Was there a Google algorithm change last week?

Although Google has been downplaying last week’s major fluctuations as “normal”, we (and the rest of the SEO community), beg to differ.

The digital world has been eagerly awaiting the coming of another Penguin update, and chatter of it hitting us soon has been going around like Chinese Whispers at a WI coffee-morning. So naturally, when signals of an update became stronger and stronger throughout last week, the end of the world seemed nigh.

On Tuesday last week, there were some early signals of a Google update within the organic search results – these signals only got stronger throughout the week and only seem to be intensifying!

Obviously, SEO forums and chats were on fire – but so were tracking tools by the likes of Mozcast, Accuranker and RankRanger, which have showed significant changes in organic rankings.

Google’s PR team wouldn’t comment, but directed questioning SEOs to a tweet by John Mueller saying, “Nothing specific, sorry – we’re always looking to improve things!” He also stated that fluctuations are normal and sign that Google engineers are “working hard.”

In any case, it would seem that last week’s unofficial update is not the Penguin we’ve been waiting for, so we’ll all have to wait a little bit longer!