Google Update History Timeline | Ignite Visibility

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The history of Google is one full of highs and lows, new innovations and pivots.
Google’s continual updates are all for the better in terms of making their search experience stronger than ever before. The timeline below will give you an overview on how these changes have taken place over time, with highlights being shown at every 10 year mark. From when it was founded to today, this timeline details everything that has come before us.

The “recent google update 2021” is a timeline that shows all of the recent updates to Google’s services. The timeline includes information about what was updated, when it was updated, and links to more information about each update.

Google Update History Timeline | Ignite Visibility

 

Google’s algorithm is updated on a regular basis to guarantee that visitors see the most relevant and secure content.

This article summarizes all of the SEO-related Google algorithm modifications since 2012. This page is updated regularly by the Ignite Visibility team.

The Google chronology was created using information from Ignite Visibility, as well as Google announcements, articles from Search Engine Land, Search Engine Roundtable, SagaReach, and Search Engine Journal. This is one of the most comprehensive listings of Google updates that have an influence on SEO that you will discover online.

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Update to the Google Algorithm in 2021

History of Google Updates (2020)

History of Google Updates (2019)

History of Google Updates (2018)

History of Google Updates (2017)

History of Google Updates (2016)

History of Google Updates (2015)

History of Google Updates (2014)

History of Google Updates (2013)

History of Google Updates (2012)

 

Update to the Google Algorithm in 2021

November 3, 2021 – Google Update – Google Spam Update

On November 3rd, Google indicated that it will begin rolling out an algorithm upgrade targeted at combating spam and preserving the quality of its search results. This month’s change is Google’s fourth anti-spam algorithm update this year.

Update from Google – Unconfirmed – October 2-3, 2021

On October 3rd, 2021, there was a probable Google algorithm upgrade that produced considerable variations in Google search results between October 2nd and October 4th. Since then, substantial movements have occurred on the 10th, 16th, 23rd, and 26th of October.

Update from Google – Unconfirmed – September 24-25, 2021

While the Rank Risk Index recorded a substantial surge in rank fluctuations on September 24th, which lasted through the following day, this is an unsubstantiated Google search algorithm upgrade. On September 26th, everything returned to normal.

Update from Google – Unconfirmed – August 15, 2021

The upgrade might have been tied to the Google link spam update from a few weeks ago, given the significant variations and instability noted on mobile and desktop.

Google Update – July 26, 2021 – Google Link Spam Update

Google launched the link spam upgrade on July 26th, with the purpose of improving the algorithm’s ability to efficiently recognize and eliminate link spam across many languages. Only on July 29th did the Rank Risk Index show an uptick in fluctuations, which vanished the following day.

Google Update – Part Two of the Google Spam Update – June 28, 2021

On June 28th, Google announced through Twitter that the second portion of the spam upgrade had been published. They verified that it took one day to complete and that it had an effect on worldwide searches, including site and picture results.

June 23, 2021 – Google Update – Google Spam Update

“As part of our usual effort to enhance results, we’ve published a spam update to our systems,” Google tweeted, without specifying which form of spam it targeted with its spam update. On June 23rd, Google said that “This spam update will end today.”

Google Update – June 15, 2021 – Google Page Experience Update

Google said on Twitter that the Page Experience upgrade will be released on June 15th, and that it would be finished by the end of August. The upgrade went live on June 16th, according to Barry Schwartz of Search Engine Roundtable.

June 2, 2021 – Google Update – Google Core Update

Google revealed the fundamental algorithm upgrade in early June, and changes to the SERPs began to surface soon after. The first installment of this two-part upgrade took ten days to roll out and has a Google Volatility Score of 9.3 on mobile and 9.2 on desktop.

Update from Google – Unconfirmed – May 22, 2021

Google had one of its biggest and most violent unconfirmed updates of the year on May 22nd. Fluctuations started on the 20th of May and ended on the 24th.

Update from Google – Unconfirmed – April 30, 2021

The Rank Risk Index indicated that after a spike in rank variations on April 30th, the fluctuations reverted to normal on May 2nd. According to Barry Schwartz of Search Engine Roundtable, the upgrade had a significant influence on the Product Reviews Update.

Update from Google – Unconfirmed – April 23, 2021

The Rank Risk Index saw a slight increase in rank fluctuations that lasted until April 24th. Both local and global online search results were affected by the change.

Google March 2020 Update March 10, 2021 – Unconfirmed Update

The Rank Risk Index revealed an increase in Google SERP fluctuations on mobile and desktop on March 10th, with the fluctuations peaked on March 13th and ending on March 14th for desktop and March 15th for mobile.

Google Update – February 20, 2021 February 17, 2021 — Unconfirmed Update

The Rank Risk Index recorded a rise in rank fluctuations after a series of modest swings after the Passage Ranking upgrade, despite the fact that this update is unverified. Because it was so close to the last Passage Ranking update, it might have just been a collection of patches to support the prior update’s changes.

