Google Algorithm Updates Timeline [2024-2009]

What Is a Google Algorithm Update?


A Google algorithm update is simply a alteration to Google’s hunt ranking systems. These updates are designed to amended the prime of hunt results for users.

For example, an update mightiness question to beforehand sites with adjuvant content. Or penalize pages with dilatory load times.

Google confirms the astir important ranking updates done its Search Status Dashboard:

But Google makes smaller updates each day.

See however overmuch hunt results are changing successful your state and class with the Semrush Sensor:

And show your keyword rankings with the Position Tracking tool:

That way, you tin enactment connected apical of Google updates. And accommodate your hunt motor optimization (SEO) strategy.

How Can You Recover from Google Algorithm Updates?


If your organic traffic is suffering due to the fact that of a Google algorithm update, it’s important to recognize what changes Google made. Look astatine immoderate Google guidance, arsenic good arsenic manufacture commentary.

Conduct an SEO rival analysis connected rival sites that performed well, too. To spot whether they experienced a akin diminution successful performance. Or to place factors that contributed to their success.

You tin past instrumentality corrective enactment and, if necessary, set your SEO strategy. 

But don’t autumn into the trap of taking enactment excessively soon. Or making changes based connected gut instinct, alternatively than hard evidence. Otherwise, you tin bash much harm than good.

Also, carnivore successful caput that it takes clip to retrieve your rankings—even if you instrumentality each the close steps. You mightiness adjacent person to hold for the adjacent algorithm update.

2024 Updates


Here’s a speedy overview of the latest Google algorithm updates.

August 2024 Core Update

The August 2024 halfway update is designed to amended the prime of contented recovered successful hunt results. Based successful portion connected feedback provided by creators and users.

It seeks to further demote sites that trust connected outdated SEO practices. Or nutrient low-quality content.

If your tract is affected by this update, absorption connected creating quality content. And improving immoderate contented that doesn’t enactment the idiosyncratic first.

Announced: August 15, 2024
Started: August 15, 2024
Completed: Ongoing (as of the clip of publication)
Duration: Estimated rollout duration is 1 month

June 2024 Spam Update


The June 2024 spam update was designed to marque Google amended astatine identifying sites oregon pages that interruption its spam policies. So that it tin demote them successful hunt results (or region them altogether).

Here are immoderate examples of spammy practices to avoid:

• Cloaking: Presenting antithetic contented to Google and users
• Keyword stuffing: Unnaturally forcing keywords into content
• Scraping content: Plagiarizing contented from different sites

Sites that interruption Google’s spam policies whitethorn person a Google penalty. Which harms the site’s visibility successful hunt results.

Announced: June 20, 2024
Started: June 20, 2024
Completed: June 27, 2024
Duration: Seven days, 1 hour

March 2024 Spam Update


The March 2024 spam update was designed to amended Google’s spam detection abilities.

On the time the update was launched, Google announced 3 caller spam policies concerning:

• Expired domain abuse: Exploiting an expired domain's SEO authorization for manipulation oregon spam
• Scaled contented abuse: Publishing ample volumes of low-quality oregon unoriginal content
• Site estimation abuse: Hosting third-party contented with small to nary editorial oversight

 So, it’s apt that the update targeted these atrocious practices.

Announced: March 5, 2024
Started: March 5, 2024
Completed: March 20, 2024
Duration: 14 days, 21 hours

March 2024 Core Update


Google described the March 2024 halfway update arsenic a “complex update” that “marks an improvement successful however we place the helpfulness of content.”

Before this update, Google utilized a azygous strategy to place adjuvant content. Now, it uses a assortment of signals and systems.

The extremity is to beforehand contented that radical find useful. And demote unsatisfactory content.

If your tract is negatively affected by a halfway update, it doesn’t needfully mean you’ve violated immoderate Google guidelines. It could conscionable mean that your competitors person beaten you. 

Google advises against trying to “fix” thing if a halfway update has affected your site. Instead, absorption connected creating prime content.

Announced: March 5, 2024
Started: March 5, 2024
Completed: April 26, 2024
Duration: 45 days

2023 Updates


These are each the confirmed Google hunt algorithm updates from 2023:

November 2023 Reviews Update


The November 2023 reviews update promotes original, well-researched reviews that assistance radical marque bully decisions. 

Google’s best practices for reviews include:

• Evaluating from the user’s perspective
• Providing grounds of acquisition with the reappraisal subject
• Explaining what sets thing isolated from its competitors

Google said this would beryllium the past reviews update to look connected the Search Status Dashboard. Because its reviews strategy would present beryllium improved astatine a “regular and ongoing pace.”

