How Businesses Adapt to Algorithm Changes  

The internet has introduced unprecedented convenience into our lives since it first became available in the early 1990s. Today, the internet is a vital part of how businesses market their products and how consumers find the products or services they are interested in. 

Almost all of our interactions with the internet are recorded, and these interactions largely determine the content we see. The term algorithm is often used in the context of data and its influence on the online systems and services we use. But how do algorithms utilize data? And how can marketers and business owners in turn use algorithms to improve their online presence? Below, we explore how algorithms work, what are the most popular algorithms on the internet, and discover how algorithm updates affect businesses and how they can adapt to these changes.  

How Do Algorithms Work 

In simple terms, algorithms are instructions for solving a problem or completing a task. The internet works because of algorithms, and they govern all our interactions with websites and apps, from email to smartphone apps to music recommendations on streaming platforms and everything in between.  

Some of the most widely used internet algorithms include the Google search algorithm, which gives people relevant search results, the Facebook newsfeed algorithm, which determines the content you see on your newsfeed, and other algorithms including advertising algorithms, and routing and encryption algorithms.  

Algorithms use data gathered from our internet use to better understand our preferences and further personalize our online experience, which is why Big Data and data science fields play a huge role in the development of algorithms. 

The Impact of Algorithm Updates on Businesses 

Developers are continually updating algorithms to improve their performance, fix bugs, add new features, and address security concerns, to ensure they can keep up with the latest technologies and meet users’ needs. 

When algorithms are updated, it directly affects the performance of websites and social media pages from a digital marketing perspective. An example that highlighted the direct impact of an algorithm update on business performance was when Google rolled out an update to their search rank algorithm in 2015. This update affected the rank of websites in the search results page based on the speed and user friendliness of the mobile version of the website. Businesses scrambled to keep up with this update by optimizing the mobile version of their websites to avoid losing rank. 

How to Keep Up with and Adapt to Algorithm Updates 

To maintain your social media reach or website search ranking, it’s vital to be aware of algorithm updates to the platforms your business uses as a part of its marketing activities. 

There are many sources that provide algorithm updates, but it’s recommended to stick to the official ones, like the Facebook Newsroom, the Twitter Blog, the Instagram Business Blog, and the LinkedIn Marketing Solutions Blog. For Google, updates are usually announced on the Google Search Central Blog. 

It’s important to keep in mind that the above-mentioned platforms do not disclose the full details of their algorithm updates. While a company may give an overview, the impact of these updates and further details about what they entail are usually analyzed and discovered by industry professionals after the update is released. 

Several digital marketing platforms, like Moz, HootSuite, or SEMRush, provide valuable insights into the latest updates through their blogs, which can help you find algorithm updates and understand how they affect your business’s online presence. 

Understanding the impact of algorithm updates on your website or social media pages can also be achieved by monitoring your analytics to quickly spot anomalies or changes to your business’ performance.  

Keeping a Competitive Edge in a Highly Dynamic Field 

The landscape of digital marketing is continuously changing and evolving, and maintaining a competitive edge in your industry requires diligence: staying current with the latest algorithm updates and having the necessary capabilities to adapt to them. Keeping an eye on the right channels and taking the time to understand the updates and their implications is a step in the right direction towards reaching the full potential of your marketing activities. 

Looking for more guidance on digital marketing for your business, on social media or via search engine optimization? Reach out to us and our team of experts will make sure you have all the answers you need. You can also check out the Trufla blog for all things digital marketing, artificial intelligence, and insurance.