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Timeline of Google Search

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| 2006 || May || Review || Google releases [[wikipedia:Google Trends|Google Trends]] to make it easy to visualize the popularity of searches over time.<ref name=official-google-history/>
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| 2006 || August 23 || Customized search || Google publicly launches {{w|Google Custom Search}}. The main part of this is Custom Search Engine, a functionality that allows users to build search engines with their own custom modifications of Google Search, specifically, restriction of the search queries to a subset of the web (e.g., a specific set of domains).<ref>{{cite web|title=The Power of Google Search is Now Customizable|url=http://googlepress.blogspot.com/2006/10/power-of-google-search-is-now_23.html|publisher=Google|date = August 23, 2006|accessdate = July 13, 2019}}</ref>
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| 2007 || May 16 || Search algorithm update + user experience || Google launches Universal Search, integrating traditional search results with results from [[wikipedia:Google News|Google News]], [[wikipedia:Google Image Search|Google Image Search]], Google Video Search, and other verticals. This is believed to be a major milestone in the user experience.<ref name=official-google-history/><ref name=moz/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2007/05/universal-search-best-answer-is-still.html|title = Universal search: The best answer is still the best answer|date = May 16, 2007|last = Mayer|first = Marissa|authorlink = Marissa Mayer|publisher = Official Google Blog|accessdate = February 2, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://searchengineland.com/google-20-google-universal-search-11232|title = Google Launches "Universal Search" & Blended Results|last = Sullivan|first = Danny|authorlink = Danny Sullivan (technologist)|publisher = [[wikipedia:Search Engine Land|Search Engine Land]]|date = May 16, 2007|accessdate = February 2, 2014}}</ref>
| 2010 || November 9 || User experience || Google launches Instant Previews, a feature where users can view previews of the ranked pages by hovering over the links in the [[wikipedia:search engine results page|search engine results page]].<ref name=moz/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2010/11/beyond-instant-results-instant-previews.html|title = Beyond Instant results: Instant Previews|date = November 9, 2010|accessdate = February 2, 2014|publisher = Official Google Blog}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://mashable.com/2010/11/09/google-instant-previews/|title = Google Now Lets You Preview Search Results Before You Click Them|last = Parr|first = Ben|authorlink = Ben Parr|date = November 9, 2010|accessdate = February 2, 2014|publisher = ''[[wikipedia:Mashable|Mashable]]''}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://techcrunch.com/2010/11/09/google-instant-previews/|title = Google Instant Previews: Get Ready To Be 5% More Likely Satisfied With Google Search|date = November 9, 2010|accessdate = February 2, 2014|last = Siegler|first = MG|publisher = ''[[wikipedia:TechCrunch|TechCrunch]]''}}</ref>
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| 2010 || December 1 || Search algorithm update || Google updated updates its algorithm to penalize websites that provided provide a bad experience to users. The update is prompted by a November 26 ''[[wikipedia:New York Times|New York Times]]'' story about a fraudulent company called DecorMyEyes that used the publicity generated by negative customer reviews to rise in the search engine rankings.<ref name=moz/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2010/12/being-bad-to-your-customers-is-bad-for.html|title = Being bad to your customers is bad for business|date = December 1, 2010|accessdate = February 2, 2014|publisher = Official Google Blog|last = Singhal|first = Amit|authorlink = Amit Singhal}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/28/business/28borker.html?_r=2&pagewanted=all&|title = A Bully Finds a Pulpit on the Web|last = Segal|first = David|date = November 26, 2010|accessdate = February 2, 2014|publisher = ''[[wikipedia:New York Times|New York Times]]''}}</ref>
