SEO Updates - 2012
Panda #23 — Dec 21, 2012
Right earlier the Christmas holiday, Google rolled out some other Panda update. They officially called it a "refresh", impacting 1.3% of English linguistic communication queries. This was a slightly higher impact than Pandas #21 as well as #22.
Knowledge Graph Expansion — Dec 4, 2012
Google added Knowledge Graph functionality to non-English queries, including Spanish, French, German, Portuguese, Japanese, Russian, as well as Italian. This update was "more than only translation" as well as added enhanced KG capabilities.
Panda #22 — Nov 21, 2012
After some mixed signals, Google confirmed the 22nd Panda update, which appears to receive got been data-only. This came on the heels of a larger, but unnamed update around Nov 19th.
Panda #21 — Nov 5, 2012
Google rolled out their 21st Panda update, roughly 5-1/2 weeks later Panda #20. This update was reported to live smaller, officially impacting 1.1% of English linguistic communication queries.
Page Layout #2 — Oct 9, 2012
Google announced an update to its original page layout algorithm alter dorsum inwards January, which targeted pages amongst also many ads higher upward the fold. It's unclear whether this was an algorithm alter or a Panda-style information refresh.
Penguin #3 — Oct 5, 2012
After suggesting the side past times side Penguin update would live major, Google released a youngster Penguin information update, impacting "0.3% of queries". Penguin update numbering was rebooted, similar to Panda - this was the tertiary Penguin release.
August/September 65-Pack — Oct 4, 2012
Google published their monthly (bi-monthly?) listing of search highlights. The 65 updates for August as well as September included 7-result SERPs, Knowledge Graph expansion, updates to how "page quality" is calculated, as well as changes to how local results are determined.
Exact-Match Domain (EMD) Update — September 27, 2012
Google announced a alter inwards the agency it was treatment exact-match domains (EMDs). This led to large-scale devaluation, reducing the presence of EMDs inwards the MozCast information gear upward past times over 10%. Official give-and-take is that this alter impacted 0.6% of queries (by volume).
Panda #20 — September 27, 2012
Overlapping the EMD update, a fairly major Panda update (algorithm + data) rolled out, officially affecting 2.4% of queries. As the 3.X serial was getting odd, manufacture sources opted to start naming Panda updates inwards gild (this was the 20th).
Panda 3.9.2 (#19) — September 18, 2012
Google rolled out some other Panda refresh, which appears to receive got been data-only. Ranking flux was moderate but non on par amongst a large-scale algorithm update.
Panda 3.9.1 (#18) — August 20, 2012
Google rolled out soundless some other Panda information update, but the impact seemed to live fairly small. Since the Panda 3.0 serial ran out of numbers at 3.9, the novel update was dubbed 3.9.1.
7-Result SERPs — August 14, 2012
Google made a pregnant alter to the Top 10, limiting it to vii results for many queries. Our query showed that this alter rolled out over a twosome of days, endure impacting most 18% of the keywords nosotros tracked.
DMCA Penalty — August 10, 2012
Google announced that they would start penalizing sites amongst repeat copyright violations, likely via DMCA take-down requests. Timing was stated every bit "starting side past times side week" (8/13?).
June/July 86-Pack — August 10, 2012
After a summertime hiatus, the June as well as July Search Quality Highlights were rolled out inwards ane mega-post. Major updates included Panda information as well as algorithm refreshes, an improved rank-ordering business office (?), a ranking boost for "trusted sources", as well as changes to site clustering.
Panda 3.9 (#17) — July 24, 2012
Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 calendar month later Panda 3.8, Google rolled out a novel Panda update. Rankings fluctuated for 5-6 days, although no unmarried solar daytime was high plenty to stand upward out. Google claimed 1% of queries were impacted.
Link Warnings — July 19, 2012
In a repeat of March/April, Google sent out a large issue of unnatural link warnings via Google Webmaster Tools. In a consummate turn-around, they as well as then announced that these novel warnings may non truly correspond a serious problem.
Panda 3.8 (#16) — June 25, 2012
Google rolled out some other Panda information refresh, but this appeared to live information alone (no algorithm changes) as well as had a much smaller impact than Panda 3.7.
Panda 3.7 (#15) — June 8, 2012
Google rolled out soundless some other Panda information update, claiming that less than 1% of queries were affect. Ranking fluctuation information suggested that the impact was substantially higher than previous Panda updates (3.5, 3.6).
May 39-Pack — June 7, 2012
Google released their monthly Search Highlights, amongst 39 updates inwards May. Major changes included Penguin improvements, meliorate link-scheme detection, changes to title/snippet rewriting, as well as updates to Google News.