Google Update – February 20, 2021 Updated Passing Scores – February 10, 2021

The Rank Risk Index started monitoring a big surge in fluctuations on both desktop and mobile on February 9th, which lasted until February 10th. Passage Ranking became live in the United States on February 10th, according to Google. With this improvement, Google can index both web pages and particular portions from those sites using artificial intelligence.

History of Google Updates: 2020

Update from Google – December 2020 3 December 2020 – Core Update

On December 3, Google announced a large core algorithm upgrade that started spreading out. Although Google’s recommendations on the problem remained the same as it had been on previous large core changes, this proved to be a big update that caused some interruptions in the SERPs. Over the following several weeks, the upgrade is scheduled to continue to trickle out.

Google Update – Part 2 of the Indexing Bug – October 12, 2020

Search monitoring tools showed a lot of volatility and instability throughout the week of October 12. Close to October 14th, Google said that the majority of the mobile indexing and canonicalization difficulties had been handled and resolved. Two days previously, SagaReachCast recorded a drop in indexed pages and a temperature of 104°F, with temperatures in the 90s lasting a few days.

Part 1 of the Google Update – Indexing Bug – September 29, 2020

Google verified an indexing and canonicalization fault in early September, notably a difficulty indexing News material. On September 29th and 30th, SagaReachCast recorded temperatures of 99°F and detected significant changes in indexed pages on September 23rd and 29th.

August 15, 2020 – Google Update – Unnamed Update

With SagaReachCast reading 101°F, both rank monitoring tools and webmaster conversation hinted towards a major Google upgrade in 2020. Google, on the other hand, has not confirmed the update. According to several industry observers, the alterations were turned back the next day and were most likely only temporary.

Google Glitch – August 10, 2020 – Google Update

On August 10, SEOs observed significant ranking adjustments for a few hours, although they appeared to go away quickly. Google eventually acknowledged that their indexing technologies had malfunctioned. On August 11th, SagaReachCast recorded 97°F, but could not establish if this was linked.

Google Update – June 22, 2020 – Google Bug Fix Update

While there was no formal algorithm change, a Google representative verified that SagaReachCast hit 96°F and that an indexing fault affecting Disqus comments will be resolved during this time.

Google Announcement – Google in May 2020 Update to the Core – May 4, 2020

Google has said that the May 2020 wide core algorithm upgrade will not need any action. However, just because they claim you don’t have to do anything in reaction to the May 2020 Core Update doesn’t mean your rankings won’t be affected. While the algorithm makes its way through the system, your keywords will most likely bounce around from one place to another. So it’s best to be safe than sorry by keeping an extra careful eye on monitoring measures.

Google Core Update – January 22, 2020 – Google Update – January 22, 2020 – Google Update – January 22, 2020 – Google Update – January 22, 2020

Google has acknowledged an algorithm change that will have a big effect on organic CTR and rank monitoring. This Google update 2020 informed that URLs in the Featured Snippets will no longer display in typical organic search results.

Google Core Update – January 13, 2020 – Google Update – Google Core Update – January 13, 2020 – Google Update – Google Core Update – January 13,

Google’s January 2020 upgrade was announced ahead of time and took around a week to go out. We saw a lot of changes in Google’s monitoring tools and page rankings. In example, it seemed that older websites that had been penalized for spam began to rank higher. Many individuals assumed the upgrade was linked to website quality signals like links as a result of this.

History of Google Updates in 2019

BERT Update – October 22, 2019 – Google Update

The Google BERT upgrade was one of the most significant in the history of search engines! BERT stands for Bidirectional Encoder Representations from Transformers, and it was dubbed the most significant improvement since RankBrain five years ago. The Google BERT upgrade altered the way results are presented, categorizing them now based on purpose.

November 2019 Google Update Update on the Core – November 7, 2019

On November 7, rumors about a Google update surfaced, which were eventually verified. The upgrade, which was labeled as wide core, had a big influence on search results. Later, in a Google Hangout, Google’s Jon Mueller claimed that this improvement was about relevance and determining which sites are of better and higher quality.

Google BERT Update – October 25, 2019 Google Update 

BERT, which stands for Bidirectional Encoder Representations from Transformers, is a Google change that many users have dubbed the most significant since the advent of RankBrain five years ago. BERT is a technique that aids Google in better understanding what people are searching for. It’s a new version of Google’s natural language processing, which matches a search query to the information on a website. One out of every ten searches is estimated to be affected by the upgrade.

October 2, 2019 – Google Update – Unnamed Update

Following the September 24th update, this seemed to be a very modest update and probable tremor. After then, not much occurred, according to Search Engine Land.

September 2019 Google Update Update on the Core – September 24, 2019 

This was a pre-announced upgrade, according to Search Engine Land. This was a major upgrade, according to Google, and their advice on these changes hasn’t changed.

