On our blog, we talk a lot about search engines and the processes they use to render their results for you. We’ve mentioned the complicated nature of search engine optimization, but a recent news story caught our eye that shows just how intricate search can be.

Yesterday, Google released a list of changes to their search algorithm for the month of March. One would expect a few updates or tweeks in order to keep the system running smoothly and accurately, but you might be surprised to learn that Google made over 55 significant changes in the past month.

Autocomplete with math symbols, better scoring of news groupings, improvements to results for navigational queries, more relevant image search results, safesearch algorithm tuning, and improvements to processing for detection of site quality are just a few of the notable changes that have been made.

One thing is apparent: the formulas for search are extremely complicated and constantly evolving. The other point to take away from this is that as long as a site is putting out quality content, it should continue to rank highly through algorithm tweeks. As they say, content is king. Sites that rely on SEO tricks and an understanding of the way Google works in order to “out-maneuver” the algorithm are the ones who need to be heavily concerned about the changes being made.

We’re glad to see companies like Google taking the time to be honest about the changes they make. It mirrors our own feelings here at Pikimal where we’re open about the way we do things. That’s why the results you find on our site are based solely on the facts about the topics you’re interested in and nothing else. We’re proud of our technology and our ability to simplify decision making. We’re even prouder that we help consumers avoid marketing bias and search engine optimization to choose what’s actually the very best for them.

If you’re interested in learning more about Google algorithm changes, there’s a great history (2000 – today) available here.