2011
Panda
2013
Hummingbird
Google Algorithm Updates:
An Interactive History
Google Algorithm Updates: An Interactive History
Google UX Algorithms & Updates
An Interactive History
Google Algorithm Updates: An Interactive History
Google has long prioritized user experience, whether in its core algorithmic updates, new features, products, or SERP format changes.
While some of these Google changes have involved updates to target low-quality content, links, and spam, other updates aim to understand consumer behavior and intent.
Here, you’ll find a combination of some (not all) Google updates and technological advancements that significantly reflect the search engine’s focus on the human user and their experiences online – from Panda through to Page Experience.
Google Updates Timeline
Google Updates Timeline
If you’re looking for ways to make your website more user focused (and for better rankings), check out our full UX & SEO ebook available now.
Opens in a new window.
Google UX Updates Timeline
In its early years, Google only made a handful of updates to its algorithms. Now, Google makes thousands of changes every year. Here are some of the major changes that significantly impact SERPs.
2011
2011
2013
2013
2014
2014
2015
2015
2018
2018
2019
2019
2020
2020
2021
2021
2011
2011
2013
2013
2014
2014
2015
2015
2018
2018
2019
2019
2020
2020
2021
2021
Google UX Updates Timeline
In its early years, Google only made a handful of updates to its algorithms. Now, Google makes thousands of changes every year. Here are some of the major changes that significantly impact SERPs.
2011
2011
2013
2013
2014
2014
2015
2015
2018
2018
2019
2019
2020
2020
2021
2021
2011
2011
2013
2013
2014
2014
2015
2015
2018
2018
2019
2019
2020
2020
2021
2021
2011
Panda
2013
Hummingbird
2014
E-A-T
Google UX Updates Timeline
In its early years, Google only made a handful of updates to its algorithms. Now, Google makes thousands of changes every year. Here are some of the major changes that significantly impact SERPs.
2011
2011
2013
2013
2014
2014
2015
2015
2018
2018
2019
2019
2020
2020
2021
2021
2011
2011
2013
2013
2014
2014
2015
2015
2018
2018
2019
2019
2020
2020
2021
2021
2013
Hummingbird
2014
E-A-T
2015
Mobile Update
Google UX Updates Timeline
In its early years, Google only made a handful of updates to its algorithms. Now, Google makes thousands of changes every year. Here are some of the major changes that significantly impact SERPs.
2011
2011
2013
2013
2014
2014
2015
2015
2018
2018
2019
2019
2020
2020
2021
2021
2011
2011
2013
2013
2014
2014
2015
2015
2018
2018
2019
2019
2020
2020
2021
2021
2014
E-A-T
2015
Mobile Update
2015
RankBrain
Google UX Updates Timeline
In its early years, Google only made a handful of updates to its algorithms. Now, Google makes thousands of changes every year. Here are some of the major changes that significantly impact SERPs.
2011
2011
2013
2013
2014
2014
2015
2015
2018
2018
2019
2019
2020
2020
2021
2021
2011
2011
2013
2013
2014
2014
2015
2015
2018
2018
2019
2019
2020
2020
2021
2021
2015
RankBrain
2018
Mobile-First Indexing
2019
Broad Core
Algorithm Updates
Google UX Updates Timeline
In its early years, Google only made a handful of updates to its algorithms. Now, Google makes thousands of changes every year. Here are some of the major changes that significantly impact SERPs.
2011
2011
2013
2013
2014
2014
2015
2015
2018
2018
2019
2019
2020
2020
2021
2021
2011
2011
2013
2013
2014
2014
2015
2015
2018
2018
2019
2019
2020
2020
2021
2021
2019
Broad Core
Algorithm Updates
2019
BERT
2020
COVID-19 Pandemic
Google UX Updates Timeline
In its early years, Google only made a handful of updates to its algorithms. Now, Google makes thousands of changes every year. Here are some of the major changes that significantly impact SERPs.
2011
2011
2013
2013
2014
2014
2015
2015
2018
2018
2019
2019
2020
2020
2021
2021
2011
2011
2013
2013
2015
2015
2018
2018
2019
2019
2020
2020
2021
2021
2019
BERT
2020
COVID-19 Pandemic
2021
Google Page
Experience Update
Google UX Updates Timeline
In its early years, Google only made a handful of updates to its algorithms. Now, Google makes thousands of changes every year. Here are some of the major changes that significantly impact SERPs.
