*This post was last updated in January 2026*<\/strong><\/em><\/p> \u00a0<\/p> Algorithm update: <\/strong>A change in the search engine\u2019s ranking formulas that may or may not cause noticeable seismic shifts in which webpages appear at the top of search results, but which is meant to improve the quality of results overall.<\/p> The only thing that\u2019s constant in search engine optimization is change. In just one year \u2013 looking at 2023 for example, Google reported running 700,000+ experiments that resulted in more than 4,000 improvements to Search. That\u2019s a lot of volatility, folks.<\/p> Here is our running list of the notable<\/em> confirmed and major unconfirmed algorithm updates of all time. Below the list, we also explain how to watch for algorithm updates and what to do if you think your site has been impacted.<\/p> (Note that this is not an exhaustive list of every algorithm update, only those <\/span>we <\/span><\/i>feel are worth mentioning and have impacted SEO in a notable way. For a running list, you can view Google\u2019s documentation, <\/span>here<\/span>, or check out other resources <\/span>in the<\/span> industry that track it).<\/span><\/p> In this article, we\u2019ll also explain how to watch for algorithm updates and what to do if you think your site has been impacted.<\/span><\/p> In addition to our big list of algorithm updates (coming up in the next section), if you\u2019re interested in what we think are the biggest Google algorithm updates of all time, check out the following short list. <\/span><\/p> These are <\/span>the ones that have shaped the face of search and SEO forever. <\/span><\/p> These jump links will take you to the sections in this article with more information on those updates<\/span><\/p> From 2023 on, we\u2019ve seen dramatic changes to the Google Search experience.\u00a0<\/span><\/p> With Google\u2019s AI Overviews (launched in 2023 as the Search Generative Experience and <\/span>relabeled<\/span> in 2024), and with AI Mode debuting in 2025, the concept of \u201cAI SEO\u201d or \u201cGEO,\u201d as some call it, has been a trending topic.<\/span><\/p> It\u2019s worth taking a moment to explain the state of the algorithms that decide who shows up in these <\/span>types<\/span> of AI-driven features.\u00a0<\/span><\/p> To make a long <\/span>story<\/span> short: Traditional SEO strategies matter just as much now as they did previously \u2014 they may just be packaged in different ways.\u00a0<\/span><\/p> We know that traditional search relies on thousands of signals to rank results. AI search, at least for now, appears to operate with a much lighter touch.<\/span><\/p> Court documents from Google\u2019s antitrust case (<\/span>U.S. v. Google LLC<\/span><\/i>) suggest that AI Overviews are grounded using fewer ranking signals and a smaller set of documents.<\/span><\/p> In other words, AI systems rely on faster retrieval methods that prioritize meaning over breadth.<\/span><\/p> In <\/span>particular<\/span>, content clarity and topical <\/span>alignment are more<\/span> important than ever for gaining <\/span>visibility<\/span> in AI-driven features like AI Overviews.\u00a0<\/span><\/p> Strong site architecture, expert-driven content and thoughtful optimization remain the foundation of search visibility.\u00a0<\/span><\/p> For more on this topic, you can see my article at Search Engine Land: <\/span>Organizing content for AI search: A 3-level framework<\/span>.<\/span><\/p> \u00a0<\/p> If you want to jump to a particular year, be my guest: \u00a0<\/p> In what marked a potential new era in the search results, Google rolled out its AI Overviews.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p> AI Overviews provide a general overview\/answer to a query at the top of the Google Search results (above the regular search listings). These snippets of information are powered by Google Gemini, which gives answers based on sources across the web.<\/span><\/p> AI Overviews provides links to websites where the information was sourced.<\/span> Google told Search Engine Land<\/span> that link cards within AI Overviews generate a higher click-through rate than traditional web search results.<\/span><\/p> Nonetheless, Google won\u2019t be giving that impression or click data for AI Overview links in Google Search Console at this time.<\/span><\/p> At the same time as the March core update, Google rolled out changes to its <\/span>spam policies<\/span>.