Maverick Update – Google Update – July 29, 2019

This upgrade was felt by the search community, since there was a significant shift in search results. SagaReachCast has a lot of ups and downs. Google has not acknowledged this upgrade, and there is little information available online about it.

Site Diversity Update – Google Update – June 6, 2019

The Google site diversity upgrade reduced the likelihood of a single site having several ranks in Google for the same phrase. Some websites that had two entries at the top of the SERPs were affected by this upgrade. We found double ranks on directory sites, eCommerce sites, and news sites in particular.

June 2019 Google Update 3rd of June, 2019 Core Update 

Google revealed another major core upgrade on June 3, dubbed the June 2019 Core Update. This time, Google sent a heads-up, tweeted about the update a day ahead of schedule and subsequently confirmed its release. Rankings started to fluctuate almost immediately, with some experiencing large losses and others regaining much of the prominence lost in previous updates. It’s assumed that this update undid some of the effects of the earlier March and Medic upgrades, which is why individuals who were previously affected noticed some improvement. Your Money, Your Life (YMYL) pages seem to be a primary emphasis once again.

History of Google Updates in 2018

March 2018 Google Update 12th of March, 2018 – Core update

A large core upgrade started going out on March 12, 2018, according to Google. This wasn’t a large upgrade, and volatility levels weren’t any greater than they had been in prior core updates. Automotive & cars, health, and pets & animals looked to be the most impacted categories.

Google Update – August 1, 2018 – Google “Medic” Core Update

Google announced a “wide core algorithm” upgrade on August 1. The “Medic” upgrade, as it was dubbed, had a significant impact on search results, particularly in the health and wellness business. The variations in the rankings started on July 22 and peaked on August 1st. Though Google didn’t provide much detail about the upgrade, many people believe it had something to do with a site’s overall authority and trustworthiness. 

Chrome Security Warnings – Google Update – July 24, 2018

Chrome68 started marking all sites that were not protected with HTTPS as “not secure” on July 24. Two years before the implementation, Google indicated that non-HTTPS sites will be marked. Sites that gather passwords and credit card information will be the first to be affected, with the upgrade ultimately impacting all sites. 

Update from Google – Unconfirmed – July 21, 2018

Heavy ranking variations were seen by SagaReachCast and algorithm monitors, but no official update from Google was reported. 

Google Update – July 9, 2018 – Mobile Speed Update

Google has released a new mobile speed upgrade. Six months after Google declared that mobile speed would become an official ranking criteria, the deployment started. According to Google, the upgrade will effect just the slowest websites and a tiny fraction of search requests. 

Update from Google – Video Carousels – 14 June 2018

To replace thumbnails in search results, Google introduced a dedicated video carousel. Although there were some ranking shifts as a consequence of the change, the total number of video results in the SERPs grew. 

Update from Google – Unconfirmed – June 14, 2018

SagaReachCast and algorithm trackers reported a spike in activity in mid-June, culminating on June 14. And Google never verified the change. 

Snippet Length Drop – Google Update – May 23, 2018

Google confirmed that their search results snippets have been trimmed. This happened just a few months after the snippet length was increased. They used to have an average of 300+ characters, but today they only have an average of 160. 

Google Update – April 17, 2018 – Broad Core Algorithm Update

Google stated on April 20 that a “wide core upgrade” had been carried out three days previously. According to Google, these modifications occur multiple times a year, and there is nothing that sites can do to recover from any ranking drops. 

Google Update — Rollout of Mobile-First Index – March 26, 2018

Google revealed the long-awaited implementation of mobile-first indexing on March 26, 2018. Prior to the upgrade, Google mostly crawled and indexed websites using desktop versions. The index had been in beta for a year and a half, and Google started incrementally relocating sites. 

Update to Google’s Broad Core Algorithm – March 9, 2018

Google announced on March 12, 2018, that a “wide core algorithm upgrade” had been sent out the week before. The update’s goal, according to Google, is to “benefit pages that were previously unrewarded.” Google went on to tell webmasters to “keep creating great content,” implying that the upgrade was intended to help individuals who write excellent blog entries.

History of Google Updates: 2017

Update from Google – Maccabees – December 12, 2017

After several SEOs spotted their web sites dancing about in the SERPs, Google acknowledged modest modifications to its algorithm. The Big G also said that the modifications were minor.

Snippet Length Increase – Google Update – November 30, 2017

Google officially expanded the snippet length from 155 to 300 characters at the end of November 2017. This allowed SEOs to lengthen their meta descriptions in order to convey more information about their web sites in the SERPs.

Google Update – November 14, 2017 – Unconfirmed Update

Google search algorithm watchers detected a substantial amount of instability in the SERPs around the middle of November 2017. An update was never verified by Google.

Featured Snippet Drop – October 27, 2017 – Google Bug?

There was a notable reduction in highlighted snippets from October 27 to October 31. At the same time, SEOs noted an increase in knowledge panels. In the middle of December, several of the same panels vanished. Is it possible that there was a bug?

