Academic Journal of Science and Technology

ISSN: 2771-3032 | Vol. 9, No. 2, 2024

Research on Google’s Latest Algorithm Rules and

Application Strategies
Fan Zhang1, 2, *
1 Philippine
Christian University, 1004 Manila, Philippine
2 Huanggang Vocational College of Science and Technology,438000 Huanggang, China
* Corresponding author: Zhang Fan (Email: [email protected])

Abstract: With the booming development of the Internet digital economy, the number of corporate websites has increased
sharply. In order to ensure the accuracy and relevance of search results to meet the personalized needs of users, search engines
must constantly iterate and optimize their algorithms and rules. At the same time, developers are also actively exploring the
working mechanism of search engines and the factors that affect search rankings. These studies form the cornerstone of search
engine optimization. Therefore, it is crucial for SEO practitioners to deeply analyze the latest algorithm and rule changes of
search engines such as Google. This article will review and analyze the algorithm and rule changes officially announced by
Google in the past four years, extract the core elements that play a key role in improving search rankings, and form an
optimization application strategy.
Keywords: Algorithms rules, Google, Research, Application strategies.

2020, Google has successively launched core algorithms and

1. Introduction rules, making an in-depth understanding of them an
Google, as the world's leader in search engines, any indispensable task, which has significant practical
changes in its algorithms and rules will attract widespread significance and application value.
attention around the world, because these adjustments will
have a direct impact on the traffic and rankings of hundreds 2. Theoretical Research on The Latest
of millions of websites, and even the interests of countless Google Algorithms and Rules
companies and individuals[1]. Therefore, studying search
engine algorithms to improve website rankings and attract 2.1. Rules in 2020
more traffic has become a core task for website operators. As 2.1.1. Google January 2020 Core Update
Google's algorithms and rules continue to evolve, operational As an independent algorithm adjusted by Google , this core
strategies also need to be constantly adapted and optimized. update mainly focuses on the following contents:
For enterprises and website operators, in-depth exploration of This update has had a drastic impact on the ranking of the
Google's latest algorithms and rules will not only help better website. For the first time, Google has fully paid attention to
understand the operating mechanism of search engines, but user experience, content quality and relevance as important
also provide guidance for formulating efficient and accurate factors in search rankings,effect demonstration as shown in
strategies to maximize traffic and benefits change[2]. Since Table 1.

Table 1. Google January 2020 Core Update Effect Demonstration

Ranking Ranking
Website before after Reason
update update
Content quality has deteriorated, such as content that is inaccurate, repetitive,
second or irrelevant.
A website first place
place Decreased user experience, such as reduced page loading speed and reduced
mobile friendliness
Improved content quality, such as content that is accurate, new, or helpful.
B website third place first place Improved user experience, such as faster page response and deletion of
unfriendly pages
C website the fifth place constant Content quality remains stable.

2.1.2. Google May 2020 core update the focus of this May update is different from the January
This update continues to update the algorithm with content update. The May update focuses more on content quality,
quality, relevance and user experience as the core. However, while The January update focuses more on user experience,
effect demonstration as shown in Table 2.

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 Table 2. Google May 2020 Core Update Effect Demonstration
factor Updated May 2020 Updated January 2020
focus Content quality user experience
Evaluation Criteria Accuracy, novelty, usefulness, relevance Loading speed, readability, user interactivity
Websites with poor content will be ranked Websites with poor user experience will experience
Influence lower lower rankings

2.1.3. Google December 2020 core update that the content is accurate, novel, and useful; to ensure that
Based on the updates in January and May, this update the content is relevant to search queries; to ensure that the
further improves the user experience, relevance and content content is easy to read and understand; to ensure that the
quality. The overall update requirements in 2020 are to ensure website is mobile-friendly, Comparison as shown in Table 3.

Table 3. Comparison of Google core updates in January, May and December 2020
Update time update content Impact on SEO strategies
Website operators should focus on improving the user experience of the
Pay more attention to
January 2020 website, creating high-quality content, and ensuring that the website content is
user experience
relevant to the search keywords
Pay more attention to Website operators should focus on creating high-quality content, ensuring that
May 2020 content quality and the content of the website is relevant to the search keywords, and improving the
relevance user experience of the website.
Pay more attention to
Website operators should focus on creating high-quality content, ensuring that
content quality,
the content of the website is relevant to search keywords, improving the user
December 2020 relevance, user
experience of the website, and optimizing the user experience of mobile
experience and mobile
terminals.
user experience

2.2. Rules in 2021 paragraphs in search results instead of entire pages. In

previous search results, Google ranked pages based on their
2.2.1. Google Passage Ranking Update in February 2021 content and relevance to the search query. After the Passage
This is a major algorithm update from Google aimed at Ranking Update, Google ranks specific paragraphs on the
improving the quality of search results. The main change in page based on their content and relevance to the search query,
the update is that Google will start rendering specific Demo as shown in Table 4.