<\/span><\/p> This included new rules about scaled content abuse \u2014 mainly AI content \u2014 site reputation abuse (aka \u201cparasite SEO\u201d) and expired domain abuse.<\/span><\/p> As a result, Google unleashed a <\/span>slew of manual actions<\/span> on sites that violated its most current spam policies. Some sites were completely de-indexed.\u00a0<\/span><\/p> In May, when <\/span>Google began enforcing the site reputation abuse policy<\/span>, major sites like CNN, USA Today, Fortune and others saw content deranked or deindexed.\u00a0<\/span><\/p> Google\u2019s first core update of 2024 was a big one, taking 45 days to roll out. With it, Google updated multiple core systems, so fluctuations were expected to be more drastic than normal.\u00a0<\/span><\/p> A Google rep <\/span>told Search Engine Land <\/span>that the update reduced unhelpful content in Google Search by 45%. With this update, the helpful content system was integrated into the core system, too.<\/span>For more on this big update, see my analysis, <\/span><\/span><\/p> \u00a0<\/p> Released on November 8, Google said this reviews update would the last it would announce. Going forward, the reviews system would be updated on a regular basis.<\/p> The helpful content system update finished rollout on September 28. Google updated its guidance on AI-generated content, shifting its attitude to be consistent with generating helpful content. Google also revised guidelines on hosting third-party content. It now recommends blocking this content from being indexed if it is unrelated to the website\u2019s main purpose. Learn more about the helpful content system here.<\/p> Google announced its topic authority system as a way to \u201cbetter surface relevant, expert, and knowledgeable content\u201d in news queries. This system is not new \u2014 Google has been using it for several years, but they are discussing it now to bring more transparency into how ranking works.<\/p> Google updated the name of this update from \u201cproduct reviews\u201d to just \u201creviews.\u201d It now evaluates reviews of services, businesses, media \u2014 any topic that is reviewable. Google revised the language in its guidance documentation to apply to reviews of all kinds. This update was completed April 25. Learn more here.<\/p> Google\u2019s product reviews update promotes review content that is of higher quality than the typical standard review information found online. The goal of this update is to \u201cprovide users with content that provides insightful analysis and original research, content written by experts or enthusiasts who know the topic well,\u201d according to Google. This update added several new languages including English, Spanish, German, French and Italian among others. Google completed the rollout on March 7<\/p> \u00a0<\/p> This is the first update to Google\u2019s helpful content system since its launch in August 2022. It began rolling out December 6, adding new signals and updating it worldwide to include all languages.<\/p> Google completed its second product reviews update of 2022 on September 26. Like the first update in July, this update rewards review-based content that is helpful and informative to shoppers.<\/p> Google announced the helpful content update on August 18. This new signal rewards content that Google believes is helpful and informative, rather than content that is purely meant to rank well in search engines. The update rolled out August 25 and was completed on September 9.<\/p> Check out our video What to know about the Helpful Content Update<\/strong> to get Bruce\u2019s take on the new signal.<\/p> The Product Reviews Update was announced on July 27. While it was expected to take several weeks to roll out, it only took six days, fully rolling out on August 2. This update promotes quality review content to help shoppers learn more about products before purchasing. See Google\u2019s help document on how to write high quality product reviews.<\/p> Core Web Vitals and the page experience ranking factor applied to desktop as well as mobile as of this update, which finished rolling out on March 3, 2022.<\/p> Rolled out between mid-June and early September 2021, this update had less impact on rankings than Google\u2019s core updates. Yet despite the fact that the update was somewhat downplayed in the SEO community, Google\u2019s John Mueller confirmed it was more than simply a \u201ctie-breaker\u201d when ranking webpages. He also stated that when webmasters downplay the update, it may also mean that they downplay the impact that the ranking factors have on users.