Google is renowned as the king of the search engines, mostly because of heir patented algorithm that is used to index and rank the entire internet effectively. Every couple of months Google makes a few major adjustments to keep this algorithm relevant and powerful. In fact, throughout the year Google is constantly tweaking their practices to keep professional webmasters on their toes. For months now Google has been talking about a major infrastructure change that will reshape the way Google search results are delivered. This change has been deemed “The Caffeine Update.”
What is This Update Going To Do?
It is important to note that the caffeine update is not going to change the way the Google web site looks or behaves. In fact, Google has stated that most people will not even notice the difference. The caffeine update is basically a complete cleaning and revamping of Google’s “filing cabinets.” In other words, Google is changing the way it stores and catalogs information to be able to expand its already massive database. What is not clear is how this change will effect search engine results and rankings, if at all. However, there have been preliminary tests done which show no difference in the search results of Google’s default search engine and the beta version of the caffeine update.
Will it Affect Ranking?
As of now there have not been any indications that the page rank of sites will be affected, especially considering the test that have been performed by search engine optimization professionals in the past year. Thus, site owners that are worried about losing rankings due to the new update have nothing to fear. Google understands the importance of site rankings for online business owners and marketers, and is not taking steps to thwart honest search engine optimization efforts. There has been some speculation as to whether the caffeine update will affect the ranking of exact match domain names.
Many people believe that because of the the MayDay update that affected long tail keywords the caffeine update will elaborate upon this concept and damage the rankings of long tail keyword domains. As of now there have been no studies done that substantiate these claims and concerns.
Will Google Tell Us About The Changes?
Unfortunately, Google is very secretive about algorithm changes as it does not want the public to make attempts at manipulating Google search results by deciphering their patented algorithm. Thus, there is limited information available about any Google update. However, Google does release limited information about the basic changes that are made during an update.
Nonetheless, it is likely that most of the revealing information will be found months after the update during tests conducted by individual marketing and search engine optimization firms. If you are a webmaster that owns many websites you may be able to start performing analysis and tests that could yield some valuable information about the changes within the coming months.