Table 4. Google 2021 Passage Ranking Update Demo

Ranking Ranking
Website Reason
before update after update
Site A has page content that is relevant to the search query, but
Website A first place third place
paragraphs that are not.
Site B has page content that is relevant to the search query, and
Website B second place second place
paragraphs that are relevant to the search query.
The page content of website C is related to the search query, and the
paragraphs are also related to the search query. The language model,
Website C third place first place structure, title, keywords and other signals of the paragraph are
more conducive to Google's understanding of the relevance of the
paragraph.

2.2.2. Google April 2021 product review update usefulness of product reviews. Google believes that
The main change in this update is that Google will place authoritative product reviews provide users with more
more emphasis on the content quality, objectivity, and reliable information and therefore rank higher in search
results,as shown in Table 5.

Table 5. Google April 2021 Product Review Update Mockup

Ranking before Ranking after
website update update reason
The product reviews on website A are rich in content, but poor in
Website A first place second place
objectivity, and may over-exaggerate or belittle the product.
The product reviews on website B are rich in content and good in
Website B second place first place
objectivity, which helps users make purchasing decisions.
Website C’s product reviews contain less content, are generally
Website C third place third place
objective, and are of little help to users’ purchasing decisions.

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2.2.3. Google June and July 2021 core updates such as malware and phishing links. Google started paying
This is two back-to-back monthly updates, both designed more attention to website loading speed, accessibility, and
to improve the quality of search results and make it easier for mobile-friendliness.
users to find useful information. The June update focused on 2.2.4. Google June 2021 mobile version page experience
the site's structure and content quality. Google began to pay update
more attention to the navigation structure of the website, page This update is designed to improve the quality of mobile
titles and descriptions, and the readability and usefulness of search results. In this update, Google will evaluate mobile
the content. The July update focused on the user experience pages and desktop pages separately. There is no combined
of the website and whether the website has security issues rating for mobile and desktop,as shown in Table 6.

Table 6. Google 2021 June mobile version page experience update demonstration
Ranking Ranking after
website before update update reason
Website The mobile version of Website A is slow and takes more than 3 seconds to
A first place third place load.
Website
B second place second place Website B’s mobile version is fast, loading in less than 1 second.
Website Website C's mobile version is fast, loading in less than 1 second, and has
C third place first place good accessibility and security.

2.2.5. Google June 2021 Spam Update Google's artificial intelligence system SpamBrain, aiming to
Google conducted two rounds of spam updates on June 23 improve the identification and ranking of spam websites in
and 28, 2021. This iterative update is based on the upgrade of search results,as shown in Table 7.

Table 7. Google 2021 June Spam Update Simulation Demo

Website
website type Website content Before update Updated
ranking
A website that provides medical
consultation and services with high-
health Maintain high rankings Maintain high rankings
quality content, compliant with EAT high
website and traffic and traffic
standards, and free of spam and
malicious links.
Websites that provide travel
information and services have low-
Keep rankings and traffic Rankings and traffic drop
travel website quality content, do not meet EAT Low
low further
standards, and contain spam and
malicious links.
A website that provides entertainment
news and gossip. The content is of Rankings and traffic
entertainment Maintain moderate
medium quality, partially compliant middle fluctuate based on
website rankings and traffic
with EAT standards, and free of spam different queries
and malicious links.

2.2.6. Google June 2021 spam link update resist spam links , mainly through the source, quantity, and
This time Google named the algorithm related to spam Based on quality and purpose, this update will help purify
links and officially released an algorithm update called "Link search results and improve the quality of search results. It may
Spam Update", which aims to more effectively identify and also bring some uncertainties to some regular and legal
websites in the short term,as shown in Table 8.

Table 8. Google 2021 July Spam Link Update Simulation Demonstration

Ranking Ranking
Website Reason
before update after update
Website A has a large number of affiliate program links that are not tagged with
The second
Website A First page nofollow. These links were identified by Google as spam links, so Google lowered
page
the ranking of Site A.
The second
Website B First page Website B has no spam links. So Google improves the ranking of website B.
page
Website C has a small number of spam links. These links are recognized by Google
The third
Website C The third page as spam links, but the impact is not significant. Therefore, the ranking of website C
page
does not change.