<\/p> What it did was create a new page experience ranking factor combining at least six signals related to how a webpage performs for mobile users. (Note that though it initially applied to mobile ranking only, Google rolled out the page experience update for desktop as well in February 2022.)<\/p> Core Web Vitals are three new performance metrics introduced with this update. Websites that meet certain performance thresholds can gain some competitive advantage and also improve their site\u2019s user experience.<\/p> While improving page experience factors is often technical back-end work, top sites continue to improve their scores. So especially if you\u2019re in a competitive industry, I highly recommend you check your site and get started.<\/p> For more details, see our comprehensive e-book Google\u2019s Page Experience Update: A Complete Guide and these resources:<\/p> In June 2021, Google released a core update and announced another one would be coming the following month in July.<\/p> Google told Search Engine Land that the reason the rollout was broken into two phases was that not all of the planned improvements for the June 2021 update were ready. So Google decided to release the parts that were ready and push out the rest the following month.<\/p> Many in the industry felt that this was a big update, according to a roundup of data published at Search Engine Land. Subsequently, many felt like the link spam update in July\u2013August 2021 did not have as big of an impact, which is why we aren\u2019t listing it separately here.<\/p> Was the June core update related to \u201cyour money or your life\u201d webpages? Some thought so.<\/p> Google released a blog post that coincided with the June core update, stating that: \u201ccore updates are designed to increase the overall relevancy of our search results. In terms of traffic, we send, it\u2019s largely a net exchange. Some content might do less well, but other content gains.\u201d<\/p> On February 11, Google announced<\/a> it had launched passage ranking for U.S. queries in English.<\/p> Passage ranking helps Google Search better choose and rank the most relevant webpages with passages (like blocks of text) that answer very specific queries.<\/p> Whereas before, the search engine may have ranked articles that give general information on the query; now, Google can find and rank articles that answer the query the best, even if it\u2019s only within a block of text on the webpage.<\/p> Google said this about passage ranking:<\/p> Very specific searches can be the hardest to get right, since sometimes the single sentence that answers your question might be buried deep in a web page. We\u2019ve recently made a breakthrough in ranking and are now able to better understand the relevancy of specific passages. By understanding passages in addition to the relevancy of the overall page, we can find that needle-in-a-haystack information you\u2019re looking for.<\/em><\/p> <\/blockquote> Google stated that when it is fully rolled out globally, it will impact 7% of search queries.<\/p> In early December 2020, Google released a new broad core update. Many industry commentators stated it was a big core update \u2014 one of the largest yet \u2014 with many sites seeing extreme traffic gains and losses.<\/p> As with previous broad core updates, there was no specific ranking factor targeted; rather, broad core updates are an update to how sites are evaluated.<\/p> While many webmasters were anticipating this update as a way to recover from losses from the May 2020 update, many were also concerned about the timing of this update, as it occurred during the holiday period.<\/p> You can check out an analysis of this core update at Search Engine Land: \u201cGoogle\u2019s December 2020 core update was big, even bigger than May 2020, say data providers.\u201d<\/p> Some websites may have experienced ranking changes on or around mid-November, and the subtopics ranking change may have been the reason.<\/p> Google did not announce this algorithm update (but did discuss it back in October). Google\u2019s Danny Sullivan later confirmed<\/a> in 2021 that the ranking change went live in November 2020.<\/p> It\u2019s worth noting that subtopics ranking is a new feature of the algorithm, as opposed to an update of existing processes.