Year 2017 has to be another important year in the continuous process of the modification of Google’s search algorithms. As the main goal remained to provide users with the best content possible, Google kept on improving the updates to address the new necessities such as mobile-first indexation, user experience, and spammy  SEO tactics battle. In 2017, the search engine giant laid down plans for enhancing how it ranks content quality, mobile-friendliness, and machine learning for better user understanding.
This article aims to describe the most important changes that occurred in 2017 Google Algorithm Updates and reveal the effects of these changes on the search results and search engine optimization and marketing techniques.
Introduction: 2017 Google Algorithm Updates
In 2017, the updates were intended for the dynamic user needs by focusing on various aspects, including mobile-friendliness to quality content. These changes targeted to enhance user engagement by promoting credible and valuable content and demoting sites that used unfair tricks, including key word density, paid links, and content scarcity. These updates also helped in making sure that sites that have started adopting the mobile-first index had a better shot at ranking on search results.
1. Google Mobile-First Indexing (Proposed in 2017, Implementation started slowly)
It is also important to note that 2017 brought the mobile-first indexation. Although, it was implemented in phases over the following couple of years, in 2017, Google declared that it will come to recognize the mobile version of a website as its primary version for ranking purposes.
Major Characteristics of the Mobile-First Indexing
- Mobile Version as Primary Index: Google’s Panda first dominated and began to focus on the indexing of the mobile versions of the websites more than the desktop versions. This change put extra focus on the need to have a mobile site that was fully templates for mobile site optimization.
- Impact on Mobile-Responsive Websites: It was also found that websites that offered good mobile friendly experience were likely to perform better as indexed under mobile search.
- Greater Focus on Mobile Content: What emerged was the need to guarantee that the content on a mobile version of a site was as rich and easily navigable as on the full version.
The Implication on the Mobile Environment Post Mobile-First Indexing
- Ensure Your Site is Mobile-Responsive: With mobile-first indexing in place, websites that are not mobile friendly where likely to see their ranking tank.
- Optimize for Mobile SEO: Focus on mobile site loading time, usability, and organization. Make sure you don’t lose anything with responsiveness, or have any key content or functionality missing in the mobile version.
2. Google Fred Update (March 2017): Eliminating Thin Content and Excessively SEO’ed Sites
The Fred Update, launched in March, 2017, was directed at websites that devoted a lot of attention to monetization and subpar content. Despite the lack of official information from Google about the details of the update, Â SEO professionals stated that this update targeted sites with excessive advertisement, content scarcity, and low quality of links.
Important Changes in the Fred Update
- Penalty for Overly Aggressive Monetization: Web resources that were previously optimized for the purpose of earning money on ad clicks and the proliferation of ads and low-quality content on them have experienced a tangible decline in ranking.
- Focus on Content Quality: Fred targeted sites that have relatively low quality content, content mills as well as over optimized content without much concern on the value they offer to users.
- Emphasis on User Experience: The Fred update had a message for consumers, and this was the message that user experience was extremely valuable. Web sites that gave up user satisfaction for the sake of ad profits suffered the penalty.
Information Use in the Post-Fred Update
- Prioritize User Experience and Content Quality: It concerns creating useful, needful, and valuable content for users. Do not overcrowd the page with advertisements that may interfere with the user’s experience with the site.
- Reduce Ad Clutter: Try to minimize the amount of pop-ups on your site and try to make your content as easily accessible for your users as possible.
3. Google Quality Update (May 2017): More Advanced Approach to the Assessment of Content
In May 2017, Google announced a massive Quality Update that intended to redefine the approaches to evaluating the quality of content on the web. This update was one of these ongoing efforts to improve Google’s search results and provide the users with the best quality content.
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- Improved Content Assessment: Google went on sharpening its capability for identifying low-quality content and promoting quality, useful, and user-oriented content.
- Emphasis on E-A-T (Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness): Websites that showed subject knowledge, authoritative writers and were credible were favored.
- A Focus on Trust Signals: This update put value on trust indicators such as HTTPS, the author’s identity, among others, to guarantee reliable results only.
