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The Google Dance refers to the search engine’s ranking fluctuations in the early 2000s. Google reindexed websites during its monthly updates. These fluctuations could cause significant ranking changes. Pages would rise or fall dramatically on the search engine result page (SERP) within a short period.
The term “Google Dance” describes how search results seemed to “dance” during these transitions. It created temporary instability. Rankings would change significantly after each reindexing cycle.
The original Google Dance phenomenon ended in 2003, thanks to the introduction of more fluid algorithms. Its legacy, however, remains essential for understanding ranking volatility in modern SEO.
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When Larry Page and Sergey Brin developed Google in 1998, they introduced PageRank. This revolutionary system assesses websites based on the quality and number of backlinks. This innovation improved search relevance but also introduced fluctuations as rankings were recalculated.
By the early 2000s, Google’s updates became more sophisticated. Crawlers then worked in groups:
These segmented processes caused delays and inconsistencies during index updates. As a result, monthly ranking shifts happened, now known as the Google Dance. These were temporary, typically lasting less than a week (3-5 days).
In 2003, Google rolled out the Fritz update. This replaced the batch-processing system with “Everflux.” This marked the beginning of continuous crawling and indexing. Since then, changes to rankings occur in near real-time.
Several factors contributed to the chaotic rankings during the Google Dance phase:
In the early 2000s, Google used two types of crawlers to cluster analyse websites:
As a result, indexing became more time-consuming and complex. Index updates were only carried out after analysing groups of sites, leading to significant ranking fluctuations.
Today, near-real-time crawling and incremental updates minimise disruptions. With advanced AI and continuous crawling, rankings now update seamlessly. This has helped create a smoother experience.
In the past, monthly recalculations of PageRank scores caused rankings to shift. As Google reassessed site relevance, it was unsure where to place them on the SERP. Compared to today, Google’s infrastructure and algorithm were less developed. Updates are now near-constant to the search rankings. For users and website owners alike, the experience is more stable and less dramatic.
The Google Dance typically occurred once a month. It coincided with Google’s updates to its search algorithms and index.
Changes in ranking could last over a period that ranged from just a few hours to several days. The duration of the “dance” depended on different factors. These include the size and complexity of the update, as larger updates often took longer to complete.
Although the Google Dance as a monthly event no longer exists, similar fluctuations can happen when:
Google Caffeine was announced in 2010, introducing its new indexing model. Websites and webpages were multiplying rapidly at the time, and their content was evolving just as fast. Content became more complex — packed with images, videos, and real-time updates. Google had to adapt to this new dynamic. When the update launched, it effectively ended the Google Dance, thanks to two major advancements:
Google continues to use and improve Caffeine today to enhance the user experience.
Google Panda is one of the best-known updates rolled out by Google. And for good reason! It aimed to:
Google wanted to improve the platform, especially for users, by showing the best search results for their queries. It did, however, cause some instability, resulting in a short return of the Google Dance.
After several testing phases, Google Penguin was finally launched in 2012. It allows for the penalisation of sites that opt for unfair strategies, especially those that use poor-quality backlinks.
To achieve this, they created a spam indicator that allows for the adjustment of the ranking of sites and web pages.
Announced in 2013, the Hummingbird update aimed to improve the algorithm by better understanding users’ search intentions, making pages more accessible and easier to find. To achieve this, Google refined its SERP ranking systems.
Again, if sites didn’t meet the new standards, this could lead to their ranking being demoted in the results pages.
In 2019, Google BERT was launched. This is an artificial intelligence-based algorithm designed to better understand search intent. It offers a more in-depth understanding of words and phrases in the context of a query. This advancement allows users to formulate more complex queries while obtaining more relevant answers, made possible by deep learning.
While the Google Dance was primarily perceived as a SERP instability, it was also a real dance event organized by Google during the second half of the 2000s. It brought together all employees from within Google, as well as outsiders like specialists and Googlers, all gathered at the company’s headquarters in California.
The Google Dance no longer exists; thanks to continuous improvements and updates to Google algorithms and infrastructure, ranking changes in SERPs are now seamless and almost invisible.
While these developments sometimes result in significant ranking changes, they have eliminated the instability and uncertainty characteristic of the era while also improving the user experience.
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