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| 2010 || December || Search algorithm update (announcement/confirmation) || Both [[wikipedia:Google|Google]] and Microsoft's [[wikipedia:Bing (search engine)|Bing]] indicate that they use social signals, including signals from [[wikipedia:Twitter|Twitter]] and [[wikipedia:Facebook|Facebook]], to rank search results.<ref name=moz/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://searchengineland.com/what-social-signals-do-google-bing-really-count-55389|title = What Social Signals Do Google & Bing Really Count?|date = December 1, 2010|accessdate = February 2, 2014|publisher = [[wikipedia:Search Engine Land|Search Engine Land]]|last = Sullivan|first = Danny|authorlink = Danny Sullivan (technologist)}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://searchengineland.com/google-webmaster-video-reconfirms-use-of-social-signals-59320|title = Google Webmaster Video Reconfirms Use Of Social Signals|last = Schwartz|first = Barry|authorlink = Barry Schwartz (technologist)|date = December 20, 2010|accessdate = February 2, 2014|publisher = [[wikipedia:Search Engine Land|Search Engine Land]]}}</ref>
| 2012 || January 19 || Search algorithm update || Google updates its algorithm to introduce a penalty for websites with too many ads "above the fold". The update has no name, but some SEOs use "Top Heavy" to describe the update.<ref name=moz/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://insidesearch.blogspot.com/2012/01/page-layout-algorithm-improvement.html|title = Page layout algorithm improvement|date = January 19, 2012|accessdate = February 2, 2014|publisher = Inside Search: The official Google Search blog|last = Cutts|first = Matt|authorlink = Matt Cutts}}</ref>
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| 2012 || February 27 || Search algorithm update || The update, codenamed ''Venice'', is announced as part of Google's end-of-February 40-pack update. Venice seemed seems to give substantially increased weightage to local results (location inferred from the user's IP and other signals) for many search queries, such as those looking for businesses of various types in the vicinity.<ref name=moz/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://insidesearch.blogspot.com/2012/02/search-quality-highlights-40-changes.html|title = Search quality highlights: 40 changes for February|publisher = Inside Search: the Official Google Search blog|date = February 27, 2012|accessdate = February 2, 2014|last = Singhal|first = Amit|authorlink = Amit Singhal}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://moz.com/blog/understand-and-rock-the-google-venice-update|title = Understand and Rock the Google Venice Update|date = March 12, 2012|accessdate = February 2, 2014|publisher = [[wikipedia:SEOmoz|SEOmoz]]|last = Ramsey|first = Mike}}</ref> On the same date, Google rolls out Panda 3.3, which it bills as a data refresh rather than an algorithm change.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://searchengineland.com/google-confirms-panda-update-link-evaluation-local-search-rankings-113078|title = Google Confirms Panda 3.3 Update, Plus Changes To How It Evaluates Links, Local Search Rankings & Much More|last = McGee|first = Matt|date = February 27, 2012|accessdate = February 2, 2014|publisher = [[wikipedia:Search Engine Land|Search Engine Land]]}}</ref>
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| 2012 || March 23, April 19, April 27 || Search algorithm update || March 23: Google rolls out Panda 3.4, which is claimed to affect 1.6% of search queries.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://searchengineland.com/google-says-panda-update-is-rolling-out-now-116444|title = Google Says Panda 3.4 Is ‘Rolling Out Now’|last = McGee|first = Matt|date = March 23, 2012|accessdate = February 2, 2014}}</ref><br>Google quietly rolls out Panda 3.5 (April 19) and Panda 3.6 (April 27), with minimal impact.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.seroundtable.com/google-panda-35-15065.html|title = Google Mocks Me For Missing Panda 3.5|date = April 26, 2012|accessdate = February 2, 2014|last = Schwartz|first = Barry|authorlink = Barry Schwartz (technologist)|publisher = [[wikipedia:Search Engine Roundtable|Search Engine Roundtable]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://searchengineland.com/panda-update-3-6-on-april-27th-120227|title = Confirmed: Panda Update 3.6 Happened On April 27th|last = Schwartz|first = Barry|authorlink = Barry Schwartz (technologist)|date = May 3, 2012|accessdate = February 2, 2014|publisher = [[wikipedia:Search Engine Land|Search Engine Land]]}}</ref>
