{"id":140403,"date":"2022-04-04T17:37:25","date_gmt":"2022-04-04T22:37:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/?p=140403"},"modified":"2023-07-24T17:04:40","modified_gmt":"2023-07-24T22:04:40","slug":"google-search-algorithm","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/google-search-algorithm\/","title":{"rendered":"How the Google Search Algorithm Works"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"intro-txt\">Google\u2019s search algorithm is easily one of the most influential technologies ever created. With an estimated <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.hubspot.com\/marketing\/google-search-statistics#:~:text=How%20many%20Google%20searches%20per,trillion%20global%20searches%20per%20year.\">5.6 billion Google searches per day<\/a>, it\u2019s safe to say Google has a heavy impact on the world\u2014and on your business.<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>But what is the Google Search Algorithm? How does it work? And, most importantly, how can you rank higher on Google and get more traffic?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This guide attempts to demystify the mysterious Google Search Algorithm:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"#1-gsa\">What is the Google Search Algorithm?<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#2-how-gsa-works\">How does the Google Search Algorithm work?<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#3-ranking-factors\">What are the Google Search Algorithm ranking factors?<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#4-updates\">A note on Google algorithm updates<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#5-find-updates\">Where to find Google\u2019s official updates<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"What is the Google Search Algorithm?\" data-section=\"1-gsa\">\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h.ljm8uw4228pj\">What is the Google Search Algorithm?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>The Google Search Algorithm refers to the process Google uses to rank content. It takes into account hundreds of factors, including keyword mentions, usability, and <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/what-are-backlinks\/\">backlinks<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"sidenote\"><div class=\"sidenote-title\">Sidenote.<\/div> Google has multiple search algorithms all working together to return the best results. In this article, we\u2019ll focus mainly on Google\u2019s ranking algorithm(s), as we believe that\u2019s what most people are referring to when they talk about Google\u2019s search algorithm.&nbsp;<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"How does the Google Search Algorithm work?\" data-section=\"2-how-gsa-works\">\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h.ptvk2wqyauf4\">How does the Google Search Algorithm work?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Google\u2019s algorithm is extremely complex, and how it exactly works is not public information. It\u2019s believed that there are well in excess of 200 ranking factors\u2014and nobody knows them&nbsp;all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Even if they do, it won\u2019t matter because the algorithm is always changing. Google releases updates to its algorithm, on average, six times per day. That\u2019s up to 2,000 times per&nbsp;year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That said, Google does give hints on how you can rank well in its results.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"What are the Google Search Algorithm ranking factors?\" data-section=\"3-ranking-factors\">\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h.o0mpg5scoo1x\">What are the Google Search Algorithm ranking factors?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>When you think of a \u201csearch algorithm\u201d\u2014as it relates to <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/what-is-seo\/\">search engine optimization (SEO)<\/a>\u2014the first thing that comes to mind is probably Google\u2019s ranking factors. In other words, what is Google looking at when deciding which pages to rank and in which&nbsp;order?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If we look at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/search\/howsearchworks\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Google\u2019s \u201cHow Search Works\u201d page<\/span><\/a>, it directly reveals some of Google\u2019s most prominent ranking factors:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Backlinks<\/li>\n<li>Freshness<\/li>\n<li>Keyword mentions<\/li>\n<li>User experience<\/li>\n<li>Topical authority<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>Let\u2019s break these&nbsp;down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h.2dvptd8zznt3\">1. Backlinks<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Google wants to display pages where \u201cprominent websites on the subject [are] linking to the page.\u201d In layman\u2019s terms, it wants to see backlinks from authoritative websites (that are also topically relevant) pointing to your&nbsp;pages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Acquiring these links is called <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/seo\/link-building\" data-ahr=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/link-building\/\">link building<\/a>, and it is arguably one of the most important tasks you should do to get Google to trust and display your website. This has reliably been Google\u2019s biggest deciding factor in determining a site\u2019s trustworthiness since its inception in&nbsp;1996.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You can determine if links may be holding your content back from ranking by comparing your page\u2019s backlink profile to your competitors\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>First, plug the URL of the page you\u2019re trying to rank into Ahrefs\u2019 <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/site-explorer\">Site Explorer<\/a>, and you\u2019ll see how many backlinks and referring domains (linking websites) your page currently has.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image is-style-default\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/1-site-explorer-overview.png\" alt=\"1-site-explorer-overview\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Next, go to Ahrefs\u2019 <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/keywords-explorer\">Keywords Explorer<\/a> and enter the main keyword you\u2019re targeting for that page. Scroll down. You\u2019ll find the SERP overview section, where you can see how many backlinks and referring domains your competitors have.