<\/p> Google discussed subtopics ranking in October 2020, saying the following:<\/p> We\u2019ve applied neural nets to understand subtopics around an interest, which helps deliver a greater diversity of content when you search for something broad. As an example, if you search for \u201chome exercise equipment,\u201d we can now understand relevant subtopics, such as budget equipment, premium picks, or small space ideas, and show a wider range of content for you on the search results page. We\u2019ll start rolling this out by the end of this year.<\/em><\/p> <\/blockquote> In other words, the subtopics ranking feature is designed to help Google understand how subtopics relate to a query.<\/p> As another example, if someone were to search for \u201cSEO,\u201d Google can now understand relevant subtopics such as agencies, conferences, tools, and Google algorithm updates. With this information, it can then show wider-ranging content in the search engine results pages.<\/p> For more, see the Search Engine Land article: \u201cGoogle launched subtopics ranking in mid-November.\u201d<\/p> Google announced<\/a> a broad core update via Twitter. This update took approximately two weeks to fully roll out.<\/p> Many felt that the May update was significant, even for a core update, with many sites seeing significant losses or gains in traffic. Many algorithm-tracking tools registered extreme volatility.<\/p> A core update<\/strong>, according to Google, is a broad algorithm update that does not target specific types of queries or pages. Instead, the update is about improving how the search engine assesses content overall to make results more relevant. We are told to compare a core update to refreshing a list of top 100 movies that you made a few years back. Naturally, new items would appear in your list today, and other titles on your list would shift up or down.<\/p> Consequently, Google says that \u201cpages that drop after a core update don\u2019t have anything wrong to fix.\u201d And some pages that were \u201cpreviously under-rewarded\u201d will rank higher.<\/p> Moz gives an analysis of the winners and losers of this core update here.<\/p> Google confirmed<\/a> that results shown in featured snippets would no longer be repeated on the first page of search results. Previously, a featured snippet could be found in \u201cPosition 0\u201d as well as one of the top organic listings on the page.<\/p> Google announced BERT \u2014 its deep learning algorithm also known internally at Google as DeepRank \u2014 on October 25, 2019. BERT impacts conversational search queries by helping Google to better understand context, including how words like \u201cfor\u201d and \u201cto\u201d change the meaning of a search. Google later confirmed there was nothing specific to optimize for, and that BERT affects nearly every search performed.<\/p> Google announced this broad core algorithm update ahead of time. The industry weighed in after it rolled out, and many hypothesized it targeted link spam.<\/p> Google pre-announced<\/a> this update, which seemed to focus on correcting the way the algorithm evaluated links. It put more weight on the domain authority and trustworthiness of a site\u2019s incoming links.<\/p> In my opinion, the \u201ctrustworthiness\u201d component of the E-A-T factors rose in importance. And it overflowed SEO to include a fix for detecting sentiment. Note that this firmly places the issue with a ranking loss on marketing in general \u2026 No wonder Google has said that there is nothing sites can do specifically to \u201cfix\u201d their rankings after a core update runs. Mess with user sentiment, link sentiment, and quality, and prepare to die.<\/p> The search engine simultaneously released a separate site diversity update<\/a>. The stated goal was to make search results more diverse. For most queries, users no longer see a domain appear more than twice in the top-ranked results, making it harder for a site to \u201csaturate\u201d a topic organically.<\/p> Hazards:<\/em><\/strong> Sites with too low a percentage of backlinks from trusted websites may have dropped. Those that used to have many pages ranking for a single query also lost some SERP real estate.<\/p> Winners:<\/em><\/strong> Pages may have risen that were previously under-rewarded. (Aren\u2019t we all?)