Google’s SEO algorithms

Mar 16, 2024

1. Google’s SEO algorithm
The SEO algorithm is a set of rules, structures, and processes that search engines like Google use to determine a website’s ranking on search results. Google uses hundreds of different factors to evaluate websites and determine their ranking in search results. Some important factors include content quality, page load speed, site authority (via links from other sites), user experience, mobile responsiveness, and more. Google continuously updates and improves its algorithm to provide the best search results for users. A good SEO algorithm will help your website appear in a higher position, attract a large number of users, increase your chances of reaching potential customers and increase sales.

2. Explore Google’s SEO algorithms
Google Panda
Google Panda is one of Google’s important algorithms launched in 2011. The main goal is to improve the quality of search results by eliminating websites with poor quality, duplicate, or Does not provide real value to users. This goal ensures that users receive the highest quality and most useful search results possible. This algorithm uses a series of criteria to evaluate the quality of a website, including whether the content is valuable, rich and useful to readers. It also checks whether the website contains content copied from other sources and whether it provides trustworthy information.

Low-quality websites are often affected by Panda, leading to a significant drop in rankings in Google search results. This has pushed webmasters and SEO experts to focus more on creating quality and more trustworthy content to maintain or improve their positions on top search engines. This. Since the advent of Panda, SEO optimization is not just about using keywords but also about providing real value to users through quality and trustworthy content.

Google Penguin
Google Penguin was launched in 2012 and focused on tackling link spam in their search system. This algorithm is intended to eliminate sites that use link spam techniques, as well as unnatural or untrustworthy links, in order to improve the quality of search results. The main goal of Google Penguin is to prevent abuse of the link system to unfairly boost website rankings. Link spam practices include creating unnatural links, buying and selling links, or using unreliable methods to boost a website’s ranking in search results.

Penguin uses many factors to identify unnatural links, including:

Number of unnatural links: Detect and remove spam or unnatural links automatically.
Quality of the link: Evaluate whether the link is relevant, has real value or not for the content of the website.
Link Pattern: Analyze the link pattern to determine the naturalness and quality of these links.
Sites that violate Google Penguin guidelines often lose significant search rankings as a result. This has pushed SEO experts and webmasters to focus on building a more natural and quality link strategy, avoiding spammy tactics to maintain or improve their position in the industry. This leading search engine.
Google Hummingbird
Google Hummingbird launched in 2013. Google Hummingbird marked a major step forward in improving our ability to understand user intent when they search on the leading search engine. This algorithm does not simply focus on the specific keywords users enter into the search box, but also focuses on the user’s actual context, intentions and goals. Google Hummingbird’s primary goal is to improve users’ ability to understand and respond accurately to complex and contextually rich questions. It not only focuses on keyword relevance but also tries to gain a deeper understanding of user intent when searching, thereby providing more accurate and relevant search results.

Google Hummingbird uses natural language processing and machine learning methods to understand the context and intent of search queries. It considers both sentence structure and relationships between words, thereby creating a deeper understanding of the user’s search intent. This algorithm evaluates factors such as:

Search Intent: Efforts to understand user search intent to provide the most relevant results.
Context: Determine the context surrounding each question to better understand what to search for.
Relationships between words: Analyze the relationships between words and the structure of sentences to understand deeper meaning.

With Hummingbird, Google emphasizes the importance of providing quality and contextual content, helping users find more accurate and reliable information in search results. This has pushed content publishers and SEO experts to focus more on optimizing content with the goal of providing real value to users.

Google Rankbrain
Google RankBrain launched in 2015. Google RankBrain uses artificial intelligence (AI) to improve understanding of user intent as they search the internet. This is an important part of the Google system with the ability to self-learn and self-adjust, helping to improve the ability to understand and respond to search queries, especially new queries that Google has never encountered before. there. RankBrain’s main goal is to understand and respond to user intent when they search, even when the query is unclear or doesn’t provide enough information. Unlike previous algorithms, RankBrain uses artificial intelligence to learn from search data and self-adjust to improve understanding and response to new search queries.

RankBrain doesn’t just rely on specific keywords but also tries to gain a deeper understanding of user intent. By analyzing and comparing search data with similar queries that have appeared in the past, RankBrain is able to automatically learn and understand context and intent patterns, thereby improving the quality of results. search. With RankBrain, Google is able to respond to new search queries more flexibly and effectively without relying too much on detailed instructions from humans. This has presented a new challenge to content publishers and SEO experts, encouraging them to optimize content not just for keywords but for real meaning and value for readers.

Google BERT
Google BERT (Bidirectional Encoder Representations from Transformers) was launched in 2019, marking a major step forward in improving Google’s understanding of natural language. BERT is a powerful language engine built on the Transformer architecture, helping Google better understand the context and meaning of words in search queries. The main goal of BERT is to improve question comprehension and respond with greater accuracy. This is done through the use of a powerful machine learning model, which allows information to be processed from both directions (bidirectional), thereby capturing the broader context and meaning of words in a sentence.

