Above The Fold Media is the Toronto SEO Company that stays on top of major algorithm updates and shares them with our readers. We want you to be well-informed so you make the best decisions for your business.

That said, here is a summary of some of the big algorithm updates explained in simple terms. These are the ones that have had the most lasting effect on SEO.  It wasn’t easy picking the most impactful algorithms. Google says it updates them thousands of times every year.

Penguin

If you’ve worked in e-commerce for any amount of time, the names of some of these algorithms will be familiar. Penguin was brought in in April 2012. It focused on different kinds of bad links. The focus of this update was to downgrade the ranking of websites with unnatural looking backlinks.

Google was looking to eliminate shortcuts like buying from link farms and PBNs. Making sure your links are good is about monitoring them with regular audits and a backlink checker.

Panda

This algorithm was introduced in February 2011. From our perspective as a Toronto SEO company this was one of the biggest updates since it assigns a quality score to different webpages. What made it remarkable was the fact the score was used as a ranking factor.

This algorithm focused on targeting thin or plagiarized content and keyword stuffing. Another important factor is the effects of Panda were subtle at first. However, it was permanently incorporated as a core in Google’s algorithm in January 2016.

It’s important small businesses run site checks for duplicate content or keyword stuffing and thin content on a regular basis. Proper keyword research and placement is one of the services our  Toronto SEO Company  offers.

Hummingbird

This update is particularly important for SEO. It helps Google categorize search queries and provides relevant results that match up with the searchers’ intent. This more nuanced approach still places keywords is an important factor. However it goes one step further allowing a page to rank without the exact words in the search.

Focusing on concepts and ideas behind the keywords are important when adjusting a marketing strategy. This is a big part of working with this update. 

Above The Fold Media is the Toronto SEO company that can evaluate your existing marketing plan. We can also start a new one that works with these and other updates.