2016 has just come to an end and everyone is naturally looking at 2017. But what about the Google algorithm main updates in 2016? Before to completely dive into your next strategy, it is important to be aware of all Google guidelines and updates. Following our previous timeline about Google updates, our last infographic focuses on Google algorithm updates released in 2016. From major ones to more discret updates, we have gathered 11 announcements.
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Infographic retranscription
Google Algorithm Updates 2016
Unnamed Update – December 15, 2016
On December 15th, there was a Google search algorithm shift and movements in search results. Nothing has been confirmed yet.
Unnamed Major Update — November 10, 2016
MozCast detected a major spike on November 10th. Was it a core ranking update, the mobile-first index being tested, or both?
Penguin 4.0, Phase 2 — October 6, 2016
The second phase of Penguin 4.0 was the reversal of all previous Penguin penalties.
Penguin 4.0, Phase 1 — September 27, 2016
The first phase of Penguin 4.0 was the release of the new Penguin algorithm, which devalues low-quality links instead of penalizing entire sites.
Penguin 4.0 Announcement — September 23, 2016
Google finally announced a major Penguin update after two years of teasing. They suggested the new Penguin is now real-time and supported into the core algorithm.
Image/Universal Drop — September 13, 2016
MozCast recorded a 50% drop in SERPs with image (universal/vertical) results. The universal result has caused small ranking shifts by opening up an organic position on page 1.
“Possum” — September 1, 2016
This particular update only impacted rankings in the 3-pack and Local Finder. It prevented spam from ranking and diversified local search results.
Mobile-friendly 2 — May 12, 2016
A year after the original “mobile friendly” update, Google rolled out the second version with a ranking signal boost to benefit mobile-friendly sites on mobile search.
Unnamed Major Update — May 10, 2016
Google weather trackers showed a historically rare week-long pattern of algorithm activity. No explanation is currently available.
AdWords Shake-up — February 23, 2016
Google made some AdWords updates, removing right-column ads and rolling out 4-ad top blocks on many commercial searches. It had an important impact on CTR for both paid and organic results.
Unnamed Update — January 8, 2016
Historically-large rankings movement had been reported, which Google later confirmed as a “core algo update”. Google officially said that this was not a Penguin update, but details remain hazy.
