Forbes: 2021 Google Algorithm Update
The reference article by David Hunter can be accessed here.
As we discussed in class, Google has iterated extensively on its original web-searching algorithm since it was PageRank, a graduate project at Stanford. The industry is enormous, and Google pulls in hundreds of billions per year on its free search service, mainly from advertising. Ads are now priced per-click, though pricing them ‘correctly’ took many iterations. Regardless, the algorithm that brings up query results is continually tweaked by Google in order to maintain their lead on competing search engines.
This article in Forbes may be useful to website owners or designers who are looking to increase traffic by having a better (lower) search rank. Hunter begins by discussing the importance of user experience, a fundamental aspect of website design that Google is emphasizing even more with the 2021 update in question. A measurement as part of the algorithm called Core Web Vitals looks at loading (LCP), visual stability (CLS), and interactivity (FID). This measure is being prioritized over Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP). Mobile-Friendliness, encryption (using https), and no pop-ups are other important factors for Google’s preference for your website. Core Web Vitals rolled out back in September of 2020, and this article includes a similar discussion
Specifically, Hunter recommends upgrading your hosting service, compressing images, redirecting broken links/pages, and observing user behavior to improve navigation. In class there was mention of the many ways that Google’s algorithm has evolved since its creation, and that continues today. The changes may be smaller as they iterate on tried-and-true industry-leading technology, but they do seek to prevent advertisers from gaming the system. This is why the service is so opaque, and tweaking the engine repeatedly not only keeps Google ahead of other search engines, but also ahead of its customers who want to get their website to the top. This topic clearly excludes the pricing strategy details that we study in class, since it’s about the non-advertisement slots and simple search results, and how these are ranked and calculated.
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