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- Create Comprehensive, Authoritative Content: Sites with detailed information that can prove authority of the website and give something to the users are preferred. Always remember to update the content in order to present new and most importantly, relevant information.
- Enhance Trust Signals: Ensure your website is secure and provide links to the sources of any information you post on your website.
- Focus on Building Author Reputation: Ensure that the author’s credentials and qualifications are provided in your article to increase the likelihood of perceived credibility.
4. Google Job Search Update (July 2017): Improving Employment Listings
Later in July 2017, Google released what was known as the Job Search Update that was supposed to change how job listings featured in search. This update was created with the aim of letting users type in a query that would immediately return the job listings.
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Main Changes in the Job Search
- Job Listing Integration in SERPs: Google started to show job vacancies right in the site’s search results section. Candidates could know job positions, company names and locations without visiting a third-party job search site.
- Rich Snippets for Job Posts: New fields included in job listing were salary, type of employment, and date of posting.
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- Structure Job Listings with Schema Markup: If your website has, for instance, employment opportunities, use the jobPosting schema markup to make your openings compatible with Google’s job search.
- Optimize Job Descriptions: Emphasis should be on characteristics of highly visibility postings such as comprehensive and specific job descriptions and other information like company information and salary offered among others.
5. Google Intrusive Interstitials Penalty (January 2017): Penalizing Pop-ups
Google in January 2017 again released an update that struck against websites that contained intrusive interstitials that interfered with the user experience, especially on mobile devices. This update was directed to sites that employed large popups that limited the ability of users accessing content on mobile devices.
Components of the Intrusive Interstitials Penalty
- Penalizing Disruptive Pop-ups: Google started punishing or demoting websites that employed the pop-up and interstitial advertisements that hinder the site’s content on mobile devices.
- Focus on Mobile Usability: Google aimed at guaranteeing that users of mobile devices could easily transition from web page to web page without interruption.
Information after the Change: Intrusive Interstitials and Next Steps
- Avoid Intrusive Pop-ups on Mobile: If your website has employed pop up ads, make sure they do not cover the actual content or interfere with the flow of navigation. It also suggests that you might want to utilize non-obtrusive banners or notification bars.
- Focus on User Experience: The companies should ensure that they avail the content to mobile users easily to enhance the satisfaction of the users while at the same time ensuring that they do not attract the Google penalties.
Conclusion: Google Algorithm Updates Of 2017 – The SEO Landscape
2017 saw more of the same with constant changes to the Google algorithm, with a focus on user experience, quality content, and mobile responsiveness. Only the sites that provided valuable content for mobile devices, and exclude such tricks as Pop-Under, Adware, and Spyware, will succeed. Mobile-first indexing, the war against pop-up ads, and frequent updates in the methodologies of evaluating content quality are the examples of Google’s strive to make the best experience for the users.
Some of the most asked questions about Google’s Algorithm update in 2017
1. What happened to SEO as a result of the Mobile-First Indexing Update?
Mobile-first indexing signaled the fact that Google would rank site based on their mobile version first. Web sites that were not optimized for mobile experienced a decrease in ranking, particularly in mobile search results.
2. What is the Fred Update and why does my website fail to rank high?
The Fred Update targeted sites that were too much involved in monetization and either produced low-quality content or had poor usability. Low quality sites, possessing little text, filled with ads, or employing some black hat schemes were the most hit.
3. How do I come back into form after the penalty especially after the Fred Update?
To put it simply, to avoid Fred Update penalty, promote content quality, minimize the rate of ads and make the users’ experience on your site more pleasant.
4. What is this Quality Update and how does it affect my site?
This Quality Update was about enhancing the capacity of Google to rank content quality. Websites with authoritative material, which covered the user’s expectations and intent were receiving high ranking, while websites with thin or low-quality content were experiencing ranking losses.
5. What can I do to my job postings to be more visible for Google’s Job Search Update?
When optimizing for the Job Search Update, use jobPosting schema markup on your job listings, provide important details about the position, and ensure that your job postings are easily navigated and reached.
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