2011
2011
2013
2013
2014
2014
2015
2015
2018
2018
2019
2019
2020
2020
2021
2021
2011
2011
2013
2013
2014
2014
2015
2015
2018
2018
2019
2019
2020
2020
2021
2021
2020
COVID-19 Pandemic
2021
Google Page
Experience Update
2011
Panda
One of the first indications that Google was examining content for user experience. In February, Panda targeted low-quality content sites.
Focus: Produce and optimize unique and compelling content.
- Avoiding thin content.
- Measuring quality over quantity.
- Providing information and answers users need.
- Avoiding duplicate content.
2013
Hummingbird
Hummingbird
2013
Hummingbird
Hummingbird
Occurring shortly after the Knowledge Graph, Hummingbird focused on semantic search. It helped Google understand the intent and context behind searches and was the first sign of Google using natural language processing (NLP) to identify black hat techniques and create personalized SERPs.
Focus: Create and optimize useful content that audiences want.
- Long-tail keywords and intent model strategies became crucial.
- Content focused on topics users wanted to learn about.
- Keyword research included conceptual and contextual factors.
- Trading low-quality, keyword-stuffed content for personalized experiences.
2011
Panda
Panda
2014
E-A-T
E-A-T
2014
E-A-T
The E-A-T (Expertise, Authority, and Trust) concept becomes part of Google’s guidelines for Your Money or Your Life (YMYL), which advised marketers to focus on content that could potentially impact the users’ future happiness, health, financial stability, or safety.
The goal? The adoption of on and off-page SEO and content strategies that would result in a relevant, trustworthy user experience
Focus: Authoritative content that users could trust.
- Content that demonstrated subject area knowledge and expertise.
- Website and author credibility and authority.
- Improve overall website quality, including security and structure.
- Earn reviews, testimonials, and off-page coverage from reputable sites.
2013
Hummingbird
Hummingbird
2015
Mobile Update
Mobile Update
2015
Mobile Update
Google forewarned marketers that an update was coming for the first time. Mobile user experience became a significant signal with Google prioritizing mobile-friendly sites on mobile SERPs.
Many mobile updates would follow, but so too would a Quality update that would see websites do well if they prioritized user experience while serving fewer ads and less irrelevant user-generated content.
Focus: Mobile content and user experience.
- Design factors such as responsive design and mobile page structure.
- Enhanced, mobile-friendly site navigation.
- Correcting for format issues on mobile.
- Confirmation that websites were mobile-optimized.
2014
E-A-T
E-A-T
2015
RankBrain
RankBrain
2015
RankBrain
Google RankBrain provided marketers with an indication of the importance of machine learning. The search engine used this to learn and predict user behavior to gain a better understanding of user intent.
Focus: Content that reflects users' intent and was optimized for conversational search.
- Content that more closely matched user intent.
- Updating all aspects of technical SEO including schema.
- Google indicated that RankBrain was the third-most important ranking signal.
2015
Mobile Update
Mobile Update
2018
Mobile-First Indexing
Mobile-First Indexing
2018
Mobile-First Indexing
Mobile-First Indexing
Google began using the mobile version of a webpage for indexation and ranking to help enhance the user experience and make it easier to find the content they were searching for.
Speed and performance became crucial to success as mobile page speed became a ranking factor.
Focus: The importance of mobile optimization, content, speed, and performance.
- Improve AMP and mobile page speed and performance.
- Mobile and desktop URL structures that met Google’s requirements.
- Structured data for mobile and desktop.
- Ensuring mobile and desktop sites offered the same content.
2015
RankBrain
RankBrain
2019
Broad Core Algorithm Updates
Broad Core Algorithm Updates
2019
Broad Core Updates
A series of core updates released in 2018 covered a range of areas including social signals, increased content relevancy, and the “medic update.”
E-A-T and content were also important topics. Google’s Danny Sullivan suggested that those looking to produce content that ranked well should get familiar with the search engine’s rater guidelines.
Focus: General content and optimization for a better user experience.
- Social signals.
- Improving E-A-T signals.
- Content relevancy.
Test your knowledge!
Following their August 2018 algorithm update, Google suggested making content more relevant for better rankings.
Oops! Your answer is wrong 😯
< Go Back
2018
Mobile-First Indexing
Mobile-First Indexing
2019
BERT
BERT
2019
BERT
Following on RankBrain, BERT was a neural network-based method for NLP that allowed Google to understand conversational queries better and provide users with more accurate and useful information.