HTTPS Warnings in Chrome – October 17, 2017

When Google Chrome 62 was released in October 2017, it alerted users to sites that used non-HTTPS forms. That way, they wouldn’t have to submit sensitive information via an insecure connection.

Google Update – September 27, 2017 – Unconfirmed Update

Algorithm monitors saw several modifications in the SERPs around the end of September 2017. Google has not confirmed any changes.

Update from Google — Unconfirmed – September 8, 2017

In the late summer and early autumn of 2018, several digital marketers experienced rank swings. Many of them suspected that there had been an upgrade. No modifications to Google’s algorithm were ever verified by the company.

Update from Google – Unconfirmed – August 19, 2017

Some SEOs saw modest ranking “adjustments” in late August 2017. Pages with extremely aggressive advertising, category pages, and pages with little content were also affected by the unverified update. Some SEOs speculated that Google may have utilized this time to experiment with algorithm tweaks.

Update from Google – Unconfirmed – July 9, 2017

In July 2017, digital marketing tools caught up on rank swings. Marketers suspected at the time that another SEO upgrade had happened. Google hasn’t officially confirmed anything.

Update from Google — Unconfirmed – June 25, 2017

In late June 2017, SEO tools saw major rank adjustments. The unverified modification seems to have impacted pages ranked 6–10. The beverage business looks to have been the most damaged.

Google Jobs – June 20, 2017 – Google Update

Google’s career site was formally launched in June 2017. In the SERPs, there are three job postings. Employment advertisements from major job sites such as Monster, LinkedIn, and CareerBuilder are among the results.

Google Update – May 17, 2017 – Unconfirmed Update

Some SEO tools reported a lot of volatility in the SERPs during the week of May 17, 2017. It seems that the unverified update was intended to target websites that used extremely aggressive advertising or provided a bad user experience.

Fred – March 8, 2017 – Google Update – Unconfirmed Update

It seems that another significant upgrade began yesterday morning. The upgrade seems to have focused on the overall algorithm’s connection quality features. Gary Illyes of Google, who has a great sense of humour, suggested that all updates be named “Fred.” The black hat SEO community has been generating quite a stir, indicating that the upgrade is focused on link quality. Given that this update recently occurred, further information is likely to follow. Keep an eye out!

Google Update – February 7, 2017 – Unconfirmed Update

While this update was also unconfirmed, it looks to have been a significant content quality upgrade. As we acquire more information, we’ll be able to provide more specifics.

Google Update – Mobile Penalty for Intrusive Interstitial Advertising – January 10, 2017

This one should not come as a surprise since Google gave us plenty of warning (approximately 5 months) that it was coming. To be clear, this update only applies to mobile devices. Google aimed to punish websites that use aggressive interstitials and pop-ups, which fundamentally degrade the mobile user experience. Only a small percentage of SEOs said their work had a significant influence on their clients’ websites. However, this might be attributable to Google’s early warning, which allowed individuals to create other solutions. Google also mentioned that when someone clicks it from the mobile SERPs to your web page, it has an influence on the site. It has no bearing on what you do on your site, and it has no impact on the desktop.

History of Google Updates: 2016

Google Major Update – Unnamed – December 14, 2016

Again, Google has not confirmed this modification, but there has been a significant adjustment. Around the 14th and 15th of December, many internet tracking programs reported significant swings.

Google Update – November 10, 2016 – Unnamed Major Update

On November 10th and November 18th, it looked like a substantial upgrade was released. Although Google has not verified either update, there has been a lot of speculation in the industry about these two dates. A number of internet tools also picked up on the modifications. Many people believed that the second update was a reversal of the first one. Around this time, several users reported that the dates in Google search results were incorrect, while others noticed poor conversions.

Penguin 4.o Google Update – September 23, 2016

It has finally arrived. Penguin 4.0 is here, and according to Google, it’s in real-time, after almost two years of waiting. Penguin has been integrated into Google’s core algorithm, so when Google re-crawls/re-indexes your sites, the new Penguin algorithm will apply those signals immediately away. We also know that Penguin has become more granular, which means that spam will now be devalued on a page-by-page basis rather than site-wide. Previously, if a site was struck by Penguin, the whole site would be punished; however, now spammy links would be discounted on a single page. Many individuals were surprised to learn that the first effect was not as significant as most expected. However, over the following several weeks, we’ll keep an eye on the algorithm and keep an eye on it. PENGUIN!!!!

Possum – Google Update – September 1, 2016

This update was never confirmed by Google, but that’s nothing new. This upgrade looked to be aimed at spammy listings in the local pack, and it wreaked havoc on the local results. Although there were changes in organic SERPs, the specifics are still being worked out.

Google Update – May 12, 2016 – Mobile Friendly #2

Google gave mobile-friendly sites another ranking boost around a year after the first “mobile-friendly” upgrade. Mobile-friendly sites will now get an extra ranking boost as a result of this upgrade.

