Introduction
It is not unlike Google to keep its algorithm a closely guarded secret. But every once in a while, they let slip some tidbits of information about upcoming updates. This year, they have hinted at and enacted some major changes to the Google algorithm in 2022.
As we come to the end of 2022, we can expect Google to continue refining its algorithm in order to provide better search engine results and give users the most relevant and up-to-date information they are looking for.
Changes in Focus
The biggest change that Google has hinted at is a shift away from backlinks as a major ranking factor. While they will still be important, the focus will shift towards content quality and relevance to the user’s search query. This means that websites with high-quality, relevant content are likely to rank higher in Google searches while sites with low-quality, outdated content will get dropped in the rankings.
Suggested Read: How to Get Current Visitor Location using HTML5 Geolocation API
Google algorithm updates in 2022
October 2022 Span Update
Google’s October 2022 Span Update will likely focus on improving the accuracy of Google’s search results. This could include changes to their indexing process, as well as improvements to how they identify and rank content that is relevant to each search query. This update impacted how Google searches for related phrases and attaches relevance in order to provide more user-search intent-focused search results. This update is in impact globally throughout all languages and the rollout was finished as of October 21, 2022.
Google clearly shows what it considers to be spam. It uses automated algorithms to identify and filter out spammy content. Google’s Span Update also seeks to protect searchers from fraudulent or malicious websites. It does this by making sure that every website is of a certain quality before it is indexed in its search engine results. This means that websites with poor content, low-quality backlinks, and those who participate in black hat SEO practices are less likely to appear in search results.
In addition, Google’s Spam Update also seeks to combat cloaking and other deceptive practices. Cloaking is when a website presents different content or web pages to users depending on their location or other criteria. This can be used to manipulate the rankings of a website in search engine results. Google’s Spam Update will detect this and penalize websites that use these practices.
Finally, Google’s Spam Update also works to reduce duplicate content. This refers to when there are multiple versions of the same content on different websites or web pages. This can be used to manipulate rankings, as well as reduce the quality of search engine results. Google’s Spam Update will seek out and penalize websites that are using these types of practices.
September 2022
September saw 2 updates. Both were completed by 26th October, though they address entirely different fields.
Sep 20 update:
This was the fifth in a series of updates focusing on review sites, along with being the third product review update of the year. This update targets the overly positive and biased reviews that can be found on certain sites, as well as those failing to comply with Google’s guidelines.
Sep 12 update:
This was the second core update of the year, after the May 2022 update. This was launched 3 days after the helpful content update finished being rolled out. The update mainly targeted pages which lacked helpful content to help users, and rewarded pages that had more in-depth information with higher rankings.
It also addressed issues such as link schemes, keyword stuffing and other forms of manipulation. The aim was to ensure the integrity of the search engine results, so that only those websites providing quality and relevant content are visible at the top of the search engine results page (SERP).
In addition to this update, Google also released an algorithm change that focuses on “doorway pages”. Doorway pages are webpages that are created solely for the purpose of manipulating rankings and driving traffic to another website or landing page with little or no regard for quality content.
Here are a few questions to test content material quality when you have been adversely hit by this update:
- Does your content provide value to the user?
- Is it relevant to the topic or query being searched?
- Is it well written and easy to read?
- Are there any duplicate elements on the page, such as meta descriptions, title tags or headings?
- Are you using high-quality links and images to boost SEO?
- Have you optimized the page speed of your website?
- Does the content follow Google’s webmaster guidelines?
- Are there any keyword stuffing or hidden text?
- Do you offer a unique and informative experience for visitors?
- Do you have enough content to rank on search engines?
August 2022
This was the much-awaited helpful content update and was rolled out by 9th September 2022. This update especially focused on Google’s warning target toward auto-generated AI content and SEO-driven content that was not helpful to users. This update also sought to penalize any unethical methods of manipulating search engine results such as keyword stuffing and hidden text, further pushing against pages with little or no useful content.
Under this new update, websites had to ensure that they offer truly unique and informative content with compelling headlines and interesting visuals. There was also an increased focus on long-form content, with the idea being that longer articles would usually have more meaningful insights than shorter ones. Search engine rankings were heavily favored for those pages that provided comprehensive information and went into great detail about a topic, instead of simply scraping together snippets from other webpages.
Although this update was set to bring in massive shifts in ranking, SEO professionals and websites quickly adapted. They started writing content with more depth, added visuals that helped explain complex concepts, and began structuring their webpages to ensure better user experience. These strategies allowed them to maintain their rankings even in the face of heavy competition from larger sites.
July 2022 update:
This update, targeted toward English-language product reviews, was the second product review of the year. It focused on using natural language processing to understand the intent behind product reviews and rank them accordingly. This meant that for websites wanting to compete in this area, they had to provide more detailed and comprehensive reviews than ever before.
May 2022 update
As the first core update of the year, the May 2022 update focused on improving reliability and accuracy of accuracy of ratings and store reviews. This update was a major milestone for the product review space, as it introduced a new way to evaluate and rank reviews. This also meant that smaller sites had an opportunity to increase their visibility in this competitive field.
March 2022 update
This product review update focused heavily on improving handling of reviews. This update allowed for reviews to be thoroughly moderated and also made it easier to flag inappropriate or fraudulent content. It also brought about a change in how reviews were classified, allowing for more accurate sorting through the vast abundance of ratings and reviews.
February 2022:
The February 2022 page experience update focused on making the customer experience more streamlined. This included introducing features such as a simpler checkout process, automated review requests, and improved search capabilities. These new features made it easier for customers to find what they were looking for and make their purchase decisions faster.
Also Read: How to Add or Embed Google Review on your website
Conclusion
The updates for 2022 have been focused on improving the customer experience. These updates have allowed businesses to better serve their customers by giving them more accurate and streamlined experiences. The changes have also helped protect business owners from fraudulent or inappropriate content, as well as allowing for better sorting of reviews and ratings.
For more information on how to keep up with Google algorithm updates, an SEO agency in Kolkata can help you understand how the changes affect your business and help you adjust accordingly.
Nidhi Maurya is a professional blogger and Content Writer who writes about a variety of topics related to his niche, including Web Tech, SEO, and digital marketing.