The introduction of BERT was the “biggest leap forward in the past five years and one of the greatest in the history of search,” according to the search engine.
Focus: Better understanding consumer intent through conversational type search themes.
- Increase the depth and specifics of the content.
- More long-tail queries and phrases containing three or more words.
- Ensuring content answered the users’ questions or queries and is properly optimized.
- Writing clear, concise content for humans, that is easily understood.
2019
Broad Core Algorithm Updates
Broad Core Algorithm Updates
2020
COVID-19 Pandemic
COVID-19 Pandemic
2020
COVID-19 Pandemic
The arrival of the global pandemic ushered in a wide range of permanent changes in consumer behavior and search patterns.
The demand for SEO rose to an all-time high, and Google released a COVID-19 playbook, set up 24-hour incident response teams with the World Health Organization, and policed content to help people find useful information while avoiding misinformation.
Focus: Trustworthy, accurate content and keeping up with consumer behavior and search changes.
- E-A-T signals and content accuracy.
- YMYL signals.
- Adapting to changing behavior and search patterns.
Let’s test what you’ve learned so far!
During the global pandemic, Google released a COVID-19 playbook to navigate the temporary shifts in consumer search patterns as demand for SEO fell to an all-time low.
Oops! Your answer is wrong 😐
< Go Back
2019
BERT
BERT
2021
Google Page Experience Update
Google Page Experience Update
2021
Page Experience & Core Web Vitals (CWV)
A site’s technical health and measurement of the user experience became a priority. Page metrics such as how quickly it loads, responds to user input, and how stable the content is as it loads all became important.
Focus: Integrating new Core Web Vitals metrics to measure and improve the on-page experience.
- Mobile-friendliness, safe browsing, HTTPS, and intrusive interstitials – the Google Page Experience signal.
- LCP – Largest Contentful Paint improving page load times for large images and video backgrounds.
- FID – First Input Delay to ensure browsers respond quickly to a user’s first interaction with a page.
- CLS – Cumulative Layout Shift, which includes the size attributes of images and video elements or reserving the space with CSS aspect ratio boxes to ensure content is never inserted above existing content except with user interaction.
2020
COVID-19 Pandemic
COVID-19 Pandemic
2011
Panda
One of the first indications that Google was examining content for user experience. In February, Panda targeted low-quality content sites.
Download the free UX & SEO ebook for even more great tips and strategies to enhance your user experience while ranking higher.
Focus: Produce and optimize unique and compelling content.
- Avoiding thin content.
- Measuring quality over quantity.
- Providing information and answers users need.
- Avoiding duplicate content.
2013
Hummingbird
Hummingbird
2013
Hummingbird
Hummingbird
Occurring shortly after the Knowledge Graph, Hummingbird focused on semantic search. It helped Google understand the intent and context behind searches and was the first sign of Google using natural language processing (NLP) to identify black hat techniques and create personalized SERPs.
Focus: Create and optimize useful content that audiences want.
- Long-tail keywords and intent model strategies became crucial.
- Content focused on topics users wanted to learn about.
- Keyword research included conceptual and contextual factors.
- Trading low-quality, keyword-stuffed content for personalized experiences.
2011
Panda
Panda
2014
E-A-T
E-A-T
2014
E-A-T
The E-A-T (Expertise, Authority, and Trust) concept becomes part of Google’s guidelines for Your Money or Your Life (YMYL), which advised marketers to focus on content that could potentially impact the users’ future happiness, health, financial stability, or safety.
The goal? The adoption of on and off-page SEO and content strategies that would result in a relevant, trustworthy user experience
Focus: Authoritative content that users could trust.
- Content that demonstrated subject area knowledge and expertise.
- Website and author credibility and authority.
- Improve overall website quality, including security and structure.
- Earn reviews, testimonials, and off-page coverage from reputable sites.
2013
Hummingbird
Hummingbird
2015
Mobile Update
Mobile Update
2015
Mobile Update
Google forewarned marketers that an update was coming for the first time. Mobile user experience became a significant signal with Google prioritizing mobile-friendly sites on mobile SERPs.
Many mobile updates would follow, but so too would a Quality update that would see websites do well if they prioritized user experience while serving fewer ads and less irrelevant user-generated content.
Focus: Mobile content and user experience.
- Design factors such as responsive design and mobile page structure.
- Enhanced, mobile-friendly site navigation.
- Correcting for format issues on mobile.
- Confirmation that websites were mobile-optimized.