BERT not only looks at each word in a sentence, but also determines the relationships between words, sentence structure, and surrounding context to understand the more comprehensive meaning of the query. This algorithm has had a major impact on improving search results on Google. BERT has helped improve Google’s ability to analyze and understand the context of search queries, thereby providing results that are more accurate and more relevant to user search intent. With BERT, Google promotes providing quality content and optimizing websites not only for keywords but also for providing accurate and reliable information, relevant to the user’s context. This has created a huge change in the way we search for information on the Internet and required content producers to focus more on providing information with value and deeper meaning to readers.

Google Core Updates
Google often makes “core” updates to improve and adjust its search algorithm. These updates are called “core updates” and usually occur periodically, with the main goal being to improve the quality of search results without a specific name. These core updates are often not announced by Google in advance and do not have unique names, making it difficult for webmasters and SEO experts to predict or prepare for the changes. Therefore, these core updates can greatly affect the ranking of websites on search results without any specific notification from Google.

The goal of core updates is to improve user experience by providing better quality search results. Google makes adjustments to its algorithm to ensure that websites that provide quality, trustworthy, and useful content to users are ranked higher in search results. The changes resulting from these core updates are global and widely impacting many types of websites and industries. Thereby, it motivates webmasters and SEO experts to continuously monitor, evaluate and optimize their content to maintain or improve their position on Google search results. Core updates are an inevitable part of SEO management and optimization, especially since Google doesn’t announce specific information about upcoming changes in advance.

Google Mobile-Friendly Update (Mobilegeddon)
Google’s major “mobile-friendly” update, also known as Mobilegeddon, was rolled out in 2015. This update was a major breakthrough in encouraging mobile-friendly website development. . In this update, Google prioritizes ranking mobile-responsive websites better on mobile devices in search results. The main goal of Mobilegeddon is to ensure that mobile users receive the best experience when searching for information on Google. Before this update, there were many websites that were not optimized or mobile-friendly, leading to users experiencing a poor experience when accessing from mobile phones.

The Mobilegeddon update has pushed developers and SEO experts to focus more heavily on optimizing websites to match Google’s requirements for mobile experiences. Mobile optimized websites often have characteristics such as:

Responsive Design: Flexible design, automatically adapting to device size and type.
Fast page loading speed: The website is optimized to load quickly on mobile network connections.
Good user experience: Layout and content are easy to read, search, and interact on mobile devices.
Mobilegeddon is not just an update but a strong signal for focusing on mobile user experience. Mobile optimization not only helps websites rank higher in search results, but also provides a better user experience, which is also an important factor in today’s SEO and user experience strategies. grand.

Google Page Experience Update
Google Page Experience updates roll out in 2021, focusing primarily on the user experience when they visit websites. This update introduces important metrics to measure user experience, with FID (First Input Delay), LCP (Largest Contentful Paint), and many other user experience factors becoming important metrics. important in the website ranking process. The main goal of this update is to boost user experience through optimizing key metrics related to speed and interaction on the website. Metrics like FID measure response time when a user first interacts with a website, while LCP measures the time it takes for a website’s most important content to display.

FID focuses on interactive user experience, ensuring that when they click on an element on the website, the website responds quickly. Meanwhile, LCP focuses on ensuring the most important content on a website loads quickly and is displayed clearly, improving the user experience from a visual standpoint. In addition to FID and LCP, Page Experience also takes into account other factors such as CLS (Cumulative Layout Shift) which measures website interface stability and other security and responsiveness factors. This update pushes developers and SEO experts to focus more on optimizing websites not only for content but also for user experience. Improving Page Experience metrics not only helps websites rank higher in search results, but also creates a better online environment and more positive interactions for users.

Google E-A-T
E-A-T stands for Expertise, Authoritativeness and Trustworthiness. This is not a specific algorithm that Google uses, but it is an important principle that they apply to evaluate the quality of content on the Internet. This principle is considered an important factor in determining the ranking of websites on search results. Expertise refers to the level of in-depth knowledge, Authoritativeness evaluates the reputation and reliability of that information source.

Highly specialized websites often have content written by people with in-depth knowledge and experience in their field. At the same time, reputable websites often have verification, proven by having information from reliable and reputable sources. Trustworthiness refers to the fact that the content provided is genuine, trustworthy, and does not raise doubts. The goal of the E-A-T principle is to help users on the Internet access the most reliable and high-quality information. This has pushed content publishers and SEO experts to focus on providing high-quality content, written by experts and reputable people, thereby ensuring that their website they are highly rated in Google search results.

Google Pigeon
The Google Pigeon update launched in 2014. Pigeon’s primary goal is to enhance the way Google displays and ranks local search results, providing a richer and more rigorous search experience for users. This update improved the alignment between general search results and local search results. It promotes more local results for geographical queries and provides specific and useful information about local businesses and locations.