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image is-style-default\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/2-serp-overview-for-seo.png\" alt=\"2-serp-overview-for-seo\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>If you notice that your competitors\u2019 pages have more backlinks than your page does (like ours do in the example above), it means you probably need to prioritize building links to rank above&nbsp;them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here are some strategies to get started on link building:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/guest-blogging\/\">Guest blogging<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Creating <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/linkable-assets\/\">linkable assets<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/broken-link-building\/\">Broken link building<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"recommendation\"><div class=\"recommendation-title\">PRO TIP<\/div><div class=\"recommendation-content\">\n\n\n\n<p>If you want to dive deeper into understanding the backlink landscape of your target keywords and what kind of links you need in order to rank, check to see what linking domains all of your competitors share that you don\u2019t. To do this, plug the top three ranking competitors for your target keyword into Ahrefs\u2019 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ahrefs.com\/link-intersect\/\">Link Intersect tool<\/a> and your page into the \u201cBut doesn\u2019t link to\u201d box, like&nbsp;so:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image is-style-default\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/3-link-intersect.png\" alt=\"3-link-intersect\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>When you hit \u201cShow link opportunities,\u201d you\u2019ll see all the sites that link to your competitors\u2019 pages but not yours. These are the first sites you can approach to acquire links.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h.ey69zqs0swaf\">2. Freshness<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Content freshness refers to how \u201cfresh,\u201d or recent, the content on your webpage is. When was the last time it was updated?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This factor matters more for some queries than others. For example, if you search for something news-related, Google will typically rank results published within the last 24&nbsp;hours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image is-style-default\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/4-google-serp-sandiego-news.png\" alt=\"4-google-serp-sandiego-news\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>However, if you search for a topic that doesn\u2019t need to be updated as often, freshness isn\u2019t <em>quite<\/em> as heavy of an influence. For example, the top-ranking results for \u201cRV storage ideas\u201d are from over two years&nbsp;ago:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image is-style-default\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/5-google-serp-rv-storage-ideas.jpg\" alt=\"5-google-serp-rv-storage-ideas\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>This is because good RV storage ideas today are largely the same as they were two years ago. So how recently it was published doesn\u2019t make as much of a difference. Guides like this are what we call <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/evergreen-content\/\">\u201cevergreen content.\u201d<\/a> That is, content that will be good for years to come without needing many frequent updates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Overall, when determining the importance of freshness for the keywords you\u2019re targeting, you should always <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/serps\/\">analyze the SERP<\/a> for that keyword. Is Google seemingly ranking fresh content? If so, you will need to update the piece frequently to stand any chance of staying at the&nbsp;top.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h.91bosbqdza7s\">3. Keyword mentions<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>One of the things Google cares about is \u201cthe number of times your search terms appear [on the page you\u2019re trying to&nbsp;rank].\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In general, it\u2019s good practice to try to include your exact keyword on the page several times in several places, including:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The title.<\/li>\n<li>At least one subheading.<\/li>\n<li>The page\u2019s URL.<\/li>\n<li>The intro paragraph.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>That said, we don\u2019t believe you need to worry about keyword mentions beyond that. This is as you\u2019ll naturally mention the keyword you\u2019re targeting throughout the content as you\u2019re writing about&nbsp;it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/evergreen-content\/\">our post on evergreen content<\/a> mentions the words \u201cevergreen content\u201d 18 times\u2014and we made zero effort to do&nbsp;this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Instead, pay more attention to <strong>making sure your page fulfills search intent and answers what the searcher is looking for.<\/strong> In other words, ensure that you\u2019ve covered everything searchers may want to&nbsp;know.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Google highlights the importance of this on its <a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/search\/howsearchworks\/\">\u2018How Search Works\u2019 page<\/a>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote>\n<p>Just think: when you search for \u2018dogs\u2019, you likely don\u2019t want a page with the word \u2018dogs\u2019 on it hundreds of times. With that in mind, algorithms assess if a page contains other relevant content beyond the keyword \u2018dogs\u2019 \u2014 such as pictures of dogs, videos, or <strong>even a list of breeds<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n<p>One way of doing that is to use Ahrefs\u2019 <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/content-gap\">Content Gap tool<\/a> to look for subtopics of a given keyword that you should mention on your page. Plug your site into <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/site-explorer\">Site Explorer<\/a>, then click \u201cContent gap\u201d on the&nbsp;left.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image is-style-default\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/6-site-explorer-overview-2.jpg\" alt=\"6-site-explorer-overview-2\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Next, go to Google, search for the keyword you\u2019re targeting with your page, and pull the top three to five ranking URLs that match the intent of your page (e.g., if your page is a blog post, choose other blog&nbsp;posts).