2014
E-A-T
E-A-T
2015
RankBrain
RankBrain
2015
RankBrain
Google RankBrain provided marketers with an indication of the importance of machine learning. The search engine used this to learn and predict user behavior to gain a better understanding of user intent.
Focus: Content that reflects users' intent and was optimized for conversational search.
- Content that more closely matched user intent.
- Updating all aspects of technical SEO including schema.
- Google indicated that RankBrain was the third-most important ranking signal.
2015
Mobile Update
Mobile Update
2018
Mobile-First Indexing
Mobile-First Indexing
2018
Mobile-First Indexing
Mobile-First Indexing
Google began using the mobile version of a webpage for indexation and ranking to help enhance the user experience and make it easier to find the content they were searching for.
Speed and performance became crucial to success as mobile page speed became a ranking factor.
Focus: The importance of mobile optimization, content, speed, and performance.
- Improve AMP and mobile page speed and performance.
- Mobile and desktop URL structures that met Google’s requirements.
- Structured data for mobile and desktop.
- Ensuring mobile and desktop sites offered the same content.
2015
RankBrain
RankBrain
2019
Broad Core Algorithm Updates
Broad Core Algorithm Updates
2019
Broad Core Updates
A series of core updates released in 2018 covered a range of areas including social signals, increased content relevancy, and the “medic update.”
E-A-T and content were also important topics. Google’s Danny Sullivan suggested that those looking to produce content that ranked well should get familiar with the search engine’s rater guidelines
Focus: General content and optimization for a better user experience.
- Social signals.
- Improving E-A-T signals.
- Content relevancy.
Test your knowledge!
Following their August 2018 algorithm update, Google suggested making content more relevant for better rankings.
Oops! Your answer is wrong 😯
< Go Back
2018
Mobile-First Indexing
Mobile-First Indexing
2019
BERT
BERT
2019
BERT
Following on RankBrain, BERT was a neural network-based method for NLP that allowed Google to understand conversational queries better and provide users with more accurate and useful information.
The introduction of BERT was the “biggest leap forward in the past five years and one of the greatest in the history of search,” according to the search engine.
Focus: Better understanding consumer intent through conversational type search themes.
- Increase the depth and specifics of the content.
- More long-tail queries and phrases containing three or more words.
- Ensuring content answered the users’ questions or queries and is properly optimized.
- Writing clear, concise content for humans, that is easily understood.
2019
Broad Core Algorithm Updates
Broad Core Algorithm Updates
2020
COVID-19
Pandemic
COVID-19
Pandemic
2020
COVID-19
Pandemic
The arrival of the global pandemic ushered in a wide range of permanent changes in consumer behavior and search patterns.
The demand for SEO rose to an all-time high, and Google released a COVID-19 playbook, set up 24-hour incident response teams with the World Health Organization, and policed content to help people find useful information while avoiding misinformation.
Focus: Trustworthy, accurate content and keeping up with consumer behavior and search changes.
- E-A-T signals and content accuracy.
- YMYL signals.
- Adapting to changing behavior and search patterns.
Let’s test what you’ve learned so far!
During the global pandemic, Google released a COVID-19 playbook to navigate the temporary shifts in consumer search patterns as demand for SEO fell to an all-time low.
Oops! Your answer is wrong 😐
< Go Back
2019
BERT
BERT
2021
Google Page Experience Update
Google Page Experience Update
2021
Google Page Experience Update and Core Web Vitals (CWV)
A site’s technical health and measurement of the user experience became a priority. Page metrics such as how quickly it loads, responds to user input, and how stable the content is as it loads all became important.
Focus: Integrating new Core Web Vitals metrics to measure and improve the on-page experience.
- Mobile-friendliness, safe browsing, HTTPS, and intrusive interstitials – the Google Page Experience signal.
- LCP – Largest Contentful Paint improving page load times for large images and video backgrounds.
- FID – First Input Delay to ensure browsers respond quickly to a user’s first interaction with a page.
- CLS – Cumulative Layout Shift, which includes the size attributes of images and video elements or reserving the space with CSS aspect ratio boxes to ensure content is never inserted above existing content except with user interaction.
2020
COVID-19 Pandemic
COVID-19 Pandemic
Did you enjoy this content?
It’s time to learn more! Download the free UX & SEO ebook for even more great tips and strategies to enhance your user experience while ranking higher.
It’s time to learn more!
Start Optimizing for UX 
SHARE THIS CONTENT:
Powered by