May 10, 2016 – Google Update – Unnamed Update

It’s difficult to say precisely what occurred with this upgrade, but monitoring tools across the board revealed some significant changes. This update was never verified by Google. Details are yet to be determined.

Google Update – Restructuring of AdWords Layout – February 22, 2016 This was huge news for the whole business. Google has verified that the right-hand column advertising have been removed, with four ads now appearing at the top of the SERPs. Previously, the top of the page contained three or fewer adverts. Yes, this is a sponsored search change, but it had a significant effect on organic results and CTR, therefore we thought it was important to mention. Were you on the winning or losing end of the Google AdWords reorganization?

Google’s Core Algorithm Update was released on January 9th, 2016. While many people assumed the update was tied to Penguin, Google subsequently clarified that this was not the case. They verified that it was a “core algo upgrade” instead. Massive ranking shifts on both mobile and desktop have sparked a lot of discussion in the industry. This change affected a large number of requests all across the world. As additional information becomes available, more details will be collected.

History of Google Updates: 2015

November 19, 2015 – Google Update – Google Quality Update (Phantom 3)

While Google has not confirmed the move, the SEO community has expressed its displeasure with it. This version is based on the “Quality Update” that was released in early May of this year. There aren’t many specifics to share just now, but Google may confirm the update later, as they often do. Many monitoring programs detected significant changes on November 19th, whereas a few tools did not. As a result, it may only apply to particular inquiries at this time.

Google Rankbrain Update – October 26, 2015

On October 26, 2015, Google introduced Rankbrain, an artificial intelligence machine learning system. Rankbrain is a Google ranking factor and artificial learning engine that helps them figure out which search results are the most relevant. Although this has been available for a few months, Google did not reveal it until October 26th. It’s already regarded as the third most crucial signal! While we are still learning this knowledge, it is evident that it is critical.

Hacked Site Algorithm Update – Google Update – October 5, 2015

As we’ve seen with many WordPress sites recently, hacked sites have become a major worry. Google has said that it would “aggressively tackle compromised spam to safeguard users and webmasters.” Depending on the language, around 5% of Google inquiries will be affected. It’s worth noting that not everyone will see the normal ten blue links for a particular query. It’s possible that you’ll get 5 or even 8 results as a consequence of hacked sites being deleted. As Google continues to send out the update, we will continue to learn more about it.

Google Panda 4.2 Update – Updated on July 18, 2015

Google finally updates the Panda algorithm after around ten months since the previous update. So far, it’s been moving at a snail’s pace, with Google confirming that it might take months to fully implement, even on a site-by-site basis. This Panda update is believed to affect 2-3% of searches.

Google Update – June 18, 2015 – Newsworthy Content Update

We are witnessing another another adjustment by Google, only a few weeks after a Google Quality Update last month. Although Google has yet to announce the algorithm change, tools across the board instantly picked up on it. Media-related websites, such as news, periodicals, and newspapers, seem to be the winners in this update.

May 1st, 2015 – Google Update – Google Quality Update

Google has announced a new update (Phantom 2) that alters how it evaluates content quality. We’ve dubbed this the “Quality Update” since we’re currently collecting data on it. It was not a niche-specific improvement, but rather an update to the general core search quality ranking algorithm. This isn’t a spam-related notification. In the rankings, there has been a lot of movement. As more particular information becomes available, we will update this schedule.

April 21, 2015 – Google Update – Google Mobile Update

The Google Mobile Update, dubbed “Mobilegeddon” by many, was one of the most significant changes to the search engine’s history. All non-mobile websites were downgraded in the mobile search results, while all mobile-ready sites were boosted as a consequence of this upgrade.

Google Update – Significant Google Search Algorithm Update – February 4, 2015

This was a Google update that had no name attached to it. A significant change in Google search results has been seen by several webmasters and SERP tools. It seems to be an e-commerce-related upgrade as well as a smartphone usability update so far. Google has not officially verified this update.

History of Google Updates: 2014

Pigeon is now available in the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia, according to Google.

Pigeon, a local ranking system, made its debut in the United States this past summer. Pigeon has arrived in the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia, according to Google.

Penguin Everflux – Google Update – December 10, 2014

Google promised that the Penguin algorithm will be modified “on a regular basis.” “The objective is to keep optimizing as we go now,” a Google spokesperson said. This is a departure from Penguin’s traditional practice of releasing substantial upgrades every so often. Given that it is currently a continuous update, the precise time period is unknown.

Update – October 24, 2014Google Update – Google Pirate 2.0Update – October 24, 2014

The Google Pirate Update targeted websites that were distributing stolen material on the internet. Large websites that provide free torrent downloading were particularly heavily impacted. A torrent is a file that includes metadata on files and folders that are to be spread, therefore it’s practically stolen material.

Update from Google – Google Penguin 3 – October 17, 2014

Google has officially announced the newest Penguin update– Penguin 3.0– for the first time in over a year. This change is largely aimed towards reducing link spam. There were big winners and losers in this game. This topic is currently under construction.

