November & December Google Algorithm Updates 2020 2021

9 February 2021

When it comes to Google Algorithm Updates, we've got all of the information that you need for 2020/2021 below! We've put together all of the most significant information that you need for the year ahead. Not only that, but we have information about the impact that those changes can have on your business. Let's dive in!

Google’s December 2020 Broad Core Algorithm Update

Google announced the December Core Update at the beginning of December 2020, which usually takes up to 2 weeks to roll out. This update was one that the SEO community was waiting for, as the last one was May 2020. Usually, these Core updates are quarterly, which goes to show that the pandemic delayed even the digital community! Following the update, it's worth checking your own web analytics. This will tell you whether your organic traffic has moved as a result, but it's likely the update has had no real impact to the visibility of your website.

Page Experience Ranking Signals for May 2021

Back in May 2020, Google talked about Page Experience signals and how they would be included in search rankings. When it got to November 2020 Page Experience signals were decided to be a ranking factor from May 2021. This will measure the way in which your users interact with the web page. Users can then get better, more trustworthy experiences when they search on the platform. To give users a better experience, it's time to reduce the number of banners and pop-ups you have!

Request Indexing Tool in Google Search Console

The Request Indexing Tool that used to be a factor on Search Console is back! The tool was initially removed in October 2020 while Google reorganized its infrastructure. There doesn't need to be any more frustration about the ongoing indexing issues, and users will be able to resubmit URLs once more.

People Also Ask Boxes Appearing in Brand Knowledge Panels

PAA boxes are making waves in brand knowledge panels, which is a big change if a company has a knowledge panel in the search engine results pages.

Google Webmasters Refresh

Google Webmasters is to be renamed as Google Search Central, and this name change is going to reflect the user experience study that was taken earlier in the year. The change will make it easier for people to find the information that they need, with all of the important documentation available on Google Search Central.

New Statistics Released Google Search Console

New crawl statistics are available now on the Google Search Console and the new data enables all site owners to have more crawl requests grouped by response codes, Googlebot type, crawl purpose and crawl file type. All website owners will also be able to get more indepth with their host status issues. This allows you to spot any worrying trends before crawling issues occur.

The Structured Data Testing Tool Moving To schema.org by April

Google Search Central heard the negative feedback in their decision to retire the Structured Data Testing Tool and brought it back! However, it's going to be a wait, and it will be repurposed and repackaged differently.