Maccabees Update: Google Confirms New Core Algorithm Changes

As everyone knows, Google has a habit of changing search engine algorithms. Not only does the site like to keep pages on their toes to avoid long-term dominance, it loves change. These latest changes are known merely as “Fred” to people – or the Maccabees Update. This major update is a massive part of the Google algorithm adjustments and will determine how SEO works for the long-term.

While the changes are being advertised a “minor”, many of them could make quite a fundamental difference. As part of their development to keep SEO fresh and to keep improving rankings, this latest adjustment confirms that change is coming.

However, don’t mistake the “Fred” update to be a singular entity. Unlike other changes in the past, this is a small collection of minor updates which, together, will make something major possible in the future. These are more minor changes that will have a lasting effect – in a good way.

This latest update adds a whole new number of small but significant changes to the search engines. Search marketers and digital marketers should pay attention; it could cause you problems if you don’t.

Maccabees Update: What’s Changing at Google?

So, as part of this new update – which we will call “Fred” – users can enjoy some very important changes to the way that they work. One of the biggest industries to be feeling the pinch at this moment in time is the affiliate industry.

Much change has taken place to the industry over the years. It’s an industry rife with competition and people using all manner of methods to ‘win’ ahead of other affiliates.

Affiliate sites are now seeing large drops in traffic, especially if they aren’t optimized to meet up with the new changes quickly. Meanwhile, e-commerce and ‘standard’ websites aren’t quite suffering to the same level as they would have been expected to.

The aim is to make search engine results more relevant, more organic and less forced. Sadly, there’s still not a great amount of detail known about the changes and how they will limit performance. In time, that may change as Google finalizes the adjustments that they have made to the Maccabees Update.

One of the most common changes in recent years has been the change to mobile-first index. While there’s no real proof to show this yet, with many mobile-friendly sites not seeing a big change in traffic, it’s certainly worth noting.

Since many of the changes seem to be affecting affiliates and not shoppers, we can assume that this has something to do with changes to how shopping-based sites are being managed. While many affiliates are still ranking without issue, it appears that excessive and aggressive linking is being clamped down on.

It’s become commonplace in the affiliate industry to use this linking strategy, so it may be the most common and prominent reason for the changes. We’ll provide more information about the Maccabees Update as it becomes clear what Google has specifically changed.

Source: Search Engine Journal