What is Google's Core Algorithm?

Google changes its algorithm hundreds of times each year. Many of these changes do not impact day-to-day search rankings. Occasionally, however, Google releases a "core algorithm update," which does affect rankings--often quite significantly.

Google's latest "core" update happened in December 2020. A year before, in 2019, the search engine announced Florida 2, what Search Engine Journal called "one of the biggest updates in years."

So what exactly does a "core update" mean? Will your rankings change? If so, what can you do?

We have the answers below...

What is a Core Algorithm Update?

After several recent updates, some SEO pros balked at the term "core update." The tweet from Kristine Schachinger, a Digital Strategist & SEO Consultant (with a large Twitter following), typified a segment of the industry response:

Big update. Google? Same as same as same as same as same.

Miss the days when we would actually be told what was updated.

So many things on a site going on, makes it very hard to determine. Not impossible, but just wastes a lot of time.

— Kristine Schachinger (@schachin)

Shachinger's tweet, however, may have asked for the impossible.

With prior named updates, like Panda, Penguin, and more recently, Hummingbird, Google revealed "what was updated"--usually a specific fault with the algorithm. For example, Panda (released in 2011) targeted low-quality or duplicate content. At the time, the search engine was prey to "content farms," which relied on quantity--often up to 7000 articles per day--to achieve high search rankings. With the Panda update, Google placed a new emphasis on unique, relevant content.

Penguin, released a year later, focused on eliminating bad links--a standard "black hat" SEO practice. By dramatically reducing manipulative link-building practices, Penguin also emphasized the value of "quality links."

Today, unique content and quality links make up the "holy trinity" of Google's ranking factors with RankBrain, the machine learning tool Google released with Hummingbird (2013). With this tool, Google began to analyze more complex search terms (such as voice-based searches) to discover user intent.

Read: "Google's Top Three Ranking Factors: Links, Content, and RankBrain"

For most of these updates (and others), Google was relatively straightforward about the specific nature of the change, and most SEO pros understood how to remedy any problems with their sites.

With the core updates, Google has changed the entire algorithm itself, or the search engine itself--often referred to as PageRank (not RankBrain).

As we noted, Google has clarified its top three ranking factors, links, content, and RankBrain. Still, the search engine uses "200 unique signals or 'clues' that make it possible to surface what you might be looking for. Calibrating many of these 200 ranking factors likely accounts for the "core" algorithm changes.

Will A Core Update (Like Florida 2) Affect Your Rankings?

Since core updates may affect many ranking factors, it is hard to say how a core update will affect your site. Jones, of Search Engine Journal, quotes Danny Sullivan of Google, who has tweeted before that there is "no fix" for core updates:

"There's no 'fix' for pages that may perform less well other than to remain focused on building great content. Over time, it may be that your content may rise relative to other pages."

In his article, Jones writes "the clues are there," but he offers no specific guidance--and, in the end, focusing on specifics may be beside the point.

The best way to recover from any rankings loss--at any time--is to satisfy the basic SEO requirements inferred by the "holy trinity" of ranking factors: Produce high-quality, relevant content (with the appropriate technical optimizations). Inspire quality links. Satisfy user intent.

Back to SEO Basics

If you're concerned about a recent drop in rankings, get back to SEO basics:

• Create fresh content with appropriate keywords
• Focus on the value you offer browsers who may search for your brand, product, or service 
• Answer questions: Offer helpful information relevant to your service, product, or brand 
• Refresh (or replace) any content that has dropped in the rankings

Search Engine Optimization with SEO Sparta, a Bucks County, PA SEO Firm

If you're looking for an SEO company that understands algorithms and content marketing nuances, call SEO Sparta: 215-900-9398. We combine traditional marketing methods and organic SEO, emphasizing natural website optimization to design thoughtful, inspiring, and effective online marketing campaigns.

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If you are interested in transforming your website into a money-making tool or are interested in exploring opportunities to outperform your competition, we encourage you to contact SEO SPARTA.

We combine traditional marketing methods and organic SEO--emphasizing natural website optimization--to design thoughtful, inspiring, and effective marketing campaigns.

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