Update from Google – Google Panda 4.1 – September 24, 2014

The Google Panda algorithm, which hunts for thin content, was updated. Lyric websites, gaming websites, and several medical websites were all heavily impacted with this upgrade. In addition, sites with a high number of brief postings witnessed a significant decline in traffic. It wasn’t simply a refresh; this upgrade actually contributed new ranking elements to the Panda algorithm. What they were, however, was not reported by Google.

Authorship has been removed by Google as of August 28, 2014.

On June 28th, Google removed authorship images, and only two months later, Google declared that authorship markup will be fully removed and no longer processed.

Update from Google – HTTPS/SSL – August 6, 2014

Google has revealed that secure HTTPS/SSL sites would get a “lightweight” ranking boost. In the months preceding up to Google’s revelation, the SEO community debated this extensively. They made it clear that the bump would be modest at first, but that it may grow if the improvements started to bear fruit.

Google Announces the Launch of the “Pigeon” Local Search Algorithm – July 24, 2014

Google’s “Pigeon” local search algorithm is now available. This is a significant algorithm change that tries to include more typical online search ranking criteria into local search, thus making it more user-friendly.

Authorship Photo Removed from Google Search Results – June 28, 2014

According to Google’s John Mueller, all authorship photographs will no longer appear in the SERPs.

MetaFilter 2 Update – Google Update – June 13, 2014

Because this is the second MetaFilter release, we’ve given it the name MetaFilter 2. The first occurred in November 2012, and Google denied that an upgrade had taken place. They verified the 2012 upgrade two years later and then introduced MetaFilter 2. Forum-based websites are the focus of this upgrade. After being decreased in 2012, this change boosted traffic to forum sites.

Update from Google – Google Payday Loan 3.0 – June 12, 2014

The Google Payday Loan 3.0 upgrade targeted both spammy websites and real inquiries in the most competitive areas. Furthermore, it reduced the impact of bad SEO, which had previously been a huge concern in this industry. It’s still a problem, but it may be less of one now that this update has been released.

Google Panda 4.0 Update – May 21, 2014 Google Update

This is a new upgrade that we are currently learning about. However, we do know that Panda has a history of focusing on weak content and website spam. We also know that Google has said publicly that the Panda upgrade would be softened in the future.

Payday Loan 2.0 – Google Update – May 19, 2014

The first of these improvements was released in June of 2013. This is a particularly spammy niche on which Google has concentrated its efforts. In this sector, we witness some of the worst webspam. Anchor text, sites injected with code, and other elements were investigated by Payday Loan 2.0.

Update from Google – Another Unnamed Update – March 24, 2014

This upgrade was mostly mentioned on Search Engine Roundtable, although it was evident that it had happened. The change seemed to be a refresh, with the Panda update being refreshed by the Google algorithm. As a consequence, websites that met the proper ranking criteria recovered, while those that were still considered spamming declined. Following this upgrade, we noticed a lot of customers gain ground.

Page Layout Update #3 – Google Update – February 6, 2014

The Google page layout change has been revised. Websites with a big number of advertising above the fold lost ranks as a result of this upgrade. More than 3 or 4 advertising above the fold are often considered excessive. We noticed a few websites that were severely impacted by this upgrade. It was, in fact, a genuine and significant SEO upgrade.

History of Google Updates: 2013

Authorship Update from Google – December 19, 2013

The use of Google authorship markup has been decreased by 15% in search engines. Matt Cutts had indicated that this would happen, so SEO specialists were prepared.

No Name Update – Google – December 17, 2013

There was a significant modification that seemed to affect partial match domain rankings.

November 14, 2013 – Google Update – No Name Update

Although Google has not confirmed an update, numerous Google trackers have noticed one on this day.

Penguin 2.1 (#5) – Google Update – October 4, 2013

Another Penguin update has been released by Google. Although this was not a significant adjustment, some link spammers saw their ranks plummet.

Hummingbird Update – Google Update – August 20, 2013

This was a great improvement! The Hummingbird Update may be found here.

Update on Google – In-Depth Article – August 6, 2013

This enabled articles with a lot of value to get more links in the search results.

Google Update – Expansion of the Knowledge Graph – July 19, 2013

On this day, knowledge graph search results increased by more than 50%! At this moment, Google made a big effort to incorporate KG even further.

Panda Recovery Update – Google Update – July 18, 2013

Another Panda Update has been verified by Google. Panda loosened up a little after this upgrade, and several websites were able to recover.

Multi-Week Google Update Google Update – 27th of June, 2013

Matt Cutt has said that this update took place, but we haven’t received any other information! There were significant SEO swings at the time, but everything eventually reverted to normal.

Payday Loan Update – Google Update – June 11, 2013

This upgrade targeted spam hotspots including payday loans and pornographic websites. It took a few months for this upgrade to properly trickle out.

