First anniversary of Google "Florida" update looms...

[Chris_D]

On November 14, 2003, the "Florida" Google update started. This update probably generated more comments, on more forums, than any other major index change before it. Florida probably effected more webmasters/SEOs than any other search engine algorithm update before it (except maybe for AltaVista's 'Black Monday' of October 25, 1999).

All the cards were reshuffled - and there was a lot of 'collateral damage'.

I wonder when it will happen again?

[I, Brian]

Actually, my memory serves that the update actually began on November 12th, as I reported at v7n:

http://www.v7n.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1303

[Marcia]

http://www.v7n.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1303

I'm reading an update on www.google.com at the moment - all my Webmaster Forum backlinks have dropped, but I'm now showing as listed at DMOZ for the chronicles-network - and the comparative-religion site now has an interesting listing at About. Onward and upwards!

PR not showing for the chronicles network as yet, but there's an extra 20,000 showing as inedxed. So it seems we're in the middle of an update.

Were they dropped, or were they put on the swear word filter? That's what some sites do.

[Chris_D]

I had November 14th in my diary. I just double checked - as Brett Tabke actually named the "Florida" update - I'll go with his timing 6:37am November 14 2003 http://www.webmasterworld.com/forum3/2657.htm

[Opie1Canopie]

So does anyone have any indication that something is looming? Or are we assuming that it may be time again for a change...

[Dugger]

I think it is time for a change - Google's heavy reliance on links for ranking criteria in now leading to some very wild and irelevent results. I can't believe they would leave things as they are much longer - of course it is helping to drive up their Adwords profits - but still, don't they have to improve their index at some point?

All in all, Google's index after Florida is about as good as AltaVista's was after Black Monday. Altavista did not improve their index after Black Monday which caused searchers to look for something better. Will Google learn from this and improve theirs or suffer the same fate? I think there is another big change coming soon.

[St0n3y]

From what I understand Google is in the process of upping the standard of what consititutes a quality link vs. a junk link. I don't see Google turning its back on link relevancy as part of the algo anytime soon, or at all.... just improving on it.

[I, Brian]

I had November 14th in my diary. I just double checked - as Brett Tabke actually named the "Florida" update - I'll go with his timing 6:37am November 14 2003 http://www.webmasterworld.com/forum3/2657.htm
I appreciate that Brett Tabke is obviously much more well known on the web than Brian Turner, but let's not try to rewrite history just for that sake. The fact remains that the start of the Google update was recorded in the public domain on November 12th at 11:37 am GMT. :)


Were they dropped, or were they put on the swear word filter? That's what some sites do.

Not at all - the sites are just general non-commercial reference sites that have never had any issues, other than not making me money. :)

Neither was affected ranking-wise by Florida - but they were by Austin on January 23rd the following year. If it was Hilltop-top system that had been implemented, then I figured the initial keyword set of Florida was being increased, hence why I wrote my warning piece on "Update: Yorkshire (http://forums.searchenginewatch.com/showthread.php?t=2409)".

What is interesting is that those using the DC checker tools didn't see any movement until the 14th. I'm wondering if Google possibly put online one if its new DC IP's for testing the SERPs, just before full implementation, so only a manual check would determine that changes were underway.