Announced: November 8, 2023
Started: November 8, 2023
Completed: December 7, 2023
Duration: 29 days

November 2023 Core Update


The November 2023 halfway update aimed to amended the wide prime and relevance of hunt results.

If your keyword ranking drops aft a halfway update, it’s apt due to the fact that Google thinks a competitor’s (or aggregate competitors’) contented is better.

You tin spot who’s outranking you successful the Keyword Overview tool.

Just participate your keyword and country.

Then, scroll down to the “SERP Analysis” conception to spot the top-ranking results.

You tin presumption utile metrics and click done to competitors’ pages.

Announced: November 2, 2023
Started: November 2, 2023
Completed: November 28, 2023
Duration: 25 days, 21 hours

October 2023 Core Update


The October 2023 halfway update was designed to amended the wide prime of Google hunt results.

It rolled retired from October 5 to October 19, with SERP volatility peaking connected October 10. According to the Semrush Sensor:

Announced: October 5, 2023
Started: October 5, 2023
Completed: October 19, 2023
Duration: 13 days, 23 hours

October 2023 Spam Update


The October 2023 spam update aimed to trim spam reported by the Google Search Central Help Community.

This included cloaked, hacked, auto-generated, and scraped content. In Turkish, Vietnamese, Indonesian, Hindi, Chinese, and different languages.

Announced: October 4, 2023
Started: October 4, 2023
Completed: October 19, 2023
Duration: 15 days, 12 hours

September 2023 Helpful Content Update


The September 2023 Helpful Content Update aimed to beforehand prime contented successful hunt results. And demote contented created purely for ranking purposes.

To debar being deed by updates similar this, effort to make contented that:

• Demonstrates Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness (E-E-A-T)
• Is created for radical archetypal and hunt engines second
• Provides comprehensive, original, and reliable information

Announced: September 14, 2023
Started: September 14, 2023
Completed: September 28, 2023
Duration: 13 days, 11 hours

August 2023 Core Update


The August 2023 halfway update was designed to marque integrated hunt results amended for users.

Out of results that made the apical 10, astir 10.85% had ranked extracurricular the apical 20 anterior to the update. On average, websites gained/lost 3 positions. 

This shows the immense imaginable for postulation gains pursuing a halfway update.

Announced: August 22, 2023
Started: August 22, 2023
Completed: September 7, 2023
Duration: 16 days, 3 hours

April 2023 Reviews Update

The April 2023 reviews update aimed to reward reviews “that stock in-depth research, alternatively than bladed contented that simply summarizes a clump of products, services oregon different things.”

It affected reviews of products, services, destinations, games, movies, and more. Previously, Google’s reappraisal updates focused connected merchandise reviews. 

Announced: April 12, 2023
Started: April 12, 2023
Completed: April 25, 2023
Duration: 13 days

March 2023 Core Update

The March 2023 halfway update was designed to marque Google amended astatine identifying prime content. And truthful amended hunt results for users. (Just similar different halfway updates.)

The update led to “Very High” SERP volatility, according to the Semrush Sensor. This means that Google’s hunt motor results pages (SERPs) changed astir overmuch much than normal.

In the U.S., desktop SERP volatility peaked the time aft the update began:

Almost 2 weeks later, mobile SERP volatility peaked adjacent higher. Suggesting that the March 2023 halfway update had a much melodramatic interaction connected mobile rankings. 

(Desktop and mobile SERPs are often different. Because Google wants users to person the champion acquisition connected each device.) 

Announced: March 15, 2023
Started: March 15, 2023
Completed: March 28, 2023
Duration: 13 days, 7 hours

February 2023 Product Reviews Update

The February 2023 merchandise reviews update aimed to reward in-depth, high-quality merchandise reviews. So, it affected sites that people this benignant of content.

SERP volatility peaked successful the “Very High” scope connected March 1, 2023.

As portion of this merchandise reviews update, Google published 2 caller recommendations:

• Provide grounds of your acquisition with the product
• Include links to aggregate sellers

Announced: February 21, 2023
Started: February 21, 2023
Completed: March 7, 2023
Duration: 14 days

2022 Updates

Here are each the confirmed Google algorithm changes from 2022:

December 2022 Link Spam Update

The December 2022 nexus spam update enhanced Google’s quality to place sites that bargain and merchantability links for SEO purposes. It was an betterment to SpamBrain, Google’s AI spam-detection system. 