Google Penguin 2.0 (#4) Update – May 22, 2013

This version focused on more specific on-page web spam components. Except for black hat websites, it had little effect.

May 21, 2013 – Google Update – Domain Crowding

The search results have become more diverse as a consequence of this change.

May 9, 2013 – Google Update – Phantom Update

Everyone is aware that something occurred as a result of the fluctuations, although it was not widely discussed.

Panda (#25) Google Update – March 14, 2013

Panda #25 is yet another significant Panda upgrade that has wreaked havoc on low-quality content websites.

Panda (#24) Google Update – January 22, 2013

This was a minor adjustment to the Panda update. It’s Google’s first official update of the year. There wasn’t a lot of information on how this affected search.

What was that Google Update? – 17 January 2013

This was Google’s first unofficial update of 2013 (would this lead to a new numbering scheme in Google Search Update History?) and it didn’t even have a name. Despite the company’s claims that this was a minor upgrade, the buzz on the forums implies that this was a more important release than Panda #24.

History of Google Updates: 2012

Panda (#23) Google Update – December 21, 2012

It was officially labeled a “refresh,” and it impacted 1.3 percent of inquiries, significantly more than Panda #21 and #22, its immediate predecessors.

Google Update – Expansion of the Knowledge Graph – December 4, 2012

Non-English questions, such as German, French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Russian, and Japanese, now have Knowledge Graph capabilities. Improved KG capabilities were included, rather than just a basic translation.

Google Knowledge Graph Update

The Google Knowledge Graph has been updated.

November 19, 2012 – Google Update – Unnamed Update

Another update that goes unidentified but is nevertheless substantial. On the message boards, there is a lot of confusion. Is it possible that this is a “trailer” for Panda #22? In the annals of Google search update history, today was a particularly vexing day.

November 17, 2012 – Google Update – Mega Filter Update

This was a Google update that they flatly rejected. The update was known as the Meta Filter Update. In June of 2014, we learned that there had been an upgrade. The change has a negative impact on forum websites.

Panda (#22) Google Update – November 12, 2012

A minor change that affects around 8% of English inquiries.

Panda (#21) Google Update – November 5, 2012

This update impacted 1.1 percent of English-language inquiries and most likely caught the attention of 0.4 percent of regular Google users throughout the globe. In the history of Google search engine optimization updates, this was a calm day.

Google Page Layout Update #2 – October 5, 2012

This required a change to the website layout to remove undesired adverts from the user’s view ‘above the fold.’ In Google Search Update History, this has been dubbed the “top-heavy update.” Around 0.7 percent of English searches had this issue.

Penguin 3 – Google Update – October 5, 2012

0.3 percent of English inquiries and 0.4 percent globally are affected. Penguin #3 had such a little influence on forum participants that they felt almost disappointed.

August/September 65-Pack Google Update – October 4, 2012

These 65 changes included 7-result SERPS, Knowledge Graph extension, changes to how local results are computed, and changes to how page quality is judged.

Exact Match Domain (EMD) – Google Update – September 27, 2012

The change in Google’s handling of EMDs resulted in widespread devaluation, with the amount of EMDs in the SagaReachCast data set dropping by more than 10%. Low-quality EMDs are removed. 0.6 percent of searches are affected (by volume).

Google Exact Match Domain Update

Update to Google’s Exact Match Domain

Panda #20 Google Update – September 27, 2012

Industry sources modified the way Panda updates were numbered since the 3.X numbering method was getting burdensome. 2.4 million queries were impacted by this very significant change (data and algo).

Panda 3.9.2 (#19) Google Update – September 18, 2012

Thankfully, the horrible 3.X numbering scheme has come to an end.

Panda #3.9.1 (#18) Google Update – August 20, 2012

Minor update, affecting fewer than 1% of search queries.

August 14, 2012 – Google Update — 7-Result SERPs

The most significant change was the reduction of 10 results per page to 7. It’s now much simpler for a certain domain to command the page. 18% of monitored keywords were affected. For Google SEO Update History, it’s been a huge day at the office. However, this one did not catch on, and 10 is once again the norm.

DMCA Penalty – Google Update – August 10, 2012

The Digital Millennium Copyright Act goes into effect. Google has begun to penalize websites that have repeatedly violated copyright.

August 10, 2012 – Google Update – June/July 86-Pack

After the summer vacation, Google returns to school with a bag full of Search Quality Highlights. A ranking boost for reputable sources, improved rank-ordering, and Panda algorithm/data refresh are among the major enhancements.

Panda 3.9 (#17) Google Update – July 24, 2012

It’s not a huge deal. For a few days, rankings varied, although only around 1% of websites were impacted.

Link Warnings – Google Update – July 19, 2012

Google issues a slew of warnings about artificial links, then quickly retracts them. In Google Update History, this isn’t the best time.

Google Link Warning Update

Update on the Google Link Warning

Panda 3.8 (#16) Google Update – June 18, 2012

Only the data is refreshed. Panda #15, its immediate predecessor, had a less influence.