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Once you have your competitors\u2019 URLs, plug them into the tool as I did in the screenshot below, then click \u201cShow keywords.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image is-style-default\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/7-content-gap.jpg\" alt=\"7-content-gap\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>I did this for our <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/what-are-keywords\/\">\u201cWhat Are Keywords?\u201d guide<\/a>. In the screenshot below, the result tells us we can potentially improve the article by adding a section on whether keywords are still relevant for&nbsp;SEO.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image is-style-default\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/8-are-keywords-still-relevant-in-seo.png\" alt=\"8-are-keywords-still-relevant-in-seo\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Plus, by doing this type of content gap research, you may also find opportunities for additional articles related to the one you\u2019re currently optimizing. I found keywords like \u201cseo keyword best practices\u201d and \u201cwhat is keyword research\u201d that we can potentially write content for.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you want to learn more about how to optimize a page for a keyword and where to place a keyword, check out <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/seo\/on-page-seo\" data-ahr=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/on-page-seo\/\">our guide to on-page SEO<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h.83hjh1hs3r4d\">4. User experience<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Google states that it cares about \u201cwhether the page has good user experience.\u201d But what is considered \u201cgood user experience\u201d?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>User experience (UX) encompasses a lot of different things, including the following:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/core-web-vitals\/\" data-ahr=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/advanced-pagespeed-guide\/\">Page load speed<\/a> (Google <a href=\"https:\/\/www.seroundtable.com\/google-site-speed-recommendation-23057.html\">recommends<\/a> under two seconds)<\/li>\n<li>No intrusive interstitials, like ads or pop-ups<\/li>\n<li>Intuitive navigation and <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/internal-links-for-seo\/\">internal linking<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Mobile-friendliness<\/li>\n<li>Website design<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/seo-meta-tags\/\">Meta tags<\/a> (having a meta title and description that match search intent)<\/li>\n<li>And more<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Speed, in particular, has become more important to Google in the past few years. In the summer of 2021, Google released a major update. Because of that, it\u2019s now more important to pass Google\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/core-web-vitals\/\">Core Web Vitals<\/a> (CWV) test, which is essentially a speed&nbsp;test.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You can check your CWV and learn how to improve your site\u2019s performance by plugging your site into Ahrefs\u2019 <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/site-audit\">Site Audit<\/a> and clicking on the \u201cPerformance Report\u201d tab. You\u2019ll need to enable the CWV scan in the settings. (You\u2019ll see a notice about this at the top of the report, as shown&nbsp;below.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image is-style-default\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/9-performance-report.jpg\" alt=\"9-performance-report\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Once you\u2019ve allowed CWV with the Google API, run a new scan on your site. When it\u2019s done, you\u2019ll get a report showing the pages that need improvement and the pages with errors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image is-style-default\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/10-performance-report-2.png\" alt=\"10-performance-report-2\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>To see those pages, click on the number next to \u201cNeeds improvement\u201d or \u201cPoor.\u201d It will show you which pages aren\u2019t passing the Lighthouse Score or CrUX performance. (These are page speed scores that are part of the CWV report.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you want to learn more about how to optimize your site for user experience, follow our <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/website-audit\/\">website audit guide<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h.xywbhbz73s71\">5. Topical authority<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Google wants to display \u201csites that many users seem to value for similar queries.\u201d This means sites that have additional, <em>valued<\/em> content about queries relevant to the one being searched.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While Google isn\u2019t explicit about what it means by \u201cusers seem to value,\u201d we can safely assume that topical backlinks are a part of it. So in addition to creating a lot of related content, you also need to <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/seo\/link-building#good-vs-bad-links\" data-ahr=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/link-building\/#good-vs-bad-links\">acquire links from topically relevant sites<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, if you want to rank for \u201cbest protein powder,\u201d Google may be more likely to rank you if people also come to your site for content on topics such as the following:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Best time of day to consume protein<\/li>\n<li>Can pregnant women have protein powder?<\/li>\n<li>Where does protein powder come&nbsp;from?