<\/p> Google confirmed<\/a> this update, which seemed to fine-tune broad core algorithm changes of the past. Data showed the majority of the websites that were impacted were also impacted by the March 2018 core update and the August 2018 \u201cMedic\u201d update. To prevent naming confusion, Google tweeted the update\u2019s name the same day it was released.<\/p> However, the losers weren\u2019t impacted as much as the winners. Research found that sites whose search traffic increased experienced higher rankings site-wide, with no increase in the number of keywords ranked.<\/p> On the flip side, the update hurt many sites that provide a poor user experience (due to excessive pop-ups, poor navigation, over-optimization, and so forth).<\/p> And, of course, trust was a significant signal. Sites dealing with YMYL (Your Money or Your Life) topics took ranking hits if they were participating in untrusted activities.<\/p> Hazards:<\/em><\/strong> Google\u2019s March 2019 Core Update behaved like an evolution of previous algorithms, negatively affecting sites that were over-optimized.<\/p> Winners:<\/em><\/strong> Reputable sites ranking for queries related to particularly sensitive topics, like those about health questions, benefited. According to SearchMetrics, \u201cwebsites with a strong brand profile and a broad topical focus\u201d also advanced. See, trust matters.<\/p> Google confirmed<\/a> there was a small update made, and reiterated that it wasn\u2019t anything major.<\/p> Google announced<\/a> the release of this broad core algorithm update, coined by the industry as \u201cMedic.\u201d Google\u2019s advice? Be more relevant for searches \u2014 and not just page by page, but as a whole site. More advice stated that small tweaks to content may not suffice and that holistic changes to the site may be required.<\/p> I believe the Medic update was a significant step focused on trust (part of Google\u2019s \u201cE-A-T\u201d quality factors). In my opinion, trusted sites that were interlinked with untrusted sites were penalized.<\/p> Learn more:<\/em><\/p> Fast performance creates a better user experience for searchers clicking on results. After alerting website owners months in advance, Google announced its Speed Update on July 9, 2018. Previously, page load speed factored into only desktop search results. Since this update, slow performance on mobile devices can hurt a site\u2019s optimization.<\/p> Google confirmed<\/a> this broad core update. As is the case with all broad core updates, Google indicates that there\u2019s nothing specific to do. However, as indicated in a later confirmation of the March core update (below), it may have been around relevance.<\/p> Google confirmed<\/a> this broad core update and reminded webmasters to continue building great content. Later, Google explained that most of its updates are around relevance, not how good or bad a site is.<\/p> Google reacted to the SEO community that dubbed fluctuations in December as \u201cMaccabees.\u201d The search engine said<\/a> it wasn\u2019t a single update but several minor improvements and that there weren\u2019t any major changes as a result.<\/p> Google confirmed<\/a> a string of updates with the caveat that they make three updates per day on average. When asked if the updates had a name, Google jokingly said all updates would be called Fred, and the name stuck. These updates seemed to be related to quality, and some impacted were sites using aggressive monetization tactics that provided a bad user experience, and that had poor-quality links. Fred was wide-reaching and focused on quality across a variety of factors, not just a single process.<\/p> One specific target was sites using aggressive monetization tactics that provided a bad user experience. Poor-quality links were also targeted by Fred. Link to an untrusted site, and it lowers your trust \u2026 and rankings.<\/p> Hazards:<\/em><\/strong> Sites with thin, affiliate-heavy, or ad-centered content were targeted.<\/p> Winners:<\/em><\/strong> Many websites featuring quality, high-value content with minimal ads benefited.<\/p> Google preannounced that it would make updates in January 2017 that would impact sites with pop-ups on their pages that created a poor user experience. It confirmed this algorithm updates on January 10, 2017.<\/p> Google confirmed that its webspam algorithm dubbed \u201cPenguin\u201d was rolled into the core algorithm. That meant that instead of manual refreshes, it would now work in real-time. Penguin would now devalue spam links instead of demoting whole sites. It also became more granular in how it worked.