Panda 3.7 (#15) Google Update – June 8, 2012

Although Google stated that just 1% of searches were impacted, statistics on ranking fluctuations revealed otherwise.

May 39-Pack – June 7, 2012 Google Update

Improvements in link-scheme recognition, Google News updates, and title/snippet rewriting are among the major enhancements.

Google Penguin 1.1 (#2) Update – May 25, 2012

Google released “Penguin 2,” which the rest of us call to as “Penguin 2” in order to confuse people with yet another confusing numbering scheme. It was referred to as a data refresh by Google, and it affected fewer than 0.1 percent of English inquiries. On a holiday weekend, users were thrown into chaos. Were they in a better position? Are you in a worse situation? Will anybody ever find out?

Google Knowledge Graph Update – May 16, 2012

Another pivotal moment in the history of Google’s search optimization updates. Google has launched Knowledge Graph, which is integrated with SERP and provides more information about certain locations, people, and things. With time, knowledge panels are projected to show more often on SERPs.

April 52-Pack – May 4, 2012 Google Update

Google Penguin Webspam Update and SEO

SEO and the Google Penguin Webspam Update

Changes related to the Penguin update include an increased base index (+15 percent), adjustments to site links, and improved pagination handling. In the annals of Google update history, this was a fruitful day.

Panda 3.6 (#14) Google Update – April 27, 2012

It’s been a busy week for pandas, but not so much for Google-watchers. Panda was updated less than a week after the previous Panda was launched. It’s unknown what occurred, but the consequences were minor.

Google Penguin Update – April 24, 2012

It was a pivotal day in Google’s search engine optimization update history, as well as a disastrous day for black hat SEOs. In a long-awaited webspam upgrade dubbed “Penguin,” Google introduces a penalty for over-optimization. Keyword stuffing and other spam elements were tweaked. Penguin was responsible for 3.1 percent of all English-language enquiries.

Panda 3.5 (#13) Google Update – April 19, 2012

An unobtrusive Panda update with little ramifications.

April 16, 2012 – Google Update – Parked Domain Bug

Algorithm alteration that was unintentional. As a consequence of a Google data issue, several domains have lost value.

April 3, 2012 – Google Update – March 50-Pack

Panda 3.4 was verified in this round of Google SEO updates, as were adjustments to anchor-text scoring, a mechanism for understanding searches with local intent, and image search modifications.

Panda 3.4 (#12) Google Update – March 23, 2012

The modification was publicized on Twitter at the same time as it was implemented. The effect is predicted to be 1.6 percent of all search results.

Search Quality Video – Google Update – March 12, 2012

It wasn’t so much an algorithm upgrade as it was a once-in-a-lifetime chance to see the quality team in action.

Panda 3.3 (#11) Google Update – February 27, 2012

Three days after Panda’s first anniversary, a little post-“flux” update. There are no party hats here, only improved precision and sensitivity.

February 40-Pack – February 27, 2012 Google Update

More than 40 improvements were included in this Google SEO update. Two outdated components of the algorithm were phased out, image search was updated, and a sneaky Panda update was slipped in.

Venice, Italy – February 27, 2012 Google Update

Local search data grew more closely interwoven, and organic results became fiercely localized.

Google Venice Update

Update from Google on Venice

Google Update – February 17th, 2012 – Pack – February 3rd, 2012

In terms of monthly updates, it’s rather tiny. The inclusion of Panda into the main search index was the most significant change. Minor changes were made, such as spelling corrections, freshness, and speed. Panda has been updated to be more efficient.

Ads Above the Fold – Google Update – January 19, 2012

Updated to punish sites with too much “above the fold” advertising.

Panda 3.2 (#10) Google Update – January 18, 2012

Rather than an algorithm change, this is a validated data update. Sites with an excessive ratio of advertisements to legitimate content will be weakened.

January 10, 2012 – Google Update – Search + Your World

Google+ user profiles and social data are being aggressively pushed into SERPs. A permanent new toggle button to turn off customization has been added.

January 30-Pack – January 5, 2012 – Google Update

Richer snippets, more relevant site connections, enhancements in related searches, and the inclusion of quality detection on the image search landing page were all part of this upgrade.

Is there anything in Google Update History or Google Timeline History that we missed? Let us know in the comments section below!

The “google algorithm update 2022” is a timeline that shows the changes Google has made to their search engine over the years.

Frequently Asked Questions

What was the latest Google update?

A: A new update for Google was released on the 18th of October.

How long does it take for Google to update SEO?

A: Google updates their algorithm with new techniques and updates that help boost your ranking. It usually takes them a few weeks to update, but it could take longer or shorter depending on what the changes are.

How often does Google update its algorithm?

A: This is difficult to answer, because Google updates its algorithm based on what the market needs. Its algorithm changes every few months or so and it also has a blacklist that prevents certain keywords from ranking for websites.

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