It appears Google heard about the confusion regarding the broad core algorithm update from March 12 and decided to clarify things. Google stated on Twitter, “Our name for this update is March 2019 Core Update.”
Why did Google name it? Although Google doesn’t often name updates, they explained, “We think this helps avoid confusion; it tells you the type of update it was and when it happened.” Hence, they named it the March 2019 Core Update to reduce any misunderstandings.
Can Google change the names of updates? Yes, and they have done so in the past. The original name for the Panda update was actually the Farmer update. Google didn’t like the name Farmer update and changed it to the Panda update, named after the lead engineer’s last name.
So yes, Google has renamed updates before, and those new names have stuck.
The tweet: Here is the tweet from Google earlier this morning with the new name:
We understand it can be useful to some for updates to have names. Our name for this update is “March 2019 Core Update.” We think this helps avoid confusion; it tells you the type of update it was and when it happened.
— Google SearchLiaison (@searchliaison) March 15, 2019
Will it stick? Will the new name stick, or will people continue calling it the Florida 2 update? It’s hard to say, but it is likely that people will use the name Google has provided: the “March 2019 Core Update.”
Where can I learn more? Check out our original story on this update. Google has mentioned there is “no fix” for Core updates. However, we are gathering data through a survey to analyze and report back with our findings. Please take the survey to help us help you.