| 2013 || October 4 || Search algorithm update || Google announces what it calls Penguin 2.1, its fifth version of Penguin, claiming to affect 1% of searches. The effect seems minor.<ref name=moz/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://searchengineland.com/penguin-2-1-and-5-live-173632|title = Penguin 5, With The Penguin 2.1 Spam-Filtering Algorithm, Is Now Live|last = Sullivan|first = Danny|authorlink = Danny Sullivan (technologist)|date = October 4, 2013|accessdate = February 2, 2014|publisher = [[wikipedia:Search Engine Land|Search Engine Land]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.seroundtable.com/google-penguin-21-big-17479.html|title = Google Penguin 2.1 Was A Big Hit|last = Schwartz|first = Barry|authorlink = Barry Schwartz (technologist)|publisher = [[wikipedia:Search Engine Roundtable|Search Engine Roundtable]]|date = October 7, 2013|accessdate = February 2, 2014}}</ref>
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| 2014 || May 16 || Search algorithm update || Payday Loans 2.0 algorithm change is purely low quality external link related and over-optimization. This specifically goes after high search, spammy queries such as “Payday Loans”. Google is trying to devalue sites that perform in link buying and other black hat methods to game the algorithm.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tideinteractivegroup.com/google-algorithm-timeline.php|title = Payday Loans 2.0|last = Freeman|first = Josh|authorlink = Josh Freeman|publisher = [[wikipedia:Tide Interactive Group|Tide Interactive Group]]}}</ref>
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| 2014 || May 20 || Search algorithm update || Panda 4.0 is implemented to devalue sites that contained poor / low quality content. This has been an ongoing battle that Google has been chipping away at for years. Google has claimed that the algorithm change has impacted roughly 7.5% of all search queries.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tideinteractivegroup.com/google-algorithm-timeline.php|title = Panda 4.0|last = Freeman|first = Josh|authorlink = Josh Freeman|publisher = [[wikipedia:Tide Interactive Group|Tide Interactive Group]]}}</ref>
| 2015 || July 17 || Search algorithm update || Google announces an update to [[wikipedia:Google Panda|Google Panda]], dubbed as Panda 4.2 by commentators. Google says that the change affects between 2% and 3% of search queries. Search engine commentators do not notice any sharp changes to search traffic, and expect the changes to be rolled in gradually.<ref>{{cite web|url = http://www.thesempost.com/google-panda-update-everything-we-know-about-panda-4-2/|title = Google Panda Update: Everything We Know About Panda 4.2|publisher = The SEM Post|date = July 17, 2015|accessdate = September 12, 2016|last = Slegg|first = Jennifer}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url = http://searchengineland.com/google-panda-4-2-is-here-slowly-rolling-out-after-waiting-almost-10-months-225850|title = Google Panda 4.2 Is Here; Slowly Rolling Out After Waiting Almost 10 Months. Google says a Panda refresh began this weekend but will take months to fully roll out.|date = July 17, 2015|accessdate = September 12, 2016|publisher = [[wikipedia:Search Engine Land|Search Engine Land]]|last = Schwartz|first = Barry}}</ref> By September, it appears that many websites that had seen gains due to Panda 4.2 are seeing those gains reversed.<ref>{{cite web|url = https://www.seroundtable.com/google-panda-42-reversed-20837.html|title = Did Google Reverse The Panda 4.2 Update?|date = September 1, 2015|accessdate = September 12, 2016}}</ref>
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| 2015 || October 26 || Search algorithm update (announcement/confirmation) || Google announces that [[wikipedia:RankBrain{{w|RankBrain]]}}, a [[wikipedia:machine learning{{w|machine learning]]}}-based engine (using [[wikipedia:neural network{{w|neural network]]}}s), has been the third most influential factor in its search rankings for the last few months. The actual rollout date is not confirmed, but commentators pin the launch time to Spring 2015. It is most useful for new search queries, that account for about 15% of search queries.<ref name=moz/><ref>{{cite web|url = https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-10-26/google-turning-its-lucrative-web-search-over-to-ai-machines|title = Google Turning Its Lucrative Web Search Over to AI Machines|publisher = ''[[wikipedia:Bloomberg News|Bloomberg News]]''|date = October 26, 2015|accessdate = September 12, 2016|last = Clark|first = Jack}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url = https://techcrunch.com/2016/06/04/artificial-intelligence-is-changing-seo-faster-than-you-think/|title = Artificial intelligence is changing SEO faster than you think|last = Rampton|first = John|date = June 4, 2016|accessdate = September 12, 2016}}</ref>
