Think of the Google algorithm as a set of rules Google uses to decide which websites should appear first when you search for something.
Google looks at things like:
- Is the content useful and easy to read?
- Does the website load quickly?
- Does it work well on mobile phones?
- Can people trust the website?
Websites that follow these rules well show up higher in the search results.
Why Does Google Keep Changing These Rules?
Google wants to make sure you always find the best and most helpful answers when you search.
But since the internet changes every day, Google also needs to update its rules to stay on top of things like:
- Fake news or spam
- Low quality websites
- Websites trying to cheat the system
So, it keeps making small and big changes, called algorithm updates.
Some Past Google Updates (Just So You Know)
Here are a few big changes Google made in the past
Panda – Removed low-quality or copied content
Penguin – Fought websites with fake backlinks
Hummingbird – Helped Google understand questions better
BERT – Made Google smarter at understanding language
Helpful Content Update – Boosted websites that are helpful to real people, not just full of keywords
How Can These Updates Affect You?
If you have a website or blog, these updates can make a big difference.
After an update, your website might:
- Lose traffic if your content isn’t good or useful
- Get better results if you’ve been doing things the right way
- Need some changes to improve your visibility
So if your site suddenly drops in Google search, an update might be the reason.