What Website Owners Should Know About the Google Algorithm

It can be easy to forget that Google has only been in our lives for around 20 years. Sometimes it’s hard to believe we ever lived without the Internet and Google’s massive search capacity. Today, understanding Google is vital in getting noticed on the ‘net.
Looking good to the Google search algorithm is integral in the rankings of your business website and all its pages. Just as you have a goal of serving your customers as well as possible, search engines have the same goal. Google’s algorithms assist them in doing so, but they must be continually adjusted to keep up with the times.
From Suggest to Caffeine, Panda and Fred
The first iteration of the Google search algorithm was launched in 1997, with explicitly announced search algorithm updates starting in 2002. Google Suggest was launched in 2004, social search in 2009, Google Instant and Caffeine in 2010, Search Plus Your World in 2012, Google Panda 2011 through 2014, Hummingbird in 2013, Pigeon in 2014, and most recently, Fred.
SEO and Web Design
However, even during periods with no formal update announcements, Google is continually refining its search algorithm to better serve users. The goal is always to provide the best results for each term entered into the Google search box. Some of the factors that go into page ranking considerations include:
Keywords and Phrases. Of course, this is a primary focus of the algorithm; it strives to find the best and most relevant pages to each search term.
Location. In many cases, geographic location of the searcher is relevant to the desired search goal. The results must reflect this in order to be useful.
Page Quality. Is the page professionally laid out and well-written? Google’s algorithm is designed to determine this.
Originality. Does the page have duplicate content, or is it all original? Is any of the writing plagiarized? If so, there will be a penalty in terms of ranking.
Freshness. Is the page and/or website updated often, or has it been stale and stagnant for quite some time?
These are just a few of the parameters and areas the Google algorithm uses to rank websites and specific web pages. In all, there are around 200 ranking factors used by the Google algorithm.  
When choosing a web designer, it is important that they understand how Google’s search engine works and you should ensure they are designing and optimizing the website for search engines.
The specifics of search engine algorithms can change at any time.  What will the next evolutionary step in search algorithms be? No matter what happens, if you own a business website, partnering with an experienced web design and digital marketing firm can help you to meet the changes head on. 
If you are interested in redesigning your website, contact JLB today for a free consultation.