Google’s Danny Sullivan explained the recent update, outlining what publishers can anticipate in future algorithm changes.

Danny Sullivan of Google discussed the recent update, addressing site recoveries and warning against drastic changes to improve rankings. He also advised publishers whose rankings remained unchanged after the latest update.

Google’s Still Improving The Algorithm

Danny Sullivan explained that Google continuously refined its ranking algorithm, signaling that more positive changes are on the horizon. His main message emphasized that Google is still working to bridge the gaps in elevating high-quality content from independent sites. This is a promising shift, as large brand websites don’t always offer the best answers. He wrote:

“…the work to connect people with a range of high quality sites, including small or independent sites that are creating useful, original content’ is still ongoing with this latest update. We continue to look at this area and how to improve further with future updates.”

A Message To Those Who Were Left Behind

For publishers whose rankings didn’t improve with the latest update, there’s reassurance that Google is still working to elevate independent content, with potential improvements in future updates.

Danny Sullivan advised:

“…if you’re feeling confused about what to do regarding rankings… if you know you’re producing great content for your readers… If you know you’re producing it, keep doing that… We must keep working on our systems to reward it better.”

Google Cautions Against “Improving” Sites

An intriguing point Danny Sullivan raised was a warning against attempting to boost the rankings of content already performing well on page one. Tweaking a site to climb from position six or higher has always been risky for various reasons, but Danny’s caution adds extra pressure to reconsider such optimization efforts. Now, it’s not just a matter of thinking twice but three or more times before trying to improve for better rankings.

Danny advised that sites ranking at the top of the SERPs should treat that as a win and resist the urge to make changes to improve rankings further. This is because search results are constantly evolving, and modifying a site could harm its position as the index updates. He explained:

“If you’re showing in the top results for queries, that’s generally a sign that we view your content well. Sometimes, people then wonder how to move up a place or two. Rankings can and do change naturally over time. We recommend against making radical changes to try and move up a spot or two.”

How Google Handled Feedback

Danny Sullivan shed light on how Google responded to feedback from publishers who experienced ranking drops. He shared that all feedback, including specific site examples, was carefully reviewed and summarized before being sent to the search engineers for further evaluation. This input is now part of the ongoing effort to improve future updates.

He explained:

“I went through it all, by hand, to ensure all the submitted sites were heard. You were, and you continue to be. …I summarized all that feedback, pulling out some compelling examples of where our systems could do a better job, especially in rewarding open web creators. Our search engineers have reviewed it and continue to review it, along with other feedback we receive, to see how we can make search better for everyone, including creators.”

Feedback Itself Didn’t Lead To Recovery

Danny Sullivan clarified that sites that regained their rankings didn’t do so because they submitted feedback to Google. Although he wasn’t explicit, this aligns with Google’s long-standing approach of addressing issues at scale rather than individually fixing rankings for specific sites. Instead of resolving issues for one site, Google focuses on identifying larger patterns and implementing changes that affect all sites facing the same problem.

Danny explained:

“No one who submitted, by the way, got some recovery in Search because they submitted. Our systems don’t work that way.”

This approach should be no surprise, as it mirrors Google’s historical behavior. For instance, during the 2004 Florida Update, Matt Cutts gathered feedback from many—including myself—but no one saw a recovery until the algorithm was updated for everyone affected by similar issues.

Takeaways

Google’s Algorithm Work Is Ongoing:

Google is continuously refining its algorithms to better surface high-quality content, particularly from smaller publishers. Danny Sullivan highlighted that this improvement process is far from over.

Focus for Content Creators:

Danny encouraged publishers to prioritize creating valuable, high-quality content rather than focusing on algorithm-driven optimization. Quality content should remain the central focus.

What to Do If Rankings Haven’t Improved:

For publishers confident in their content’s quality, Danny advised patience. If rankings haven’t improved yet, keep producing great content, as Google’s algorithms are still evolving.

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