Possum was an unconfirmed September 2016 local search change that filtered similar listings and helped businesses outside city limits. Here is what was observed and what it means now.
In January 2017 Google began demoting mobile pages whose pop-ups blocked content on arrival from search. Here is what counted, what was exempt and what to use instead.
Fred was a March 2017 ranking change linked by analysts to ad-heavy, low-value content. Google never confirmed its specifics, and its name started as a joke.
Google's March 2018 broad core update, nicknamed Brackets, came with a message that reshaped SEO: there is no 'fix' for pages that drop, other than great content.
Mobile-first indexing changed Google from crawling desktop pages to crawling mobile ones. Here is the full rollout timeline, the common parity problems and what it means today.
In July 2018 Google started using page speed in mobile ranking, affecting only the slowest pages. Here is what changed and how it evolved into Core Web Vitals.
The March 2019 core update began on 12 March and was the first Google named with its month-year convention. Here is what was confirmed and what tools reported.
Google pre-announced the June 2019 core update a day early, a first. It rolled out over about five days alongside a separate site diversity change.
The September 2019 core update rolled out from 24 September and was weaker than June overall, but still hit YMYL sites. Here is the data and Google's guidance.
Google released three short spam updates in March, June and August 2026. Here are the confirmed dates, what little Google said and how to check for impact.
Google's September 2026 spam update rolled out from 24 September to 8 October 2026, much longer than earlier 2026 spam updates. Here's how to check for impact.
A dated timeline of Google's AI search rollouts, from the 2023 SGE experiment to AI Overviews and AI Mode, and how to measure their impact separately from ranking updates.
Every confirmed Google algorithm update of 2021 in date order, from passage ranking to the December product reviews update, with the lessons that still apply.
Every confirmed Google update of 2022 in date order, including the launch of the helpful content system, two core updates and three product reviews updates.
Every confirmed Google update of 2023 in date order, including four core updates, the reviews system expansion and the crowded October 2023 overlap.
Every confirmed Google update and policy change of 2024 in date order, from the 45-day March core update and new spam policies to AI Overviews and three late-year core updates.
Every confirmed Google update of 2025 in date order: three core updates, a nearly four-week spam update and the US launch of AI Mode.
A running list of every confirmed Google algorithm update and policy change in 2026, with dates, durations and links to detailed explainers.
A simple, evidence-based test to tell a seasonal traffic dip from a Google algorithm update loss, using year-over-year data and Google Trends.
A traffic total hides the real story. Segment your queries by brand, intent and position band to see exactly what a Google update changed.
Google says core update recovery can take days to months, sometimes until the next core update. Here is what affects timing and how to set expectations.
Improvements often seem to pay off only at the next core update. Here is what Google says, what changes in between, and how to plan around the cycle.
Core Web Vitals are a ranking signal, but rarely the reason for a core update drop. Here is what to expect from page experience fixes in 2026.
A practical audit for back button hijacking: where history-manipulating scripts hide, how to test navigation, and how to fix issues under Google's 2026 spam policy.
A step-by-step way to work out why local rankings fell: algorithm update, Business Profile problem, proximity shift, spam competitor or seasonal dip.
How to work out why Discover traffic fell, using the Discover report, a content-type breakdown and the facts about Google's February 2026 Discover core update.
A query-level method to tell whether falling clicks come from AI Overviews and other SERP features or from a genuine ranking demotion.
Step-by-step recovery for affiliate sites hit by reviews or helpful-content-type changes, based on Google's published guidance.
A calm, step-by-step response to ranking volatility that Google has not confirmed, from checking trackers to deciding whether to act.
A five-part template for reporting a Google update's impact to clients and stakeholders, with timing, example wording and the metrics that matter.
How to use Search Console's custom annotations, added in November 2025, to log Google update rollouts and your own site changes on performance charts.
How to use Search Console's branded queries filter, introduced in November 2025, to separate brand traffic and measure a Google update's real effect.
