During the calendar year 2018, Google remained committed to enhancing the quality of search by fine-tuning algorithms. The search giant has concentrated on a number of changes that highlighted the importance of the quality of content, the focus on users, the mobile-first indexing, and highly specific technical SEO advancements. To further enhance the user satisfaction in 2018,Google introduced several significant algorithm updates with aim of improving its ability to understand the user intent, fighting against the spam and rewarding high-quality content.
Introduction: 2018 Google Algorithm Updates
This paper aims at discussing the main changes in 2018 Google Algorithm Updates and their effects on SEO and marketing, as well as website efficiency.
1. Mobile First Indexing Update (Continued in 2018)
While the primary mobile-first index was announced by Google in 2016, 2018 was a year when authorities tried to expand this step even more. This update was a major change to the way that Google approached the analysis of websites for the ranking of those pages. Mobile-first indexing was a new concept which shifted focus towards the mobile version of the site for ranking, indexing, and crawling.
Key Features of the Mobile-First Indexing Update in 2018:
- Mobile Content is Primary: Google started using the mobile friendly website version as the main version, and the online ones had to ensure that their sites are mobile friendly.
- Mobile-First Content Evaluation: Google paid attention to the issue of the content, the page’s structure and for users of the mobile version of the Site, thereby increasing the importance of mobile adaptation in SEO.
- Impact on Mobile Unfriendly Websites: Non mobile friendly sites suffered a great blow and their ranking dropped especially when it came to mobile searches.
Actionable Insights for Mobile Optimization:
- Optimize for Mobile-First Indexing: Make certain that your site is portable friendly, possesses simple navigation, short loading times, and does not require zooming to read the text.
- Keep Content Consistent Across Platforms: It is crucial that your mobile version has the same good stuff that your standard version has. Lack of contents or functions on mobile version could lead to loss in ranking positions.
- Prioritize Mobile Site Speed: One of the key ideas for mobile optimization is the speed. Mobile web design tip: Ensure that your website is easy and fast to load in order to enhance the experience of your visitors and therefore they will not bounce away.
2. Google Medic Update (August 2018): E-A-T stands for Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness and should be the articles focus.
Google Medic Update is one of the largest updates released in August 2018. Although Google did not reveal full specifics of the update, it aimed at websites focusing on health and any niche related, including business, technology, entertainment, etc. This update put a much heavier focus on Google’s E-A-T (Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness) Signals.
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Key Features of the Medic Update:
- E-A-T Becomes a Major Ranking Factor: Google started to rank sites that provide ‘E-A-T’ content,’ especially in YMYL niches – health, finance, and law.
- Impact on YMYL Sites: Some sites, which provide medical advice, financial tips, or legal services, were shown to change positions. Such categories of web pages were impacted; those with low quality content and those created by non-expert authors.
- Stronger Focus on Author Credentials: Sites which contained information from well-established authors and organisations were more likely to rank higher.
Actionable Insights Post-Medic Update:
- Boost Your Site’s E-A-T: Produce valuable and insightful content and support it by professional opinions, studies, and references. Refer to other sources of authority and guarantee the contents are written by experts in the field.
- Improve Trust Signals: Always use the https protocol for browsing, make sure the website contains a clear privacy policy and contact information and does not contain false advertisements.
- Leverage Author Reputation: If your content falls into YMYL categories, it should be written by a person with expertise in the field, and author bios should prove this.
3. Google Speed Update (July 2018): Mobile Site Accessibility and the Role of Page Speed in RankingFactor
In July 2018, Google released the Speed Update, which made the mobile page speed a ranking signal. This update specifically addressed mobile search rankings and made it clear that sites who didn’t deliver a smooth browsing experience would fall in the ranks.
Key Features of the Speed Update:
- Mobile Page Speed Becomes Critical: It highlighted that page speed would be used to rank web content especially for mobile search engines. The sites that were slow to load on a mobile decreased in their rankings.
- Core Web Vitals Integration: The Speed Update was the first step towards the Core Web Vitals project that was going to encompass different PWAs overall user experience metrics.
Actionable Insights for Speed Optimization:
- Focus on Mobile Site Speed: It is recommended to use Google’s PageSpeed Insights to check and improve the loading speed of your mobile site.
- Optimize Images and Media Files: Some images and media files take time to load and therefore should be compressed to increase the loading speed of the site. When it comes to images, use next-gen formats such as WebP as far as possible.