Google neutralizes the spammy links it finds done this update. Meaning sites antecedently benefiting from these backlinks whitethorn person dropped successful the rankings.

Announced: December 14, 2022
Started: December 14, 2022
Completed: January 12, 2023
Duration: 29 days

December 2022 Helpful Content Update

The December 2022 adjuvant contented update aimed to demote sites that make contented chiefly for SEO purposes—rather than for people.

During the rollout, Google changed its E-A-T (Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness) guidelines into E-E-A-T guidelines. Adding successful an other “E” for “Experience.”

The extremity was to reward contented creators who show firsthand acquisition with the taxable matter.

Announced: Dec. 6, 2022
Started: Dec. 5, 2022
Completed: Jan. 12, 2023
Duration: 38 days

October 2022 Spam Update

The October 2022 spam update was designed to marque Google amended astatine detecting spam. Sites recovered to prosecute successful spammy practices (i.e., interruption Google’s spam policies) whitethorn person seen rankings drop.

SERP volatility nudged into the High scope connected the time aft the rollout.

Announced: October 19, 2022
Started: October 19, 2022
Completed: October 21, 2022
Duration: Two days

September 2022 Product Reviews Update

The September 2022 merchandise reviews update aimed to reward comprehensive, high-quality merchandise reviews. And applied to English-language contented only.

Announced: August 18, 2022
Started: September 20, 2022
Completed: September 26, 2022
Duration: Six days

September 2022 Core Update 

The September 2022 halfway update overlapped with the September 2022 merchandise reviews update (above). Despite this, SERP volatility remained beneath 6/10. Lower than we mightiness expect for a halfway update.

Here’s however volatility compared to the erstwhile halfway update successful May 2022:

Announced: September 12, 2022
Started: September 12, 2022
Completed: September 26, 2022
Duration: 14 days

August 2022 Helpful Content Update

The August 2022 adjuvant contented update was the archetypal Google algorithm update of its kind. It was designed to ensure searchers “see much original, adjuvant contented written by people, for people.”

After a mates of calm weeks, the alteration led to precocious volatility successful the SERPs.

In a supporting blog post, Google said users should make contented chiefly for humans—not hunt engines. But inactive travel SEO champion practices.

Announced: August 18, 2022
Started: August 25, 2022
Completed: September 9, 2022
Duration: 15 days

July 2022 Product Reviews Update

The July 2022 merchandise reviews update was designed to assistance high-quality merchandise reviews fertile higher. And demote low-quality merchandise reappraisal pages that connection small worth to the reader.

This Google algorithm update lone took six days to rotation out, alternatively than the 14 to 21 days expected. And it was acold little volatile than the March 2022 merchandise reviews update.

Announced: July 27, 2022
Started: July 27, 2022
Completed: August 2, 2022
Duration: Six days

May 2022 Core Update

The May 2022 halfway update followed a volatile fewer weeks successful Google’s SERPs. Many tract owners witnessed important fluctuations successful their hunt rankings.

However, Google reminded users that “there's thing successful a halfway update that targets circumstantial pages oregon sites. Instead, the changes are astir improving however our systems measure contented overall.”

Announced: May 25, 2022
Started: May 24, 2022
Completed: June 9, 2022
Duration: 15 days

March 2022 Product Reviews Update 

The March 2022 merchandise reviews update enhanced Google’s quality to place high-quality merchandise reappraisal pages. But was little impactful than the December 2021 merchandise reviews update.

In a blog station astir this algorithm update, Google shared the pursuing information:

• Product reviews updates besides use to ranked lists and examination reviews
• Recommendations for the “best” products should beryllium justified
• Separate reviews for products successful ranked lists tin beryllium beneficial

Announced: March 23, 2022 
Started: March 23, 2022
Completed: April 6, 2022
Duration: 14 days

Page Experience Update for Desktop 

The leafage acquisition update for desktop made Core Web Vitals a desktop ranking factor. This meant desktop rankings were affected by the pursuing metrics:

• Largest Contentful Paint (LCP): The clip it takes for the main contented of the leafage to appear
• First Input Delay (FID): The effect clip to the user’s archetypal enactment (Note: Interaction to Next Paint—INP—replaced FID connected March 12, 2024.)
• Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS): A measurement of layout movements that hap during loading

Prior to this algorithm update, Google released a Search Console study allowing tract owners to reappraisal their desktop Core Web Vitals.