Google Pigeon has significantly improved the ability to show local search results to users when they search for information related to services or products near them. This improvement has also increased competition among local businesses to appear in search results, while creating a more level playing field for small businesses and local locations. For local businesses, Pigeon puts more light on website optimization to reflect professionalism, credibility, and competitiveness in local search results. Providing accurate geographic information and optimizing location on local maps and websites has become critical to standing out in local search results.

Google Fred
Google Fred is a term coined by the SEO community to describe some algorithm updates without official confirmation from Google. While there is no specific information from Google about Fred, it is believed that this update focuses on cracking down on sites that use get-rich-quick advertising techniques and have low-value content, often aimed at the purpose of earning benefits from advertising. Fred is considered a name that focuses on eliminating websites that use spammy SEO strategies, which focus on optimization to increase advertising revenue without providing real value to users. use. Sites affected by Fred often have poor quality content, created primarily to attract traffic and make money from advertising, rather than providing useful information or solutions to users.

This update shows Google’s emphasis on improving user experience and content quality on the Internet. Fred emphasized that Google will prioritize ranking websites that have high-quality content and provide real value to users, instead of websites that focus on optimization just for advertising benefits. .

While there is no specific information about Fred from Google, the SEO community often uses the term to describe sudden changes in site rankings, especially sites with spammy SEO strategies and content. content of little value. This pushes SEO experts and webmasters to focus on providing quality content and better user experience to maintain their position on Google search results.

3. Impact of algorithm changes on businesses and marketers
Changes in Google’s algorithm can create huge fluctuations in website rankings, and this has a direct impact on businesses and marketers. These changes can affect site traffic, sales, and user interaction. Therefore, understanding and adapting to the constantly changing Google SEO algorithm is extremely important to maintain and improve your website’s position in search results.

For businesses: Fluctuations in rankings can cause fluctuations in website traffic. When a website appears high in search results, it can attract more visits from potential users. Conversely, if a website experiences a drop in rankings, traffic can drop significantly, negatively impacting sales and customer reach.
For marketers and web advertisers: Adapting to changes in the Google algorithm is extremely important. SEO experts need to continuously update their knowledge and adjust their SEO strategies to meet the new criteria that Google applies. Tracking and understanding the factors that Google evaluates, such as content quality, user experience, and site authority, will help marketers effectively adjust their strategies.
Content quality and user experience are becoming the most important factors in SEO. Focusing on creating quality, useful content for users and improving the user experience on your website will help your website maintain a high position in the ever-changing search environment. Flexibility and the ability to quickly adapt to algorithm changes will help businesses and marketers succeed in maintaining and improving their position on Google search results.

4. Why does Google always focus on improving its algorithm?
Google always focuses on and continuously improves its algorithm for a number of important reasons:

Users come first
Google’s primary goal is to provide the best search experience for users. Algorithm improvements help provide accurate and quality search results, while meeting users’ needs and desires.

The constant evolution of the internet and web search
The constant development of the internet and the way users search for information has created a search environment that is more diverse and complex than ever. With the spread of online platforms, users have access to information anytime, anywhere, from many different devices such as computers, mobile phones and smart wearables. This poses a challenge for search engines like Google, forcing them to continuously update their algorithms to meet the increasingly diverse and diverse needs of users.

Changing user habits and requirements
User search habits and requirements continuously change over time. Users are becoming increasingly smarter, demanding search results that are accurate, quality, and tailored to their specific needs. They appreciate finding information quickly, easily, and valuablely. This puts huge pressure on search engines like Google to improve their algorithms, ensuring that they properly respond to user requests.

Competition in the search industry
Competition between companies and websites in the search industry is increasingly fierce. Businesses compete to get high positions in search results because of the popularity of doing so for engagement and revenue. This puts especially great pressure on search engines like Google to maintain and improve their algorithms, which help determine which websites have the most relevant and quality content to show to users.

Google’s SEO algorithm improvements are continuous, aiming to provide the best user experience and maintain its leading position in online search.

5. Notes to adapt and improve website ranking
Perform periodic testing and website optimization

Periodic testing and evaluation: Perform periodic testing of website performance using tools like Google Analytics, Google Search Console to evaluate traffic, keyword rankings, load times pages and other important metrics.
Basic and technical optimization: Improve the structure of the website, optimize keywords, optimize page loading speed and create a better user experience. This includes code improvements, image optimization and the use of SEO best practices.
Build a reasonable content and link strategy

Quality content: Create quality content and provide real value to readers. This includes not only using target keywords, but also ensuring that the content reflects depth, uniqueness, and usefulness.
Natural Linking Strategy: Build a natural and quality linking strategy. Look for link opportunities from reputable and relevant websites that promote content sharing and community engagement.
Use tracking and analytics tools and services

Analytical tools: Use tools like Google Analytics, Semrush, Moz to monitor website performance, thereby evaluating and adjusting SEO strategy in a timely manner.
Monitoring and evaluation services: Consider using a professional service or SEO experts to help monitor, evaluate, and improve your website’s SEO performance. Experts can provide insights and help optimize strategies.