Google Updates Search Algorithm Daily in 2010

Look past the tee shirt– Google principle engineer Matt Cutts is legit.

In the video below, Cutts explains the phenomenon of continuous changes to Google’s “algorithm”, stating that it was updated between 350 and 400 times–in batches– during the year 2009. Talk about constant improvement.   Search Engine Watch defines algorithm as “the technology that a search engine uses to deliver results to a query. Search engines utilize several algorithms in tandem to deliver a page of search results or keyword-targeted search ads.”

What can we learn from this? Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is like trying to hit a moving target. You can’t be precise enough in your efforts to affect an exact ranking because the algorithms change every day. Even if you were able to figure out an algorithm and make a change on your site, the algorithm would be different by the time you uploaded your changes.

We do our best by not trying to focus too much on efforts that cause us to try and hit this moving target- focusing on hitting a moving target won’t work. We have to use our knowledge, experiences, and best practices.

While the algorithms change, there will always be a place for good content & good user experience. Obsessing on where to put a keyword in a heading tag is not as important as building the bigger picture- creating useful content that attracts visitors and links.