Google Algorithm Change

SEOmoz has announced the publication of their "living document" detailing all the major Google algorithm changes that have taken place since the 2003 Boston update. With Google making hundreds of changes every year, what started out as a blog post attempting to compile a list of named updates, has now become a living document.

Google Joke

(Source: Search Engine Journal)

So, what exactly is a living document? Well, it is a document designed to outline the constant changes in Google's algorithm, complete with detailed description and various links.

Google Algorithm Changes

Following is the living document's comprehensive list of all the Google updates till date:

  1. Google Toolbar – December 2000
  2. Boston – February 2003
  3. Cassandra – April 2003
  4. Dominic – May 2003
  5. Esmerelda – June 2003
  6. Fritz – July 2003
  7. Florida – November 2003
  8. Austin – January 2004
  9. Brandy – February 2004
  10. Google IPO – August 2004
  11. Nofollow – January 2005
  12. Allegra – February 2005
  13. Bourbon – May 2005
  14. XML Sitemaps – June 2005
  15. Personalized Search – June 2005
  16. Gilligan – September 2005
  17. Google Local/Maps – October 2005
  18. Jagger – October 2005
  19. Big Daddy – December 2005
  20. Supplemental Index – November 2006
  21. Universal Search – May 2007
  22. Buffy – June 2007
  23. Dewey – April 2008
  24. Google Suggest – August 2008
  25. Vince – February 2009
  26. Rel-canonical Tag – February 2009
  27. Caffeine – August 2009
  28. Real-time Search – December 2009
  29. Google Places – April 2010
  30. May Day – May 2010
  31. Brand Update – August 2010
  32. Google Instant – September 2010
  33. Instant Previews – November 2010
  34. Social Signals – December 2010
  35. Overstock.com Penalty – January 2011
  36. Panda/Farmer – February 23, 2011
  37. The +1 Button – March 30, 2011
  38. Panda 2.0 – April 11, 2011
  39. Panda 2.1 – May 9, 2011
  40. Schema.org – June 2, 2011
  41. Panda 2.2 – June 21, 2011
  42. Google+ – June 28, 2011
  43. Panda 2.3 – July 23, 2011

So, what does this list reveal?

As you look at this exhaustive list of the changes until now, you will notice that algorithm changes have become more frequent since last year which saw six changes, as opposed to only four in 2009. 2011 has already seen nine major changes so far. Subsequently, it looks like Google over the past two year has become more open to major changes. Also of late, it seems like the focus has shifted drastically towards improving the search item quality, rather than the previous user experience changes.

Author

Navneet Kaushal is the Editor-in-Chief of PageTraffic Buzz. A leading search strategist, Navneet helps clients maintain an edge in search engines and the online media. Navneet is also the CEO of SEO Services company PageTraffic which is one of the leading search marketing company in Asia.