Before blaming a Google update, check whether Googlebot can still crawl and index your pages. Here is a practical routine using Crawl Stats and Page indexing.
Core updates roll out over days or weeks. Here is what to monitor, what to hold back on and how to prepare your analysis while one is in progress.
One keyword moving back up is not recovery. Here are the metrics, baselines and scorecard that actually prove an algorithm update recovery.
When core and spam updates run together, diagnosis gets harder. Here is how to untangle combined impact using dates, segments and policy checks.
When a site migration and a Google update land in the same weeks, the effects blur. Here is how to separate migration faults from algorithmic losses.
When a ranking drop coincides with a site change, reverting can feel safe. Here is how to tell whether a rollback will help, and how to test it properly.
Group URLs by template to see which page types a Google update really affected, then focus fixes where they will move the most pages.
Site-wide totals hide regional patterns. Learn how to segment Google update impact by country and language, including the 2026 EEA site reputation change.
A drop can come from a human-issued manual action or an automated algorithmic change. Here is how to tell which you have and why the fix differs.
Core updates are announced, roll out over days or weeks, then marked complete. Here is how the process works, with real durations from Google’s dashboard.
A confirmed update has official dates and guidance; an unconfirmed one is observed volatility. Learn how to tell them apart and respond sensibly.
Google’s Search Status Dashboard is the official record of ranking updates and Search incidents. Here is how to read it and build it into your workflow.
Semrush Sensor, MozCast and other trackers measure SERP flux in different ways. Learn how they work, where they fall short and how to read them together.
No site is immune to Google updates, but some principles have held up for years. Here is how to build an SEO strategy that weathers algorithm changes.
Google's reviews system now updates continuously without announcements. Here is what it evaluates and how to monitor your review content.
E-E-A-T is a quality framework, not a single ranking signal. Here is what Google has said and how it relates to core updates.
Quality raters help Google evaluate changes but don't rank websites. Here is how the guidelines and algorithm updates actually connect.
Page experience is no longer listed as a ranking system, but it still matters. Here is how Google describes it today.
Some Google systems act on whole sites, others page by page. Here is how to tell which kind of drop you have.
Google ships thousands of changes a year. Here is why your rankings move between announced updates and when to act.
Before a change reaches Search, Google tests it with raters and live experiments. Here is how the process works.
From Florida to Medic to March 2019 Core Update: how Google algorithm updates got their names, and why it matters.
Penguin, reviews and helpful content updates are no longer announced. Here is why, and how to monitor your site without them.
Twelve widespread beliefs about Google algorithm updates, checked against what Google has actually published.
The Search Console quirks that most often distort algorithm update analysis, and a clean method to work around them.
Google's long-standing 'no fix' message about core updates, explained in plain English with practical next steps.
Location, device, language, personalisation and rollout timing all change what searchers see during a Google update. Here is how to measure impact fairly.
SERP layout changes can cut clicks without any ranking loss. Learn the dated examples and how to diagnose them.
Core updates can change which kinds of pages rank, not just their order. Learn how to spot an intent shift and respond.
We counted every confirmed core and spam update from 2021 to October 2026 to show how often Google updates and how long rollouts take.
What Google has said about AI Overviews, AI Mode and core ranking, what remains unknown, and how to monitor AI visibility around updates.
Indexing bugs, ranking incidents and reporting errors have all been mistaken for Google updates. Here is how to tell the difference.
Testimony and exhibits from US v. Google described Navboost, RankBrain and other ranking systems. Here is what was reported, and what it means.
Rank trackers and Search Console often disagree after an update. Learn why, which data to trust, and how to measure real impact.
From Panda to the reviews system and the site reputation policy: how Google updates reshaped affiliate sites, and what still works in 2026.
Venice, Pigeon, Possum, Vicinity and core updates through a local business lens, with practical steps for when local visibility drops.
Core update timing in retail season, reviews updates, page experience and duplicate product content: what Google updates mean for online stores.
Some Google systems launched in English first and expanded later, and one policy now differs in Europe. Here is how to read multi-market data.
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