How Much Does Google Update Its Algorithm?

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Google has been pretty volatile of late. Within a matter of months they have rolled out two core updates: one in March and one in June. More is coming. In July, Google will be ranking websites using their mobile site first.

This got us thinking, just how much does Google change its algorithm. So in this post, we’ll look  at some fun Google facts, how often Google updates the algorithm and why these updates are important.

 

Fun Facts On Google Updates

Two updates in a few months is actually nothinng compared to the number of updates Google makes every year. Looking at reports, Google makes thousands of update every year.

Take 2018, for instance. Google reported 3,234 updates to their search engine. Compare that to 2009, where Google’s Matt Cutts said the search giant made between 350 and 400 updates. It’s clear to see that the number of tweaks Google is making is rapidly increasing.

Below is a timeline of confirmed Google’s recent updates:

  • 2009. Cutts released a video stating that Google made 350 to 450 updates to their search algorithm.
  • 2010. Eric Shmidt, then Executive Chairman of Google, testified before the Congress that they made 516 algorithm changes that year.
  • 2012. In the archived page from “How Search Works,” Google published an infographic where it states that 665 launches were approved.
  • 2013. Amit Singhal, Google’s former Senior Vice President, announced in a Google+ post the 890 improvements were made to Search.
  • 2016. Google said they launched 1,653 improvements in a now-defunct page from “How Search Works”.
  • 2017. During an internal Google meeting, it was discussed they released 2,453 Google updates, according to CNBC.
  • 2018. In their latest update via “How Search Works,” Google said they performed 3,234 search improvements.

 

Does Google Update Its Algorithm Every Day?

There are rumors that Google updates its algorithm every single day. In fact, some say that Google updates it multiple times per day. In 2009, Matt Cutts also said that they hold weekly meetings to discuss up to a dozen updates. But not all of these get made.

The thing is that most of these changes go unnoticed, even by the most observant of SEOs. That’s because these tweaks barely change the results pages, that’s how small they are.

The truth is that nobody really knows how often Google updates its SEO algorith. Experts are constantly trying to work out a daily or weekly average but the real rate that Google changes its algorithm can change every day.

 

Why are Google updates important?

With so many updates happening you can be forgiven for wondering why you should bother trying to keep up with them all. But doing so is very important, at least for the major changes. Big Google updates can completely revamp the way that the search engine works and looks.

This can have a big impact on your business and may require you to make changes in order to keep ranking well or profit from the changes. So even if you aren’t your SEO agency should be. Get in touch to find out how we can improve your rankings and keep track of any search changes.