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2.2.7. Google November 2021 spam update like an enhancement to the underlying algorithm to make it
This update is an enhanced version of the June spam easier for users to find the information they want. It may also
algorithm update, focusing on identifying and resisting more have different effects on different keywords and search
subtle spam. According to Google, website operators should intentions, allowing the same website to perform differently
focus on following Google’s best practice recommendations under different queries.
for SEO . This means that emails with diverse, high-quality, 2.2.9. Google December 2021 product review update
and well-researched content can provide information to users. Google The update is designed to promote comments that
This spam update also focuses more on combating content exceed most of the modular information seen on the web.
spam - sites that publish low-quality, duplicate or misleading Google Will see these types of product reviews in their search
content. results rankings, which means that sites that provide unique,
2.2.8. Google November 2021 Core Update insightful reviews may see ranking improvements,as shown
This update, like other core updates from Google, aims to in Table 9.
improve the quality and relevance of search results. It is more

Table 9. Google December 2021 product review update mockup

Ranking Ranking
Website Product review type
before update after update
Website A 5 3 Unique and insightful comments
Website B 4 7 Low-quality reviews that briefly summarize product content
Website C 7 6 Moderate quality review with some insight but not enough depth
WebsiteD 10 4 High-quality reviews with detailed analysis of product pros and cons

2.3. Rules in 2022 results and provide users with more valuable information.
Google will evaluate the quality of page experience based on
2.3.1. Google desktop version page experience update in a series of factors (Core Web Vitals indicators), including the
February 2022 page's loading speed, mobile friendliness, security, and
This update is designed to improve the quality of search whether there are annoying ads,as shown in Table 10.

Table 10. Google February 2022 desktop version page experience update simulation demonstration
Website Page experience Ranking impact
Ranking
Website A LCP: 1 second, FID: 1 second, CLS: 0.1, HTTPS secure, no intrusive interstitials improvement
Ranking remains
Website B LCP: 3 seconds, FID: 2 seconds, CLS: 0.2, HTTPS secure, no intrusive interstitials unchanged
Website C LCP: 5 seconds, FID: 3 seconds, CLS: 0.3, HTTPS secure, no intrusive interstitials Ranking dropped
WebsiteD LCP: 1 second, FID: 1 second, CLS: 0.1, HTTPS is not secure, has intrusive interstitials Ranking dropped

2.3.2. Google March 2022 product review update just summarizing basic product information . The purpose of
This product review update aims to improve the quality and this update is to promote and reward review content that
credibility of product reviews to help users make more provides insightful analysis and original research.
informed purchasing decisions. Google emphasizes the 2.3.3. Google May 2022 core update
importance of in-depth and authentic product reviews. The main goal of this core update is to improve the search
Content creators are encouraged to provide users with algorithm to better understand and satisfy user search
pertinent, sincere, and helpful purchasing advice, rather than intent,as shown in Table 11.

Table 11. Google May 2022 Core Update Demo

Website Quality and user experience Ranking impact
Website A High quality and good user experience Ranking improvement
Website B Medium quality, average user experience Ranking remains unchanged
Website C Low quality, poor user experience Ranking dropped

2.3.4. Google July 2022 product review update pay more attention to whether the authors of product reviews
In this update, Google emphasizes the importance of have expertise and authority in the relevant field,as shown in
advanced product review content, and Google will begin to Table 12.

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 Table 12. Google July 2022 product review update mockup
Product review page Ranking impact
The author of the page has professional knowledge and authority in the relevant field, covers all important Ranking
aspects of the product, and provides a comprehensive evaluation that is objective and fair improvement
The author of the page does not have professional knowledge and authority in the relevant field, the
products covered are not comprehensive enough, and the evaluation is not comprehensive enough and Ranking dropped
biased