<\/p> Rather than demoting a site for having bad inbound links, the new Penguin tried to just do away with link spam.<\/p> Now, if a site has inbound links from known spam sites, Google just devalues (ignores) the links.<\/p> However, if a site\u2019s backlink profile is too<\/em> bad, Google may still apply a manual action for unnatural links to your website. Also, John Mueller said earlier this year that a software-induced penalty can<\/em> still occur if a site has \u201ca bunch of really bad links\u201d (h\/t Marie Haynes).<\/p> Friendlier Penguin has not proven to be 100% effective. As a result, many businesses still need help cleaning up their link profile to restore lost rankings. Google has said that you should not need to disavow files, yet also welcomes them. To me, that is a very clear signal that we should not rely on the algorithm alone when it comes to backlinks.<\/p> Hazards:<\/em><\/strong> Sites that had purchased links were targets, as well as those with spammy or irrelevant links, or incoming links with over-optimized anchor text.<\/p> Winners:<\/em><\/strong> Sites with mostly natural inbound links from relevant webpages got to rise in the SERPs.<\/p> See the detailed history of Penguin in the Penguin Algorithm Updates section.<\/em><\/p> Possum is an unconfirmed yet widely documented Google algorithm update. This update targeted the local pack. Unlike confirmed updates, the details of the Possum update are a bit less clear. SEOs believe it sought to bring more variety into local SERPs and help increase the visibility of local companies.<\/p> With this update, Google seemed to change how it filtered duplicate listings. Before Possum, Google omitted results as duplicates if they shared the same phone number or website. With Possum, Google filtered listings that shared the same address. This created intense competition between neighboring or location-sharing businesses.<\/p> Hazards:<\/em><\/strong> Businesses with intense competition in their target location could be pushed out of the local results.<\/p> Winners:<\/em><\/strong> Businesses outside physical city limits had a chance to appear in local listings.<\/p> Google announced ahead of time that it would increase the mobile-friendliness ranking signal in May. Google confirmed<\/a> the rollout was completed on May 12.<\/p> Learn more:<\/em> Mobile Friendly SEO Ranking Boost Gets Boosted in May<\/p> Google revealed that the Panda algorithm targeting quality was a part of the core algorithm. It was not clear when this happened exactly. Google also confirmed<\/a> that even though it was part of the core algorithm, it did not operate in real-time.<\/p> This significant update is detailed below in the Panda Updates section.<\/em><\/p> Learn more:<\/em> Google Explains What It Means To Be Part Of The \u201cCore\u201d Algorithm<\/p> Google revealed to Bloomberg that RankBrain \u2014 Google\u2019s artificial intelligence system \u2014 was one of its top three ranking signals. Reportedly, 15 percent of queries per day have never been seen by Google before. Initially, RankBrain helped interpret those queries, but it may now be involved in every query. It\u2019s also possible with RankBrain that searchers\u2019 engagement with the search results is a factor in how it determines the relevancy of a result.<\/p> According to Google\u2019s Gary Illyes on Reddit,<\/p> RankBrain is a PR-sexy machine learning ranking component that uses historical search data to predict what would a user most likely click on for a previously unseen query. It is a really cool piece of engineering that saved our butts countless times whenever traditional algos were like, e.g. \u201coh look a \u201cnot\u201d in the query string! let\u2019s ignore the hell out of it!\u201d, but it\u2019s generally just relying on (sometimes) months old data about what happened on the results page itself, not on the landing page. Dwell time, CTR, \u2026 those are generally made up crap. Search is much more simple than people think.<\/p> <\/blockquote> OK, if it changes the target, then it is always right. If you change the results to match a user-intent profile, then in the future, all clicks would match that profile since that is all there is. Are all searches for a particular keyword always informational? RankBrain may think so and push out ecommerce sites from the results. Fortunately, it is often correct.