The Google search engine is really accessible and easy to use, right? But behind this convenience, SEO specialists and digital marketing people always get the tough job for making us, the market, and their clients see what we want to appear on the results page. Because of the algorithm updates, a website may rank from 0 to 50, or even the other way around, because these changes really are unpredictable.

As people continuously use the Google search engine, most of them do not realize what happens at the backend. Google occasionally roll out major updates, so SEO specialists, marketers, and even writers will have to adjust to these.

In 2011, the Panda update brought high-quality sites on the top results based on requirements such as expertise, accuracy, authority, completeness of content, trustworthiness, originality, and the like.

In 2012, the Penguin update demoted sites which bought links and which spammed its search results. Basically, sites which appeared in the top pages of the Google search engine with manipulated, irrelevant, and over-optimized anchor text.

In 2014, the Pigeon update was rolled out to offer better local search results to sites of local businesses with strong organic presence. This update was made useful for local businesses as relevant results were shown based on a searcher’s location and listing available in the local directory.

In 2015, the Mobile update made mobile-friendly sites rank at the top of the results page of the Google search engine. This made site owners optimize their websites not only for rankings but also for a quality mobile experience.

In 2016, the Possum update improved the visibility of businesses which included the city name even when they’re right outside the city limits. Also, it provided a variety of results for similar searches such as for terms “The Food Hub” and “The Food Hub, Inc.”

In 2017, the Hawk update makes the Google search engine show the most relevant listing in the local results and then it filters the rest. This update looked into the businesses with same addresses (e.g. a large building with office spaces and commercial tenants).

With all of these updates, the Google search engine and the changes that it brings along tells a message that sites and pages must always be maintained and optimized for the user’s benefit. Ignorance of these changes would surely make your ranking decrease, so always be in the know of every Google update.

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