2.3.5. Google’s helpful content updates for August 2022 identification accuracy by gaining insights into users'
One big change with this update is that it changes Google's reporting, flagging, and filtering behaviors, as well as
stance on AI-generated content. Previous versions analyzing spammer behavior patterns.
emphasized that the Useful Content System generates content 2.3.9. Google December 2022 Useful Content Updates
that is original, useful content "written for humans." However, Google’s December 2022 Useful Content update is
the latest update puts the focus on "original, useful content designed to significantly improve the quality of search results,
created for people by the Useful Content System." This ensuring users can quickly find valuable, in-depth, and
adjustment reflects Google's growing recognition of the insightful information. This update not only emphasizes the
difficulties in regulating content generated by artificial quality and relevance of content, but also significantly
intelligence, emphasizing that content should be human- expands and tightens content formats and requirements,
centered, regardless of the specific way the content is created. further emphasizing the principle that content is king.
2.3.6. Google September 2022 Core Update 2.3.10. Google December 2022 spam link update
Similar to previous core updates, Google emphasized the Google’s December 2022 link spam update focuses on the
overall improvement and enhancement of the search source, quality, and behavior of spam links to further improve
algorithm, the importance of content quality and relevance. the quality and fairness of search results. This update utilizes
This means that webmasters and content creators need to advanced SpamBrain AI technology, which not only directly
continue to focus on providing high-quality, unique and detects spam, but also accurately identifies purchase links in
useful content to attract the attention of users and search independent sites and delivers outgoing links, thereby
engines . This update mainly focuses on online communities, effectively counteracting the negative impact of unnatural
hobbies and leisure, pets and animals, and beauty. It has a links on search results. This improvement demonstrates
certain impact on the fitness and gaming industries. Google's significant enhancement in accurately identifying
2.3.7. Google September 2022 Product Review Update and combating links that attempt to manipulate search
Google’s September 2022 Product Reviews update, rankings through unnatural means, ensuring that search
marking the fifth iteration of the series, demonstrates a new results are fair and accurate.
heightened focus on content uniqueness and product 2.4. Rules in 2023
relevance . This update not only emphasizes the need for more
in-depth analysis and diverse perspectives in review content 2.4.1. Google February 2023 product review update
to assist users in making informed purchasing choices, but Google launched its sixth product review update in
also specifically highlights the importance of reviewer February 2023. This update focuses on the expertise, authority,
identity and expertise. credibility, ease of use, and experience of the reviews, with a
special emphasis on the depth of the reviews. Compared with
2.3.8. Google October 2022 Spam Update
previous updates, this update has been significantly
Google’s October 2022 spam update marks significant
strengthened and improved in many aspects to provide users
technological advancements in spam identification and
with higher-quality, useful and credible product reviews to
processing. Compared with previous updates, this update
help them make more informed purchasing decisions and
shows a higher level of intelligence, ensuring more accurate
improve The value of the online shopping experience.
and comprehensive detection and punishment of spam,
thereby providing users with a safer and more efficient 2.4.2. Google March 2023, August core update
mailbox usage environment. On the one hand, Google has Google released core updates in March and August 2023,
adopted a more intelligent detection method. On the other and continued to optimize and iterate its search algorithm to
hand, this update does a great job of combating evasive improve the professionalism, authority, credibility, ease of use
behavior. Optimize filtering algorithms and improve and experience of search results[3],as shown in Table 13.

Table 13. Google March 2023, August core update comparison

Sphere of
Update month Update highlights Impact type
influence
Search algorithm adjustment and
widespread and Ranking and traffic changes, reordering search
March 2023 optimization, focusing on content
rapid results
quality
Search result diversity and relevance,
Ranking and traffic changes, reordering search
August 2023 emphasizing user intent and Partial impact
results
providing rich and diverse results

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2.4.3. Google’s useful content updates for September cancel its ranking effect , more effectively identify and filter
2023 spam, thereby protecting user inboxes.
In the "Useful Content Update" launched by Google in 2.4.5. Google October 2023 “Rankings are experiencing
September 2023, it has introduced a more sophisticated an ongoing issue” update
classification and filtering system, which can accurately In October 2023, an update titled "Ranking is experiencing
identify worthless content and label websites at different an ongoing issue" was released to illustrate and explain that
levels, thereby affecting its search Ranking. This means that Google's ranking system is experiencing an ongoing issue,
if there is a lot of useless content on the website, whether it is mainly characterized by unstable and unavailable search
self-created or provided by third parties, it will affect other results. Predictive. This issue is a huge challenge for website
pages with high-quality content. owners and search engine optimization (SEO) practitioners
2.4.4. Google ’s October 2023 spam update because it directly affects their website traffic and visibility.
Google has strengthened its spam filtering capabilities in 2.4.6. Google October and November 2023 core updates
the October 2023 spam update, using more advanced machine Google released two consecutive core updates in October
learning and artificial intelligence technology, and a new and November 2023. As two back-to-back core updates, they
iterative version of the machine learning algorithm each emphasize different focuses and have an impact on
SpamBrain, which can identify unnatural external links. And different types of websites,as shown in Table 14.

