In my SEO keynote talk during our SMX conference SMX Next, I discussed what SEOs can learn from the historical record of Google search algorithm updates.
History lesson. I went as far back as the old Google Dance days to discuss how Google made updates. Remember the Florida update from 2003 or the Caffeine infrastructure update from 2009? I covered it all, including many of the major and minor Google updates. These updates include Google Panda, Penguin, Hummingbird, RankBrain, BERT, and even all of the core updates, including the latest May core update.
Yes, I also covered the Top Heavy Update, EMD (Exact Match Domain) Update, Pirate Update, Payday Update, and many more.
The pattern. Google has taken clear steps, update-by-update, to try to make the search results they display more relevant for searchers. This includes efforts to reduce search spam and manipulation of the Google algorithms. It also involves rewarding the most authoritative and trusted sources on the internet. Over the years, Google has worked on better understanding content and signals in a more efficient and smarter way. If you look back at all these updates, you can see a pattern over the past 20 years.
Be prepared for what’s next. The point of the presentation was to take you through a timeline of these changes. By showing how each update has a purpose and identifying a pattern, you can foresee where Google is headed. Maybe, just maybe, you can ensure your website is already in a position that aligns with where the next Google algorithm update wants it to be.
Build something that is awesome. Google’s senior webmaster trends analyst, John Mueller, has joked that awesomeness is a Google ranking factor. You need to objectively build a site that is unique, better, deeper, more trusted, and authoritative than your competitors. Build an awesome site.
My advice, which I have stated numerous times and is easier said than done, is to build something that Google would be embarrassed not to rank well.
Watch. To watch the full keynote and all of the other sessions from SMX Next, make sure to register.
