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The phrase “the only constant is change” certainly rings true whenever Google updates its algorithm. They strive to improve the search results they provide and the overall user experience by changing their user interface regularly.
We’ll go over the history of Google’s algorithm updates for 2021, discuss how these changes affected SERPs (Search Engine Results Pages), and offer advice from SEO (Search Engine Optimization) experts on how to stay on top of the inevitable upcoming algorithm updates.
Let’s start with a look at the major algorithms that have altered the search landscape.
Google makes algorithmic changes in the hopes of improving the overall user experience and providing the most relevant search results. Google sometimes (but not always) keeps the rollout details hidden until the update is released. While we wish we knew when and how many updates will be released, this information is frequently hidden on their website. Your website’s appearance on mobile devices, for example, can be updated in a variety of ways – more on this later.
What effect does Google’s algorithm change have on search results? Thank you for inquiring.
It’s critical to keep up with Google’s changes if you want to keep your website’s search engine ranking and traffic high.
As previously stated, Google’s updates are subject to change. Some types of search engine optimization have no long-term effect on your website, whereas others can have a significant impact on search traffic.
Before an update, you may have ranked your site for a specific search query, but that can change instantly if Google changes its algorithm. It is critical to understand the potential effects of different algorithms on SEO so that you can implement SEO best practices to stay ahead of any upcoming changes.
Simply put, Google rewards SEOs who adhere to solid best practices. If you want to improve your SEO, read our article on how to prepare for future algorithm changes.
Google releases hundreds of updates each year, many of which are so minor that they go unnoticed, but some are significant. Numerous major players had a significant impact on SERPs.
We will go over eight of the most significant algorithm updates of 2021 in chronological order. The following are included:
1. Passage ranking
2. About this result
3. Product reviews
4. MUM
5. Link spam
6. Mobile-first indexing
7. Page experience
8. Page titles
In addition, we’ll offer advice on how to optimize your content in light of these changes.
The Google algorithm is constantly updated, sometimes directly and sometimes in passing, depending on its importance and impact. Let’s take a look back at what’s changed in the months leading up to the page experience update as we head into 2021.
1. An update to the passage ranking (Feb. 2021)
Because of Google’s passage ranking update; it is now possible to index not only web pages, but also individual passages (paragraphs, sentences) within them. As a result, specific passages can be included in the featured snippet. The user does not have to sift through a long page to find the answer to a specific question in this case.
Google explains below that it now understands that the passage on the doityourself.com page (B) answers the query more accurately than the result on the wearshade.com page (A). Snippets were highlighted here, but this improvement applies to all web pages. “
Instead of optimizing your posts for passage rankings, here’s what you should do:
2. An update on the “About this Result” section (February 2021)
In February 2021, Google will add “About this result” to individual search results to provide additional context for users to determine which search results may provide the most value.
According to the “About this result” box, it includes the following:
If you have a Wikipedia reference, a brief description will be pulled from Wikipedia (not meta tags).
Users can determine if a site is trustworthy before opening the results if they learn about the source first. This feature would allow users to find legitimate, trustworthy, but unpopular websites. However, the feature is still in beta.
Are you able to assist?
The information in the “About this result” box has no bearing on your ranking; it is simply additional information about the page. Included are the following:
3. Update to 100% mobile-first indexing (March 2021)
Since Google started factoring mobile-friendliness into its ranking algorithm in 2015, mobile traffic has risen dramatically. Google introduced mobile-first indexing a year ago, which means that it crawls and ranks your web pages based on their mobile versions.
As of July 2019, mobile-first indexing is now the default for all new websites. It will be implemented on both new and old websites by June 2021.
To make the site mobile-friendly, take the following steps:
Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test tool and Search Console’s mobile usability report let you analyze site-wide mobile performance.
4. Update on product reviews (April 2021)
The April 2021 product review update from Google aims to encourage more in-depth reviews that provide original content, insightful analysis, and research rather than simply summarising a list of products. As a result, when creating product review content, Google suggests the following steps:
Reviewers rarely write in-depth evaluations of products like Wix. Besides 3,500 words of content, we provide an interactive plan finder, answer FAQs, have an active comment section, provide screenshots, and even include a video.
5. MUM update (May 2021)
Since the May 20, 2021 release of the MUM update, AI has been a key component in Google’s algorithms.