Table 14. Google October 2023, November core update comparison

Update time Update highlights Affected website types

1. Emphasize content quality and relevance 1. Websites with a large number of spam links
October 2023 2. Strengthen focus on user experience 2. Websites with low content quality
3. Improve semantic search capabilities 3. Websites with poor user experience

1. Core algorithm adjustment and 1. Websites with content that is not relevant to the search
optimization query
November 2023
2. Increase focus on diversity and inclusion 2. Websites with outdated or stale content
3. Improve local search function 3. Websites with incomplete content or lack of information

3. A Decomposition Study of Google’s to improve the professionalism, authority, and trustworthiness

of the website. Reliability, ease of use and experience[4].
Core Updates That Affect Rankings After studying the key ideas of Google algorithm updates,
From 2020 to 2023 to the present, a total of 32 updates have the key points in the 12 core updates were decomposed, and
been analyzed by Google that affect rankings. We can find then the core keywords were extracted to form a core update
that Google has continued to iterate and update the algorithm important keyword information table,as shown in Table 15.

Table 15. Decomposition of Google’s core updates

Years Update time Important updates Main areas of influence

2020 January Content quality, relevance, user experience, semantic search Health, beauty, finance, Internet

2020 May diversity, inclusion, user experience, page experience Travel, retail, finance, health

2020 December Content quality, relevance, semantic search improvements Social media, information, health, e-commerce

2021 June Page experience, loading speed, mobile friendliness News and blog websites

2021 July Core algorithm adjustment, content quality, user experience Broad impact, specific industries to be confirmed

2021 November Core algorithm adjustment, content quality, user experience Widely impact multiple industries

2022 May Content quality, professionalism, authoritativeness Medical, financial, legal

2022 September Core algorithm adjustments, diversity, inclusion, local search Widely impact many fields

2023 March Content relevance, user experience Information and commercial websites

2023 June Core algorithm optimization, website structure, internal links Education, science and technology fields

Content quality, relevance, user experience, semantic search

2023 October Content creation, news media
improvements

Predictions impact multiple areas, especially holiday and shopping-

2023 November Forecast Core Algorithm Tweaks, Diversity and Inclusion
related websites

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 comprehensive work content framework based on Google
4. Application Strategies on Daily search engine optimization[5]. The framework focuses on
Work Content Based on Google content quality, user experience, semantic search, relevance,
Algorithm diversity and inclusion to ensure better ranking and exposure
of websites in search results[6]. The following is a detailed
Through the above research on Google's core updates that strategy description,as shown in Table 16:
affect rankings, we have comprehensively developed a

Table 16. Application on daily work

Serial number Strategy Points Describe

Focus on creating high-quality, unique, and in-depth content that solves user problems
1 Content quality and fills needs. Drill down into your target audience and keywords to provide
information that closely matches search intent.

Emphasize an easy-to-navigate website structure that provides a clear information

2 user experience architecture. Optimize loading speed to ensure users can browse the website quickly and
smoothly. Featuring a mobile-friendly responsive design.

Optimize content to reflect the semantics of natural language and user queries, using
3 Semantic search relevant keywords, phrases, structured data and markup language to enhance the
semantic understanding of your content.

Make sure your website content remains highly relevant to user search intent. Gain a
4 Correlation deep understanding of your target audience’s search behavior and needs, and
continuously adapt and optimize content to meet user expectations.

Provide content from diverse sources and perspectives to avoid information bias and
Diversity and
5 duplication. Encourage diverse voices and perspectives and showcase a variety of
Inclusion
content types.

Visual design
Provide a clear, easy-to-read page layout. Use engaging titles and descriptions, provide
6 and user
visual elements and interactive features to enhance page appeal.
experience

Mobile
compatibility Optimize the user experience on mobile devices to ensure seamless integration with
7
and desktop devices.
responsiveness

Continuously optimize website loading speed and reduce page loading time. Improve
Loading speed
8 user experience by compressing image and file sizes, optimizing code and server
optimization
response time.

Content Encourage innovative thinking and diversity to meet the changing needs of users.
9 innovation and Provide content creators with rich resources and support to promote the creation of
diversity unique and valuable information.

5. Conclusion operation of the website.

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