How Search Engine Algorithm Updates Affect Website Traffic

Search engines constantly evolve and improve their algorithms to provide users with the most relevant and high-quality results. However, these algorithm updates also significantly impact website traffic and performance.

The main purpose of this article is to help you understand how algorithm updates affect your website traffic and how to monitor, analyze and optimize your website performance even when your expectations are dashed after algorithm updates. Following these tips ensures that your website stays relevant and competitive in the ever-changing search landscape.

Major Algorithm Updates by Google

These are ten of the major algorithm updates launched by Google Search over the years.

1. The Panda update was launched in 2011 and aimed to reduce the visibility of low-quality, thin, or duplicate website content.
2. Launched in April 2012, the Penguin update targeted websites with unnatural backlinks, keyword stuffing, and other spammy tactics.
3. The Hummingbird update of 2013 focused on improving the accuracy of Google’s search results by understanding the intent behind a user’s search query.
4. In 2015, the Mobile-Friendly update prioritized mobile-friendly websites in mobile search results. Sites not optimized for mobile devices saw a decrease in their rankings.
5. RankBrain is a machine learning algorithm that uses artificial intelligence to understand the meaning behind search queries. It was introduced in 2015 as well.
6. The Medic update, introduced in 2018, targeted health and medical industry websites. Sites that lacked expertise, authority, and trustworthiness significantly decreased their rankings.
7. The BERT Update was launched in 2019 to improve the understanding of natural language processing to provide better search results for more complex search queries.
8. The Page Experience update started rolling out in mid-2021. It increased the importance of excellent website user experience by incorporating three signals into its algorithm that correlate to UX: Core Web Vitals, Mobile-friendliness, and HTTPS security.
9. The Multitask United Model update was another 2021 update that introduced a new language understanding system that can handle complex queries and make Google Search more helpful and conversational.
10. The Helpful Content update of 2022 introduced a new metric called Helpful Content Score (HCS) that measured how well a web page answered a user’s query based on relevance, accuracy, clarity, authority, and freshness.

Impacts of Algorithm Updates

Search engine algorithm updates can have a wide range of impacts on website traffic, and website owners and marketers need to stay up-to-date on these changes and adapt their strategies accordingly.

1. When a search engine updates its algorithm, websites that were previously ranking well may drop in search results, while others may improve. This fluctuation is more noticeable while the update is still rolling out, and there is likely no cause for alarm. However, if your traffic permanently drops after the rollout is completed, then you should be worried and try to determine what you are doing wrong.
2. If an algorithm update favors new or different types of content, it can increase competition for certain keywords. Websites previously ranked high may have to compete with newer or more relevant content, which can result in traffic fluctuations.
3. Algorithm updates can also impact the relevance of certain keywords. If a website’s content is heavily reliant on keywords that are no longer relevant, it may lose its ranking and experience a decrease in traffic. Use the Eye10 Keyword Planner to remain updated on the trending keywords.
4. Search algorithms are created to give you the most helpful and fitting results when you search for something. Whenever these algorithms get updated, it usually means that you’ll get better results and have a more enjoyable time searching. 
5. When search engines update their algorithms, it can affect how people search for information. The search engine adds a new feature to its results page; users may use it more often. As a result, the kinds of searches that get traffic could change.
6. Websites that adhere to SEO best practices may see an increase in their visibility and credibility within the search results. This means websites that use ethical and effective strategies such as keyword research, link building, content marketing, technical SEO, and analytics are more likely to rank higher and gain more traffic after algorithm updates.
7. Search engine algorithm updates can also result in algorithmic penalties for websites that violate the search engine’s guidelines. This can result in a decrease in traffic for those websites that are penalized. You can employ the Eye10 On-Page SEO tool to discover preliminary issues.

What Should You Do After an Update?

Have you ever seen a sudden drop in your website’s traffic and felt frustrated and confused about what caused it, especially if it’s due to an update you don’t understand? If so, what steps can you take to address the issue?

• Firstly, you need to grasp what the search engine algorithm update means. To make wise choices about any necessary changes, find out how the update may have changed your website’s rank. Read from reliable sources to understand the update’s impact.
• By examining your website’s data, identify the pages or search terms that the update affected the most. This includes how many visitors you have, how your pages rank in search results, and how users engage with your site.
• See how your website fares against competitors using the Eye10 Competitor Research tool. This can help you determine if the recent algorithm update has affected your website more or less than your competitors’ websites.

• Technical problems like broken links or slow website speed can sometimes lower your website’s ranking. So, you should scan your website for any technical issues that might reduce your traffic.
• You need a plan for dealing with any problems you find. If you lack the knowledge or skills to fix the issues, you should seek help from a professional SEO consultant or agency.

Conclusion

You need to keep up with the latest SEO trends and techniques to cope with the constant changes in search engines and boost your rankings. While algorithm updates can be frustrating, they also present an opportunity to improve the quality and relevance of your website content.

If you want to understand how your website is doing, improve your search engine ranking, and find areas where you can make changes, our Eye10 tools are the perfect solution. You can sign up now and see how the tools can help you create a better SEO strategy.