- Leverage Browser Caching and Reduce Redirects: Reduce the usage of redirect and set up the correct caching to enhance the loading time.
4. Google Pirate Update (Ongoing Adjustments in 2018): Combating Piracy and Copyright Violation
The Google Pirate Update for the Internet users is a change in the algorithm that aims to help Google to identify sites that distribute pirated content, movies, music or software in particular, and punish them. Google introduced this update in 2012, but to fine-tune its impact, Google made further modifications in 2018.
Key Features of the Pirate Update in 2018:
- Targeting Copyright Infringement: Google’s Pirate Update sought to filter out websites that offered products that are pirated or illegally shared.
- Impact on Pirated Content Sites: Sites with content of pirated movies or music lost their positions in search results, while absolutely legal sites with proper licenses got bonuses.
- Stronger Focus on Legal Content: Due to this, Google starting favoring sites that complied with the copyright laws and had the necessary license for content being distributed.
Actionable Insights Post-Pirate Update:
- Avoid Hosting Pirated Content: It is important that your website is not involved in such malpractices as downloading and linking to pirated content. To those who own media distribution sites, make sure that they have the license to do so and permission from the owners of the media.
- Use Google’s DMCA Tools: If your website has received a DMCA takedown notice for content, then there is no time to waste in removing the infringing material from your website.
5. Google Quality Rater Guidelines: Latest Updates Throughout the Year 2018
Google’s Quality Rater Guidelines (QRG) refer to policies applied by actual people who evaluate the quality of search results. Although not an algorithm update per se, the guidelines were revised frequently in 2018 and offer an idea of how Google assesses contents and websites.
Key Features of the Quality Rater Guidelines Update:
- E-A-T Emphasis: Recall from the Medic Update, the QRG focused on E-A-T (Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness). This was a clear indication that Google was improving on their algorithms to make way for the top-notch, expert content.
- Focus on YMYL (Your Money or Your Life) Websites: Web sites providing health, financial, and legal information were studied more stringently to guarantee that the information provided exceeded the level of professional and reliability.
Actionable Insights Post-QRG Updates:
- Ensure High Content Quality: Concentrate on creating and publishing quality and relevant content that meets the needs of your users in terms of quantity, method of presentation, and authenticity. The more experience and ranking you have in whatever field you are in, the higher your possibilities of doing well are.
- Pay Attention to User Intent: Follow the specifications of the users and ensure that your content provides the best answer to the users’ questions.
Conclusion: The effects of the updated algorithm launched by Google in 2018
The W10 Google algorithm of 2018 was centered on making the search results better for the users by promoting great quality content, mobile speed, and secure sites that meet Google’s quality standard. The mobile-first indexing and the Speed Update supported the significance of the improvement of the websites’ mobile versions; the Medic Update and the further changes in the Quality Rater Guidelines pointed to the significance of the expertise, authority, and trustworthiness of the content.
Webmasters, SEO and other digital marketers had to learn these updates by refreshing their content and making sure that they were mobile friendly while at the same time avoiding spammy techniques that would bring negative effects on their ranking. As the algorithms of Google grew more complex, the importance was transferred to the usability and the relevance of the content that the web site delivered.
Frequently asked questions concerning Google’s algorithm changes of the year 2018
1. All that remains to be explained is what the Medic Update was and how it impacted rankings.
The most recent Medic Update in August 2018 was all about the refinement of the search results in topics related to health and wellness and any content that falls under the category of sensitive content; this was done through a strong focus on the E-A-T factors. Any site with poor quality content or more specifically sites which don’t have an authoritative figure behind it or them were punished.
2. What does it mean for SEO?
This means that Google crawls the mobile version of a website, and any ranking that is assigned to that site, is based on the mobile version. It discussed some of the fact, like having a mobile friendly website is essential for a good SEO ranking.
3. What can I do to my website after the Speed Update?
To optimize your website speed, optimize images, reduce the number of redirects and mobile responsiveness. Using such tools as PageSpeed Insights, you are likely to discover what can be done to optimize the website.
4. What is the Pirate Update and how is it going to impact the website?
The Pirate Update aims at websites that have content sharing piracy issues and takes appropriate action to downrate such websites in search. If your site contains or refers to pirated content, your rankings may suffer the same fate.
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