a ranking advantage in Googleā€™s mobile search results. This was important as more than 50 percent of Googleā€™s search queries in 2015 were coming from mobile devices.