Announced: November 4, 2021
Started: February 22, 2022
Completed: March 3, 2022
Duration: Nine days

2021 Updates

These are the confirmed Google hunt motor algorithm updates from 2021:

December 2021 Product Reviews Update

The December 2021 merchandise reviews update aimed to reward sites with rich, in-depth reviews. As opposed to thin, low-quality reviews.

This Google algorithm update took astir 3 weeks to rotation out. SERP volatility remained High to Very High throughout. And for a fewer days after.

Google introduced 2 champion practices successful its blog station astir the update:

• Provide grounds of your acquisition with the product
• Consider including links to aggregate sellers

Announced: December 1, 2021
Started: December 1, 2021
Completed: December 21, 2021
Duration: 20 days

November 2021 Core Update

The November 2021 halfway update impacted the wellness manufacture the most. And deed astir each vertical harder than the erstwhile halfway update.

Announced: November 17, 2021
Started: November 17, 2021
Completed: November 30, 2021
Duration: 13 days

November 2021 Spam Update

The November 2021 spam update was designed to amended Google’s spam-detection abilities. 

When announcing the update on Twitter, Google Search Liaison referred tract owners to the champion practices for search.

Announced: November 3, 2021
Started: November 3, 2021
Completed: November 11, 2021
Duration: Eight days, 1 hour

July 2021 Link Spam Update

The July 2021 nexus spam update made Google “more effectual astatine identifying and nullifying nexus spam much broadly, crossed aggregate languages.”

In a blog station astir the algorithm update, Google emphasized the value of qualifying outbound links. In different words, applying rel attributes to:

• Affiliate links
• Sponsored links
• Guest station links

Read our usher connected nofollow links to larn more.

Announced: July 26, 2021
Started: July 26, 2021
Completed: August 24, 2021
Duration: 29 days

July 2021 Core Update

The July 2021 halfway update was primitively intended arsenic portion of the June 2021 halfway update. But Google wasn’t acceptable to merchandise everything astatine once.

The Google Search Liaison relationship tweeted: “Most sites won’t announcement either of these updates, arsenic is emblematic with immoderate halfway updates.”

Announced: June 2, 2021
Started: July 1, 2021
Completed: July 12, 2021
Duration: 11 days 

June 2021 Spam Update (Part Two)

Google released the 2nd portion of the June 2021 spam update connected June 28, 2021. (Google released the archetypal portion connected June 23, 2021.) To further heighten its spam-prevention algorithms.

Announced: June 23, 2021
Started: June 28, 2021
Completed: June 28, 2021
Duration: 23 hours, 59 minutes

June 2021 Spam Update (Part One)

Google released the archetypal portion of the June 2021 spam update connected June 23, 2021. (Google released the 2nd portion connected June 28, 2021.) Both updates were efforts to combat web spam.

Announced: June 23, 2021
Started: June 23, 2021
Completed: June 23, 2021
Duration: 23 hours, 59 minutes

Page Experience Update for Mobile

The page acquisition update for mobile made Core Web Vitals a mobile ranking factor. This meant mobile rankings were affected by the pursuing metrics:

• Largest Contentful Paint (LCP): The clip it takes for the main contented of the leafage to appear
• First Input Delay (FID): The effect clip to the user’s archetypal interaction
• Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS): A measurement of layout movements that hap during loading

In a blog post astir this algorithm change, Google explained it would bash the following:

• Add a Page Experience study to Search Console
• Remove the AMP request for the Top Stories carousel connected Google Search
• Retire the AMP badge icon
• Support signed exchanges (SXG) connected Google Search

Announced: May 28, 2020
Started: June 15, 2021
Completed: September 2, 2021
Duration: 79 days

June 2021 Core Update

The June 2021 halfway update was the archetypal halfway update successful 2021. Google couldn’t acceptable galore of the planned improvements in, truthful the improvements spilled implicit to the July 2021 halfway update.

Following this Google algorithm update, Loc8nearme, Foursquare, MoovitApp, and BusinessyAB saw the biggest mean presumption spikes successful the U.S. Perhaps arsenic section businesses were opening to reopen pursuing COVID-19 restrictions.

Announced: June 2, 2021
Started: June 2, 2021
Completed: June 12, 2021
Duration: 10 days

April 2021 Product Reviews Update

The April 2021 merchandise reviews update was the archetypal update of its kind. The thought was to reward adept merchandise reviews “rather than bladed contented that simply summarizes a clump of products,” according to Google.

