SEO News

Google Algorithm Update Causes Havoc
By Pierre Zarokian and Derek Vaughan

Sometime around November 17, 2003 Google went through its usual, if not entirely predictable, reshuffling of its search results that has become known in search engine parlance as the "Google Dance".
However, unlike other Google search results updates, the "Florida Update" - as this event has come to be known - caught a good many search engine professionals and online business owners off guard. The reason? Many search results were shifted dramatically from their previous positions, in some cases entire blocks of the first 100 results were replaced with new listings. This had the effect of 'demoting' previously high-ranking sites and relegating them to the netherworld of Google’s search results in pages 4 and up.

While the Florida Update has confused, frustrated and angered many professional search engine marketers and their clients - small to medium sized online businesses - Google has been characteristically silent on exactly what was changed in the search algorithm and why.

The only comment that can be found on the subject comes via a quote from Forbes magazine in which Wayne Rosing, vice president of engineering at Google, said the change is part of the Silicon Valley-based company's efforts to provide high-quality search results.

"This particular change affected more people, but our testing shows there was a significant quality improvement for our users," said Rosing.

Shortly after the Florida update, several people reported an interesting trick to figure out if the new Google Algorithm affected your rankings. The trick is to add a non-existent garbage term to the end of your keyword with a dash before it. For example if your keyword is "laptops", you would search for "laptops -dsfdsfdf". However, you will have to add one garbage term for each additional word in your search term. For example, if your keyword is "used laptops", then you would search for "used laptops -dsfdsff -dsfdsfdsf". If you search for our given example, you will see different results in the top 10.

There are a number of theories that have emerged - we will list and examine a few below. Remember - these are people's opinion - not fact. Until Google makes some type of official announcement, speculation is all that we have.