An algorithm for SEO is a set of rules and formulae, on the basis of which the search engine determines the validity and significance of the contents on a web page, and consequently, its ranking on the engine. Ever since search engine optimization began to catch on with the creators of internet content, the primary search engine, Google, has been constantly improving its techniques and coming up with newer and better algorithms for SEO with each passing round.
Although a number of updates are issued each year, most of them fade into obscurity. Only the ones that possess a high degree of usability make it into the books of the average internet user. Some of the well-known updates from Google include –
1. Google Caffeine Preview (August 2009) – Although this was more similar to a beta version, this preview was like a sneak peek into the settings and the configuration of Caffeine, which was designed to deliver quick results. This was possible because of the larger index and a speedier ranking mechanism. It is interesting to note that Caffeine was doubly as quick as the previous version of the search engine.
2. Google Places (April 2010) – Designed as a replacement for the Google Local Business Center, Google Places was skilled in aligning the search for names of places with local listings. This turned out to be very advantageous to local businesses and small enterprises, as they could finally have themselves featured on Google Maps.
3. Social Signals (December 2010) – This algorithm was developed in order to keep up with the growth of social media. This update implied that Google would, thereafter, take into account the information from Facebook and Twitter to rank the web pages in search results.
4. Panda/Farmer (February 2011) – This was an avalanche of an update, with its goal being penalty for websites that had repetitive content and a high degree of fluff. This helped to improve the quality of content on the internet, and shifted the focus of writing from keyword based articles to strong, search engine optimized content.
5. Penguin (April 2012) – This was a complementary update that further continued the good work that the Panda set out to do. This update was better at recognizing spun and repetitive content.
6. Hummingbird (August 2013) – The Hummingbird improved the efficiency of the search engine on mobile and voice platforms. Google designed this update keeping in mind the fact that when using voice technology, people tend to form their search queries in the form of questions. As a result, importance was given to the order of words.
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