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| 2015 || November 19 || Transparency (quality raters guidelines) || Google releases the full versions of its search quality raters guidelines (QRG), a 160-page-long handbook that it previously only gave human evaluators to rate websites. The guidelines help websites understand what qualities Google Search would like to see in websites, although ratings made by raters based on these guidelines do not directly change search engine rankings. The release follows a leak in October 2015 of the same guidelines<ref name=qrg-release>{{cite web|url = https://searchengineland.com/google-releases-the-full-version-of-their-search-quality-rating-guidelines-236572|title = Google Releases The Full Version Of Their Search Quality Rating Guidelines. For the first time, Google has released the full version of its Search Quality Raters guidelines and handbook. It is 160 pages of wonderful SEO knowledge.|date = November 19, 2015|accessdate = January 20, 2019|publisher = Search Engine Land}}</ref> Two important pieces of jargon that gain currency in the SEO world due to these guidelines are: YMYL (your money or your life), a term for websites that offer information or allow people to take actions that have the potential to negatively impact the end user's health and wealth (examples include sites related to e-commerce, financial advice, medical advice, and legal advice), and E-A-T (expertise, authoritativeness, and trust), factors that are important to Google Search for ranking sites, and even more important for YMYL sites.<ref>{{cite web|url = https://moz.com/blog/google-search-quality-raters-guidelines|title = 30+ Important Takeaways from Google's Search Quality Rater's Guidelines|last = Slegg|first = Jennifer|date = November 25, 2015|accessdate = January 20, 2019|publisher = SEOMoz}}</ref>
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| 2016 || February 3 || Team || [[wikipedia:Amit Singhal|Amit Singhal]] steps down from his position as Vice President of Search at Google after 15 years in that role. He is replaced by John Giannandrea who works in artificial intelligence at Alphabet, Google's parent company.<ref>{{cite web|url = https://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/04/technology/amit-singhal-an-influential-engineer-at-google-will-retire.html|title = Amit Singhal, an Influential Engineer at Google, Will Retire|last = Hardy|first = Quentin|date = February 3, 2016|accessdate = September 12, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url = http://searchengineland.com/amit-singhal-the-head-of-google-search-to-leave-the-company-for-philanthropic-purposes-241707|title = Amit Singhal, The Head Of Google Search, To Leave The Company For Philanthropic Purposes. After 15 years, Google's head of search, Amit Singhal, is leaving the company.|last = Schwartz|first = Barry|publisher = [[wikipedia:Search Engine Land|Search Engine Land]]|date = February 3, 2016|accessdate = September 12, 2016}}</ref> There is speculation that this will lead to more incorporation of machine learning and AI techniques in Google Search.<ref>{{cite web|url = https://marketingland.com/google-machines-running-the-search-162564|title = What’s Next, As Google’s Head Of Search Leaves & Its Machine Learning Chief Takes Over? After 15 years, Google search chief Amit Singhal is moving on. In his place, machine learning head John Giannandrea is taking over. The rise of the machines?|last = Sullivan|first = Danny|date = February 3, 2016|accessdate = July 13, 2019|publisher = Marketing Land}}</ref>
