In our last post, we reviewed the algorithm changes Google released during the first half of 2014. Here, we will take a look at the changes in the second half of the year, as compiled by Moz:

August 6, 2014 - HTTPS/SSL Update
Google updated their algorithms to give a boost to secure sites. According to Google’s announcement, the initial boost in rankings started out small, but may be increased in the future depending on the results.

August 28, 2014 - Removal of Authorship
After dropping authorship photos on June 28, Google completely eliminated authorship in August. Authorship bylines were completely eliminated from search engine results pages (SERPs). According to John Mueller, Google’s research found that removing authorship did not cause a reduction in site traffic.

September 23, 2014 - Panda 4.1 (#27)
Google updated the Panda algorithm, which filters out low-quality content, in mid-September, affecting 3-5 percent of queries. According to Google, the update was intended to allow more small and medium-sized sites to rank higher as a result of high-quality content.The update was released slowly, but Google announced the update on the 23rd.

October 2014 - “In The News” Box
Google changed how “In The News” boxes display results. In addition, news links were expanded to more sites. News results were seen on more SERPs and changes in traffic to news sites were also noted.

October 17, 2014: Penguin 3.0
Google launched a Penguin refresh over the course of several weeks in mid-October. The refresh probably did not include a new algorithm, but only updated the data. It had a relatively small impact, affecting less than 1 percent of English queries. The Penguin algorithm punishes SEO techniques that violate Google’s Webmaster Guidelines, such as keyword stuffing.

October 21, 2014: Pirate 2.0
This update targeted piracy of software and digital media. Pirate 2.0 represents the first major change in two years to the original Pirate algorithm. The update only affected a very number of sites, but caused dramatic drops in the rankings for those sites that were affected.

Whatever comes next, SEO | Law Firm will be one step ahead or ready to quickly adapt. Happy New Year!