Google algorithm updates timeline infographic styled as a subway map: stations from Panda in 2011 through Penguin, Hummingbird, the mobile-friendly update, RankBrain, BERT, page experience, helpful content, the March 2024 core update, AI Overviews and AI Mode, color coded by quality, spam and links, language and AI, and mobile and UX, plus recent core updates.

Oct 5, 2026

Google Algorithm Updates Timeline Infographic (2011 to 2026)

Q: What should you do after a Google update?

Check the Search Status Dashboard for rollout dates and compare them with the date your traffic changed before making changes. Across every major update, Google's stated goal has been the same: rewarding pages made to help people.

The Google updates that changed SEO the most, from Panda in 2011 to AI Mode in 2025, plus every core update since March 2025.

Download the image Read the walkthrough

Embed this infographic

Every infographic here is free to republish, on any site, with a link back to the study it comes from. Paste this code and the credit is done for you.

<a href="https://searchinsider.io/infographics/google-algorithm-updates"><img src="https://searchinsider.io/research/google-algorithm-updates/google-algorithm-updates-infographic.png" alt="Google algorithm updates timeline infographic styled as a subway map: stations from Panda in 2011 through Penguin, Hummingbird, the mobile-friendly update, RankBrain, BERT, page experience, helpful content, the March 2024 core update, AI Overviews and AI Mode, color coded by quality, spam and links, language and AI, and mobile and UX, plus recent core updates." style="max-width:680px;width:100%;height:auto;" /></a><p>Source: <a href="https://searchinsider.io/infographics/google-algorithm-updates">Google algorithm updates timeline infographic</a> by Search Insider.</p>

Which Google updates changed SEO the most?

The short answer: Google changes its ranking systems constantly, but a handful of updates reset the rules on quality, links, language, mobile and, now, AI answers. Each one rewarded pages made for people.

Based on Google's blogs, Search Central and the Search Status Dashboard.

What it shows

Feb 2011, Panda: lowered rankings for low-quality sites, affecting 11.8% of queries.
Apr 2012, Penguin: targeted guideline violations like link schemes, about 3.1% of English queries.
Aug 2013, Hummingbird: a major improvement to Google's overall ranking systems.
Apr 2015: the mobile-friendly update.
2015, RankBrain: Google's first AI ranking system.
Oct 2019, BERT: better understanding of 1 in 10 US English searches.
2021: page experience signals, including Core Web Vitals.
Aug 2022: the helpful content update.
Mar 2024: helpful content joined core ranking, with 45% less low-quality, unoriginal content.
May 2024: AI Overviews in the US and site reputation abuse enforcement.
May 2025: AI Mode in the US.
Core updates: Mar 2025, Jun 2025, Dec 2025, Mar 2026, May 2026.

What to do

Always: Build for people, not for loopholes.
Traffic dropped: Check the Search Status Dashboard for update dates, and compare them with your drop before changing anything.

The walkthrough

What was the Google Panda update?

Announced in February 2011, Panda was designed to reduce rankings for low-quality sites and noticeably affected 11.8% of queries ^[1]. Google says Panda became part of its core ranking systems in 2015 ^[3].

What was the Google Penguin update?

Launched in April 2012, Penguin targeted sites Google believed were violating its quality guidelines, such as through link schemes, and affected about 3.1% of English queries ^[2]. It was integrated into Google's core ranking systems in 2016 ^[3].

What were Hummingbird, RankBrain and BERT?

Hummingbird was a major improvement to Google's overall ranking systems made in August 2013 ^[3]. RankBrain, from 2015, was Google's first AI system for ranking and helped it understand how words relate to concepts ^[4]. BERT, announced in October 2019, helped Google better understand one in ten searches in US English ^[5].

What changed with the helpful content update?

Google introduced its helpful content system in August 2022 to target content made primarily for search engines rather than people ^[6]. In March 2024 it became part of Google's core ranking systems ^[3], and Google later reported 45% less low-quality, unoriginal content in results ^[7].

When did AI Overviews and AI Mode launch?

AI Overviews began rolling out to everyone in the US in May 2024 ^[8]. AI Mode rolled out in the US in May 2025, with no Labs sign-up required ^[9]. Google began enforcing its site reputation abuse policy in May 2024 ^[7].

What were the latest Google core updates?

Google's Search Status Dashboard lists core updates starting in March 2025, June 2025, December 2025, March 2026 and May 2026 ^[10].

What should you do after a Google update?

Check the Search Status Dashboard for rollout dates ^[10] and compare them with the date your traffic changed before making changes. Across every major update, Google's stated goal has been the same: rewarding pages made to help people.

Sources

More digital marketing infographics

404 errors infographic: a 404 banner with Google's view that 404s are normal, which status to return in four cases, three facts on how Google treats 4xx and soft 404s, a checklist for a good custom 404 page, and three steps on what to do.

SEO · Oct 6, 2026

Do 404 errors hurt your SEO?

Do 404 errors hurt SEO? How Google treats 404s, why soft 404s are the real problem, which status code to return, and how to build a good custom 404 page.

Download See the details

Embed code

<a href="https://searchinsider.io/infographics/404-errors"><img src="https://searchinsider.io/research/404-errors/404-errors-infographic.png" alt="404 errors infographic: a 404 banner with Google's view that 404s are normal, which status to return in four cases, three facts on how Google treats 4xx and soft 404s, a checklist for a good custom 404 page, and three steps on what to do." style="max-width:680px;width:100%;height:auto;" /></a><p>Source: <a href="https://searchinsider.io/infographics/404-errors">404 errors infographic</a> by Search Insider.</p>

AI-generated content infographic: a quality not method banner, a split of fine uses versus uses against Google's rules, a pre-publish checklist (accuracy, metadata, who, how, why), a Merchant Center note on labeling AI images and product data, and three steps on what to do.

AI search · Oct 6, 2026

Does Google penalize AI-generated content?

Google's stance on AI-generated content: quality over production method, what breaks the scaled content abuse policy, and a checklist before publishing AI-assisted content.

Download See the details

Embed code

<a href="https://searchinsider.io/infographics/ai-generated-content"><img src="https://searchinsider.io/research/ai-generated-content/ai-generated-content-infographic.png" alt="AI-generated content infographic: a quality not method banner, a split of fine uses versus uses against Google's rules, a pre-publish checklist (accuracy, metadata, who, how, why), a Merchant Center note on labeling AI images and product data, and three steps on what to do." style="max-width:680px;width:100%;height:auto;" /></a><p>Source: <a href="https://searchinsider.io/infographics/ai-generated-content">AI-generated content infographic</a> by Search Insider.</p>

Anchor text infographic: an example link with the anchor text underlined, four vague or stuffed anchors swapped for descriptive ones, four rules on image links, internal links, length and keyword stuffing, a note on Google's link spam examples, and three steps on what to do.

SEO · Oct 6, 2026

What is anchor text, and what should it say?

What anchor text is, what Google says it should say, good and bad examples, image link alt text, and which anchor practices Google lists as link spam.

Download See the details

Embed code

<a href="https://searchinsider.io/infographics/anchor-text"><img src="https://searchinsider.io/research/anchor-text/anchor-text-infographic.png" alt="Anchor text infographic: an example link with the anchor text underlined, four vague or stuffed anchors swapped for descriptive ones, four rules on image links, internal links, length and keyword stuffing, a note on Google's link spam examples, and three steps on what to do." style="max-width:680px;width:100%;height:auto;" /></a><p>Source: <a href="https://searchinsider.io/infographics/anchor-text">Anchor text infographic</a> by Search Insider.</p>