Understanding Google Algorithms
Anyone who knows a thing or two about SEO will understand that search engine algorithms play a vital part in deciphering how and where your website is ranked in the results pages. But what are algorithms and which Google algorithms are the most significant?
An algorithm is a set of rules of specifications designed to solve a problem or a set of problems. In computer science, algorithms are used for things like complex calculations and data processing. In SEO algorithms are used to determine where a webpage should be ranked. Its mission is to quickly find sites that offer a user value – that means sites that are relevant to the user search and offer quality content, but also that offer additional value, such as affiliation with more useful content. Consider your website a gateway into a library of useful of information.
When search engines decipher which sites to rank based on a user search, it does so in milliseconds, crawling hundreds of billions of sites. To achieve this, it employs multiple algorithms that quickly identify a range of specifications. Some of these include:
- Site speed
- Quality of backlinks
- Quality of content
- Proximity of service to user location
- Whether your site is mobile-friendly
- HTTPS over HTTP (a sign your website is secure)
There are scores of algorithms that are used by Google to return results for just one query. These are continually being refreshed with new updates, hence you will see algorithms you recognise with newer versions. Here are some of the biggest and most relevant Google algorithms:
Panda was developed in 2011 to reduce the prevalence of low-quality, thin content in the search results, and to reward unique, compelling content. This was off the back of spam sites that were outranking genuine good quality ones.
In 2012, Google released a major algorithm coined the “webspam algorithm update,” which specifically targeted link spam and manipulative link building practices. These days Google favours quality of backlinks over quantity.
Hummingbird marked a huge advancement in Google’s search technology. It impacted about 90 percent of searches worldwide. Hummingbird’s focus centered around three key components: conversational search, human search and voice search.
This Google search algorithm update aimed to offer better local search results by rewarding local businesses that have a strong organic presence with better visibility in traditional search, similar to the visibility a business may have seen previously in Google Maps.
There are many more algorithms, with thousands of changes being made to these algorithms every year. We’d probably be here all day if we were to name them all but it’s worth arming yourself with a basic understanding of Google’s algorithm history to ensure your website is optimised for these algorithms.
Do you have a question about your SEO? Why not give the Whitefish Marketing team a call. We have deep expertise in helping Kent-based businesses to grow their online presence.