Penguin 1.1 (#2) — May 25, 2012
Google rolled out its showtime targeted information update later the "Penguin" algorithm update. This confirmed that Penguin information was beingness processed exterior of the top dog search index, much similar Panda data.
Knowledge Graph — May 16, 2012
In a major stair toward semantic search, Google started rolling out "Knowledge Graph", a SERP - integrated display providing supplemental object most for sure people, places, as well as things. Expect to consider "knowledge panels" look on to a greater extent than as well as to a greater extent than SERPs over time. Also, Danny Sullivan's favorite Trek is ST:Voyager?!
Apr 52-Pack — May 4, 2012
Google published details of 52 updates inwards April, including changes that were tied to the "Penguin" update. Other highlights included a 15% larger "base" index, improved pagination handling, as well as a issue of updates to site-links.
Panda 3.6 (#14) — Apr 27, 2012
Barely a calendar week later Panda 3.5, Google rolled out soundless some other Panda information update. The implications of this update were unclear, as well as it seemed that the impact was relatively small.
Penguin — Apr 24, 2012
After weeks of speculation most an "Over-optimization penalty", Google endure rolled out the "Web Spam Update", which was presently later dubbed "Penguin." Penguin adjusted a issue of spam factors, including keyword stuffing, as well as impacted an estimated 3.1% of English linguistic communication queries.
Panda 3.5 (#13) — Apr 19, 2012
In the midpoint of a busy calendar week for the algorithm Google quietly rolled out a Panda information update. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 mix of changes made the impact hard to measure, but this appears to receive got been a fairly routine update amongst minimal impact.
Parked Domain Bug — Apr 16, 2012
After a issue of webmasters reported ranking shuffles, Google confirmed that a information error had caused some domains to live mistakenly treated every bit parked domains (and thereby devalued). This was non an intentional algorithm change.
March 50-Pack — Apr 3, 2012
Google posted some other batch of update highlights, roofing l changes inwards March. These included confirmation of Panda 3.4, changes to anchor-text "scoring", updates to picture search, as well as changes to how queries amongst local intent are interpreted.
Panda 3.4 (#12) — March 23, 2012
Google announced some other Panda update, this fourth dimension via Twitter every bit the update was rolling out. Their world statements estimated that Panda 3.4 impacted most 1.6% of search results.
Search Quality Video — March 12, 2012
This wasn't an algorithm update, but Google published a rare peek into a search character meeting. For anyone interested inwards the algorithm, the video provides a lot of context to both Google's procedure as well as their priorities.
Panda 3.3 (#11) — Feb 27, 2012
Google rolled out some other post-"flux" Panda update, which appeared to live relatively minor. This came only three days later the 1-year anniversary of Panda, an unprecedented lifespan for a named update.
Feb 40-Pack (2) — Feb 27, 2012
Google published a minute gear upward of "search character highlights" at the terminate of the month, claiming to a greater extent than than xl changes inwards February. Notable changes included multiple image-search updates, multiple freshness updates (including phasing out 2 former bits of the algorithm), as well as a Panda update.
Venice — Feb 27, 2012
As component subdivision of their monthly update, Google mentioned code-name "Venice". This local update appeared to to a greater extent than aggressively localize organic results as well as to a greater extent than tightly integrate local search data. The exact roll-out engagement was unclear.
Feb 17-Pack — Feb 3, 2012
Google released some other circular of "search character highlights" (17 inwards all). Many related to speed, freshness, as well as spell-checking, but ane major proclamation was tighter integration of Panda into the top dog search index.
Ads Above The Fold — Jan 19, 2012
Google updated their page layout algorithms to devalue sites amongst also much ad-space higher upward the "fold". It was previously suspected that a similar ingredient was inwards play inwards Panda. The update had no official name, although it was referenced every bit "Top Heavy" past times some SEOs.
Panda 3.2 (#10) — Jan 18, 2012
Google confirmed a Panda information update, although suggested that the algorithm hadn't changed. It was unclear how this fit into the "Panda Flux" system of to a greater extent than frequent information updates.
Search + Your World — Jan 10, 2012
Google announced a radical shift inwards personalization - aggressively pushing Google+ social information as well as user profiles into search engine trial pages. Google also added a new, prominent toggle clit to near off personalization.
Jan 30-Pack — Jan 5, 2012
Google announced xxx changes over the previous month, including picture search landing-page character detection, to a greater extent than relevant site-links, to a greater extent than rich snippets, as well as related-query improvements. The occupation betwixt an "algorithm update" as well as a "feature" got a chip to a greater extent than blurred.