Any time there is a major Google update, Google’s core algorithm gets a mention.
As search engine marketers, we have become obsessed with Google’s updates and announcements. By focusing on best practices and following Google’s guidelines, we can avoid Google penalties.
To focus on best practices, we need to understand how Google’s core algorithm works first.
What are algorithms?
Algorithms are computer programmes that are made up of processes and formulas.
What is Google’s algorithm?
Google’s algorithm looks at hundreds of different factors in an attempt to make the search engine as relevant as possible for users. The algorithm has to look for clues and signals to guess what the user might be searching for.
What is Google’s core algorithm?
Google’s ‘core algorithm’ is the part of the algorithm that is constantly updating.
How do updates make it into Google’s core algorithm?
1. It starts with code
Google’s amazing engineers start the process by getting their heads down and writing code to improve the search results.
2. Testing
Once they write the code, they test their code.
3. Launch
After analysing their results, they go to Google’s internal launch committee to propose the launch of their code.
Large updates like Penguin and Panda started like this. An engineer somewhere in Google started off by writing and testing code until it was ready for launch.
4. Evolution
After the code launch and depending on what the code is, it may not change for years or it may change every week. Little things may need tweaking here and there. Internally at Google, all changes will have to go through approval and quality check procedures each time it changes.
5. Moving to Google’s core algorithm
Once Google stops worrying about a certain part of their algorithm internally, this is when they feel comfortable enough to move an update to their core algorithm.
When does Google update search marketers?
Google have expressed time after time that it is difficult to keep search engine marketers in the loop.
Every time they update a few lines of code on their end, it is unrealistic for them to update us. This is why Google want us to focus less on updates. Google Penguin 4.0 was a recent example of Google updating us. But, now they have moved Penguin to Google’s core algorithm, there will be no further updates.
Google will update us when they need to, but we should not expect them to.
