2011 โ Panda Update
-
Focus
Content Quality
-
Impact Penalized
thin, duplicate, or low-quality content.
-
Tip
Create original, in-depth contentTip Create original, in-depth content
2012 โ Penguin Update
-
Link Quality Focus
Target manipulative link-building
-
Penalized Cheating
Punished spammy and irrelevant links
-
Tip
Build organic, relevant backlinks only
2013 โ Hummingbird Update
-
Goal
Understand intent, not just keywords
-
Impact
Improved semantic search and conversational queries
-
Shift
Begin writing for humans, not bots
2014 โ Pigeon Update
-
Goal
Local Search Enhancement
-
Impact
Improved results based on proximity
-
Tip
Optimize Google My Business listing
2015 โ RankBrain
-
AI-based Relevance
Uses machine learning to understand user intent
-
Impact
Smarter ranking based on meaning, not keywords
-
Tip
Optimize for user experience over keywords
2017 โ MobileFirst Testing Begins
-
Goal
Prioritize mobile experience
-
Impact
Google started indexing mobile versions over desktop
-
Tip
Mobile-friendly became a ranking standard
2018 โ Mobile-First Indexing + Medic Update
-
Mobile Optimization
Officially rolled out Mobile site prioritized for indexing
-
Impact
Mobile user experience affects rankings and Targeted YMYL (Your Money Your Life) content
-
Tip
Ensure site is fast and mobile-friendly + E-A-T (Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness)
2019 โ BERT Update
-
Natural Language Focus
Enhanced understanding of context and prepositions
-
Impact
More accurate results for conversational queries
-
Tip
Write naturally, like you speak
2020 โ Featured Snippets Evolution
-
Goal
Zero-click answers
-
Impact
Google highlighted featured snippets more prominently
-
Shift
Structure content to directly answer questions
2021 โ Passage Ranking + Core Web Vitals
-
Passage Ranking
Individual sections within a page could rank
-
Core Web Vitals
Speed, interactivity, visual stability
-
Shift
Avoid fluff, focus on real insights
2022 โ Helpful Content Update
-
Goal
Prioritize people-first content
-
Impact
Penalized sites creating content for search engines, not users
-
Shift
UX became a ranking factor
2023โ2025 โ Search Generative Experience (SGE)
-
2023 โ March Core Update
โคImproved how Google ranks high-quality, useful pages
โค Focused on trust, depth, and original info
-
2024 โ AI Content Evaluation
โคPushed down low-quality AI-generated content
โค Rewarded real, human-created, insightful work
-
2025 โ March Core Update
โค Better spam control and content quality filters
โค Focused on mobile-first, user-friendly, multimedia content
โค Rolled out Google AI Mode for richer search responses
Search Generative Experience (SGE)
-
AI-Driven Answers
Generative AI responds directly to queries
-
Impact
Search becomes conversational and visual
-
Tips
Use structured data, FAQs, AIready content