Google shared these merchandise reappraisal recommendations (among others) successful a blog station astir the update:

• Provide insightful investigation and archetypal research
• Have reviews written by topical experts oregon enthusiasts
• Explain what sets a merchandise isolated from its competitors
• Discuss merchandise benefits and drawbacks
• Identify and code cardinal decision-making factors
• Describe however a merchandise has evolved

Announced: April 8, 2021
Started: April 8, 2021
Completed: April 22, 2021
Duration: 14 days

2020 Updates

According to the Search Status Dashboard, determination were lone 3 confirmed Google algo updates successful 2020. All halfway updates. 

Let’s research them:

December 2020 Core Update

The December 2020 halfway update was released earlier the vacation season. Which raised immoderate eyebrows successful the SEO community.

However, determination are losers and winners with each Google algorithm update. While immoderate sites got little vacation postulation than expected, others benefited from higher rankings.

For example, eBay gained 44 positions aft the archetypal time of the update.

Announced: December 3, 2020
Started: December 3, 2020
Completed: December 16, 2020
Duration: 13 days

May 2020 Core Update

Google released the May 2020 halfway update soon aft the COVID-19 outbreak. Many commenters believed this algorithm update tackled wellness misinformation successful the SERPs.

Health is simply a YMYL (Your Money oregon Your Life) topic. This means that E-E-A-T (just E-A-T astatine the time) plays an adjacent bigger relation successful creating prime content.

Announced: May 4, 2020 
Started: May 4, 2020 
Completed: May 18, 2020
Duration: 14 days

January 2020 Core Update

The January 2020 halfway update rolled retired successful conscionable 3 days. 

Google’s Danny Sullivan pointed users to a previous blog post for guidance. This blog station advises tract owners to self-assess their contented utilizing the Search Quality Rater Guidelines.

Announced: January 13, 2020
Started: January 13, 2020
Completed: January 16, 2020
Duration: Three days

Pre-2020 Major Updates

These are the astir important Google algorithm updates announced earlier 2020:

• BERT Update, October 2019: BERT is simply a earthy connection processing (NLP) algorithm that helps Google recognize the nuances of users’ hunt queries. And truthful present much applicable results. For example, Google could amended recognize the quality betwixt “brazil to usa” and “usa to brazil.”
• Medic Update, August 2018: The August 2018 halfway update was colloquially known arsenic the Medic update due to the fact that it seemed to people aesculapian sites. Particularly those that didn’t comply with Google’s E-A-T (now E-E-A-T) guidelines. For example, sites making aesculapian claims without substantiating them.
• RankBrain Update, October 2015: RankBrain was Google’s archetypal AI strategy and heavy learning model. It helps Google place related words and concepts. Google began utilizing RankBrain successful April 2015 to amended recognize caller queries (which accounted for astir 15% of searches).
• Mobilegeddon, February 2015: The Mobile-Friendly Update, much commonly known arsenic “mobilegeddon,” boosted the rankings of mobile-friendly pages successful mobile hunt results. This meant that mobile SEO became highly important.
• Hummingbird Update, September 2013: With the Hummingbird update, Google moved distant from matching each words successful a query to words connected a page. It began to disregard words that weren’t hugely applicable to the searcher’s meaning. This meant Google could amended woody with earthy connection (conversational) queries. 
• Penguin Update, April 2012: Penguin penalized sites engaging successful webspam tactics—i.e., sites attempting to manipulate hunt rankings with SEO tactics that interruption Google’s guidelines. It made it harder to power rankings done keyword stuffing and nexus schemes.
• Panda Update, February 2011: The Google Panda algorithm update was designed to trim rankings for low-quality sites (with unoriginal, unhelpful content). And amended rankings for high-quality sites (with useful, archetypal content).
• Caffeine Update, August 2009: The Caffeine update made Google quicker astatine discovering and indexing caller content. So searchers could find the latest accusation much quickly. The update was a alteration to Google’s indexing strategy alternatively than its ranking algorithm.

Prepare for the Next Google Update

To hole for the adjacent Google algorithm update, audit your tract and look for opportunities to improve. Semrush has each the SEO tools you need, including:

• Position Tracking: Monitor your rankings for people keywords
• Semrush Sensor: Track volatility successful Google’s hunt results
• Site Audit: Find method and on-page SEO issues connected your site
• Backlink Analytics: Check the prime of your backlink profile
• On Page SEO Checker: Get optimization ideas for your site