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>In addition to having content on these topics, you should also aim to acquire topically relevant backlinks to&nbsp;them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Having a lot of related content and contextually relevant links may show Google (and its users) that you\u2019re an authority on that topic and may help you to rank higher in the search results. Of course, we\u2019re assuming you are also optimizing for the <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/google-ranking-factors\/\">other ranking factors<\/a> as&nbsp;well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Ready to check this ranking factor off your list? Start creating <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/content-hub\/\">content hubs for SEO<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"A note on Google algorithm updates\" data-section=\"4-updates\">\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h.1kywy81qjm78\">A note on Google algorithm updates<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Google updates its algorithm nearly every day, and it releases major updates two to three times per year that can have a fairly massive impact on rankings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In other words, things change. It\u2019s important to stay up to date on Google\u2019s ranking factors so that you don\u2019t get left behind on the SERPs due to a <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/google-penalties\/\">Google penalty<\/a> or shift in <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/search-intent\/\">search intent<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Some of the major Google updates include these:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/developers.google.com\/search\/blog\/2016\/08\/helping-users-easily-access-content-on\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Intrusive Interstitials Update<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/mobile-first-indexing\/\">Shift to Mobile-First Indexing<\/a> (Called \u201cMobilegeddon\u201d)<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/semantic-search\/#rankbrain\">RankBrain<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/developers.google.com\/search\/blog\/2011\/05\/more-guidance-on-building-high-quality\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Panda<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/developers.google.com\/search\/blog\/2016\/09\/penguin-is-now-part-of-our-core\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Penguin<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/google-hummingbird-172816\">Hummingbird<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/google-makes-significant-changes-local-search-ranking-algorithm-197778\">Pigeon<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Of course, this isn\u2019t an extensive list. See our <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/seo\/glossary\" data-ahr=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/seo-glossary\/\">SEO glossary<\/a> for a more comprehensive list of <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/google-algorithm-updates\">Google algorithm updates<\/a> and other common SEO&nbsp;terms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"Where to find Google\u2019s official updates\" data-section=\"5-find-updates\">\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h.weejcz7mdawd\">Where to find Google\u2019s official updates<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Google has several channels that release public updates about changes in its algorithm, and it has a ton of official public documentation about how its algorithm works.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here are some great sources to stay up to date on what Google is&nbsp;doing:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/search\/howsearchworks\/how-search-works\/ranking-results\/\">Google\u2019s explanation of how it ranks results<\/a>&nbsp;<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/madebygoogle\">Google\u2019s official Twitter page<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCWf2ZlNsCGDS89VBF_awNvA\">Google Search Central\u2019s YouTube channel<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019re keen to stay on the cutting edge of what Google is doing to its algorithm, it also offers regular office hours called <a href=\"https:\/\/developers.google.com\/search\/events\/join-office-hours\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Google Search Central<\/span><\/a>. There, people like John Mueller, Google\u2019s senior webmaster trends analyst, will answer your questions live.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h.9hhjhz7soi9x\">Final thoughts<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The Google Search Algorithm is a complex beast with a lot of moving parts, and it\u2019s constantly changing. But its goal of returning the best results for a given search query remains the&nbsp;same.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Despite Google\u2019s many updates, the fundamentals of SEO haven\u2019t changed much since search engines came to be. If you focus on the ranking factors you learned in this article, you will be able to rank on the&nbsp;SERPs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In essence:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Create high-quality, well-formatted content that matches your keywords\u2019 search intent.<\/li>\n<li>Keep your content up to&nbsp;date.<\/li>\n<li>Ensure your site has a good user experience.<\/li>\n<li>Build topically relevant links.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>These are the things the Google Search Algorithm cares about, according to Google.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Ready to dive deeper? Check out these other articles on Ahrefs\u2019 blog:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/how-to-rank-higher-on-google\/\">How to Rank Higher on Google (6 Easy&nbsp;Steps)<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/seo\/seo-basics\" data-ahr=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/seo-basics\/\">SEO Basics: Beginner\u2019s Guide to SEO Success<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/seo-best-practices\/\">12 SEO Best Practices That Everyone Should Follow<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>But what is the Google Search Algorithm? How does it work? And, most importantly, how can you rank higher on Google and get more traffic? This guide attempts to demystify the mysterious Google Search Algorithm: What is the Google Search<span class=\"ellipsis\">\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"read-more\">Read more \u203a<\/div>\n<p><!-- end of .read-more --><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":174,"featured_media":140522,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"wp_typography_post_enhancements_disabled":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[335],"tags":[],"coauthors":[434],"class_list":["post-140403","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-general-seo","odd"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>How the Google Search Algorithm Works<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Google\u2019s search algorithm is easily one of the most influential technologies ever created. 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