<\/p> Hazards:<\/em><\/strong> No specific losers, although sites won\u2019t be found relevant that have shallow content, poor UX, or unfocused subject matter.<\/p> Winners:<\/em><\/strong> Sites creating niche content and focusing on keyword intent have a better chance of ranking.<\/p> Learn more:<\/em><\/p> For more information on this update, please see the Panda section below.<\/p> Google confirmed a change to its algorithm (although not right away) on how it processed quality signals. Google stated that the update wasn\u2019t intended to target any particular sites or class of sites, but was an update to the overall ranking algorithm itself.<\/p> Google announced ahead of time in February and then confirmed in April its mobile-friendly update was rolling out that would boost the rankings of mobile-friendly pages. This update laid the foundation for Google\u2019s mobile-first search mechanism. Hazards:<\/em><\/strong> Sites without a mobile-friendly version of the page, or with poor mobile usability, suffered.<\/p> Winners:<\/em><\/strong> Responsive sites and pages with an existing mobile-friendly version benefited.<\/p> For more information on this update, please see the Penguin section below.<\/p> For more information on this update, please see the Panda section below.<\/p> The update dubbed Pigeon shook up the local organic results in Google Web and Map searches.<\/p> <\/p>
An SEO Perspective on Algo Fluctuations<\/h2>
The Major Google Algorithm Updates of All Time<\/h2>
A Note on Google\u2019s AI Overviews and AI Mode<\/h2>
Google Algorithm Updates by Year<\/h2>
2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | 2011 | 2010 | 2009 | Pre-2009<\/p> 2024 ALGORITHM UPDATES<\/h2>
May 2024 \u2013 AI Overviews Rollout\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>
March 2024 \u2013 Spam Update\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>
March 2024 \u2013 Core Update\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>
2023 ALGORITHM UPDATES<\/h2>
November 2023 \u2013 Reviews Update<\/h3>
September 2023 \u2013 Helpful Content System Update<\/h3>
May 2023 \u2013 Topic Authority System<\/h3>
April 2023 \u2013 Reviews Update<\/h3>
February 2023 \u2013 Product Reviews Update<\/h3>
2022 ALGORITHM UPDATES<\/h2>
December 2022 \u2013 Helpful Content System Update<\/h3>
September 2022 \u2013 Product Reviews Update<\/h3>
August 2022 \u2013 Helpful Content Update<\/h3>
June 2022 \u2013 Product Reviews Update<\/h3>
February 2022 \u2013 Page Experience Update for Desktop<\/h3>
2021 ALGORITHM UPDATES<\/h2>
June 2021 \u2013 Page Experience Update<\/h3>
June 2021 \u2013 Core Update<\/h3>
February 2021 \u2013 Passage Ranking<\/h3>
2020 ALGORITHM UPDATES<\/h2>
December 2020 \u2013 Core Update<\/h3>
November 2020 \u2013 Subtopics Ranking<\/h3>
May 2020 Core Update<\/h3>
January 2020 \u2013 Featured Snippets Update<\/h3>
2019 ALGORITHM UPDATES<\/h2>
October 2019 \u2013 BERT<\/h3>
September 2019 Core Update<\/h3>
June 2019 Core Update & Site Diversity Update<\/h3>
March 2019 Core Update<\/h3>
2018 ALGORITHM UPDATES<\/h2>
September 2018 \u2013 Small Update<\/h3>
August 2018 Core Update \u2013 Medic<\/h3>
July 2018 \u2013 Speed Update<\/h3>
April 2018 \u2013 Broad Core Update<\/h3>
March 2018 \u2013 Broad Core Update<\/h3>
2017 ALGORITHM UPDATES<\/h2>
December 2017 \u2013 Several Updates<\/h3>
March 2017 \u2013 Fred<\/h3>
January 2017 \u2013 Interstitial Updates<\/h3>
2016 ALGORITHM UPDATES<\/h2>
September 2016 \u2013 Penguin Integrated into Core Algorithm<\/h3>
September 1, 2016 \u2013 Possum<\/h3>
May 2016 \u2013 Mobile Update<\/h3>
January 2016 \u2013 Panda Integrated into Core Algorithm<\/h3>
2015 ALGORITHM UPDATES<\/h2>
October 2015 \u2013 RankBrain<\/h3>
July 2015 \u2013 Panda Update 4.2<\/h3>
May 2015 \u2013 Quality Update to Core Algorithm<\/h3>
April 2015 \u2013 Mobile-Friendly Update (\u201cMobilegeddon\u201d)<\/h3>
The update underlined mobile-friendliness as a ranking signal and laid the foundation for the way Google\u2019s mobile-first search mechanism works today. It was fun watching ecommerce sites try to fit 700 navigation links into a mobile menu. (Side note: There are better ways to handle mobile navigation.)<\/em><\/p> 2014 ALGORITHM UPDATES<\/h2>
October 2014 \u2013 Penguin Update 3.0<\/h3>
September 2014 \u2013 Panda Update 4.1<\/h3>
July 2014 \u2013 \u201cPigeon\u201d Local Search Algorithm Update<\/h3>