MUM (Multitask Unified Model) is a natural language model that outperforms BERT 2019. (Bidirectional Encoder Representation from Transformers).
MUM is a tool that provides solutions when there are no obvious options. MUM’s goal is to provide comprehensive answers to complex questions based on contextual data from a variety of sources.
MUM is being trained across 75 languages to detect relevant results across 75 languages. Do not begin writing posts that respond to complex questions. Keep your content long-form and target long-tail and question keywords by doing your keyword research.
6. Update on link spam (June 2021)
Google’s results pages and images have been impacted as a result of the June 2021 spam update (though not local results).
Google estimated that the two phases would take two weeks to complete. Both phases took two weeks longer than expected to complete. The update provided few details, but it is always a good idea to ensure that your website is spam-free.
When your website allows users to interact through comments, forums, and other means, you should be especially cautious of these malicious actors. Following these tips will help you prevent spammers from attacking your website:
7. Updates to the Page Experience (June 2021)
Google’s Core Web Vitals update introduced new metrics in addition to indexing mobile versions of websites. The experience of a website can be measured by many factors, but these are the new in-depth factors for measuring an individual’s interaction with the site.
Among them are the following:
• Largest Contentful Paint (LCP): the rate at which a web page’s main content loads.
• First Input Delay (FID): The time it takes for a webpage to respond to the user’s first action.
• Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS): layout stability level (determines if elements are not jumping around unexpectedly).
Actual data for these metrics can be accessed in Search Console via Page Speed Insights or Core Web Vitals. Every report includes suggestions for improving the page’s responsiveness.
These metrics haven’t been around for a while. They are now having a greater impact on your rankings. As a result, webmasters must step up their efforts to improve user experience. Some things you can do to improve Core Web Vitals are as follows:
Reduce the number of banners and interstitials on your website.
Reduce the number of times a Javascript is executed.
Slowly load content
Images should be optimized and compressed as much as possible.
The dimensions of the image and embed must be correct.
Improve server response times
Also Read: 10 React Native Component Libraries Every Mobile Developer Should Know
8. Updated page title (August 2021)
For more than a decade, Google’s search engine ranking algorithm has been changing page names. However, following August 16, users began to realize that Google’s page names were altering dramatically, frequently to their harm. On August 15, Google announced the launch of a new method that will change titles for the entire page rather than for particular queries.
This change is not well accepted because the new titles are generated from H1, image tags, and anchor text from other sites.
Getting your site ready for algorithm updates
Google has modified and refined its algorithm (as you can see) over its history to better assist consumers to locate what they need, but it doesn’t take long for website owners to feel the impacts. In addition to being unable to foresee how algorithm modifications will affect your site, you must create excellent content and ensure your site’s technical health to be better prepared.
Because targeted keywords are important for ranking, optimizing your site’s experience by employing them, generating relevant links, and incorporating them is a good place to start. Is there anything else you can do to stay competitive?
It is difficult to “beat” the algorithm, but we want to provide three keys for planning for future algorithm modifications and what to do if your site is affected.
Regularly audit your site
To remain ahead of the upgrades, you must scour your website for possibilities and conduct actionable audits across several parts. The degree of volatility during most Google changes should be minimal if you periodically examine your site to ensure that it adheres to the most recent best practices.
Analyze your data and keep track
If you’ve just been affected by an algorithm change, it’s critical to first identify the source of the update using analytic data. The data, most of the time, reveals the cause of the volatile point (s). The source of your information may then be compared to current SEO best practices, and you can make the required changes to resume your upward trend.
Partner with a strong SEO company
To properly grasp Google changes, you would require a good SEO Institute or SEO Training in Jaipur. As an Orion Infosolutions SEO partner, you will receive frequent site upgrades and monitoring from industry professionals. Our team stays current on Google’s newest updates and collaborates closely with our client partners to give recommendations for staying ahead of algorithmic changes that might negatively affect a website.
Do you want to create a more successful search strategy? We provide excellent SEO services, so please check them out or contact us right away!
DC Kumawat is the CEO of Orion InfoSolutions, a leading provider of IT solutions to businesses of all sizes. He has over 14+ years of experience in the IT industry. He is a passionate advocate for the use of technology to improve business performance.