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| 2016 || February 18 and 23 || Advertising || Google makes changes to [[wikipedia:Google AdWords|Google AdWords]], removing right-column ads and rolling out 4-ad top blocks on searches with commercial intent. The change has implications on organic search CTRs for such searches, since it pushes the organic search results further down the page, potentially reducing organic search CTRs.<ref>{{cite web|url = http://searchengineland.com/googles-new-serp-layout-4-biggest-winners-losers-based-data-243292|title = Google’s New SERP Layout: The Biggest Winners & Losers. What has been the impact of Google's new desktop ad layout thus far? Columnist Larry Kim uses data to show who has benefited and who has suffered from the change.|last = Kim|first = Larry|date = February 24, 2016|accessdate = September 12, 2016|publisher = [[wikipedia:Search Engine Land|Search Engine Land]]}}</ref> Up to three additional ads may be shown below the 10 organic search results, and additional ads may be shown on the second page.<ref name=moz/><ref name=moz-4-ads>{{cite web|url = https://moz.com/blog/four-ads-on-top-the-wait-is-over|title = Four Ads on Top: The Wait Is Over|last = Meyers|first = Peter J.|date = February 19, 2016|accessdate = September 12, 2016}}</ref><ref name=wordstream-4-ads>{{cite web|url = http://www.wordstream.com/blog/ws/2016/02/22/google-kills-off-right-side-ads|title = Google Kills Off Side Ads: What You Need to Know|last = Kim|first = Larry|date = February 23, 2016|accessdate = September 12, 2016|publisher = WordStream}}</ref><ref name=wordstream-4-ads-2>{{Cite web|url = http://www.wordstream.com/blog/ws/2016/03/10/takeaways-from-serp-change|title = 3 Weeks After Google Killed Side Ads, Here Are 5 More Takeaways|last = Sagin|first = Erin|date = March 10, 2016|accessdate = September 13, 2016|publisher = WordStream}}</ref>
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| 2017 || January 10 || Search algorithm update (ranking) || Google announces that it will crack down on intrusive interstitials on mobile web pages, such as popups that cover the main content, standalone interstitials that the user has to dismiss, and above-the-fold content that looks like an interstitial.<ref name=moz/><ref>{{cite web|url = https://www.seroundtable.com/google-intrusive-interstitials-mobile-penalty-now-rolling-out-23237.html|title = Official: Google Intrusive Interstitials Mobile Penalty Now Rolling Out|date = January 11, 2017|accessdate = January 20, 2019|publisher = Search Engine Roundtable}}</ref> The plan to introduce this penalty was announced in August 2016.<ref name=searchengineland-interstitial>{{cite web|url = https://searchengineland.com/interstitialgeddon-google-warns-will-crack-intrusive-interstitials-next-january-257252|title = Google warns it will crack down on “intrusive interstitials” in January. Google will reinforce its emphasis on the mobile search experience with a new penalty affecting "intrusive interstitials" on mobile web pages.|last = Schwartz|first = Barry|date = August 23, 2016|publisher = Search Engine Land|accessdate = January 20, 2019}}</ref>
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| 2017 || February 21 || Customized search || Google announces that it is deprecating Google Site Search, its offering for websites that offers a highly site-customized site search solution. Starting April 1, 2017, it will discontinue sales of Google Site Search. The product will be completely shut down by April 1, 2018.<ref>{{cite web|url = https://searchengineland.com/google-sunset-google-site-search-product-recommends-ad-supported-custom-search-engine-269834|title = Google to sunset Google Site Search by end of 2017. Google is telling their Site Search customers they have to find a new internal search engine service.|last = Schwartz|first = Barry|date = February 21, 2017|accessdate = July 13, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url = https://support.google.com/customsearch/answer/72325?hl=en|title = About Google Site Search|accessdate = May 28, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url = https://blog.algolia.com/google-site-search-alternative/|title = Algolia: Picking up where Google Site Search left off|last = Utard|first = Sylvain|date = March 2, 2017|accessdate = May 28, 2017|publisher = Algolia}}</ref>
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| 2017 || April 25 || Search algorithm update (presentation), incorporation of user feedback || Google announces quality improvements to search and more direct feedback options for users for search results and Featured Snippets (the new, official name for what the SEO community had previously called "answer boxes").<ref>{{cite web|url = https://blog.google/products/search/our-latest-quality-improvements-search/|title = Our latest quality improvements for Search|date = April 25, 2017|last = Gomes|first = Ben}}</ref>
==References==
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