As you know, I reported yesterday morning, well before Google confirmed the Google search update that there was an update. The reason why Google even confirmed the update was because I emailed them asking them to confirm, they did on Twitter as you know. I didn't want to name it yet but honestly it is a beautiful thing for Brett Tabke of WebmasterWorld to name an update again.
It has been so long since the folks at WebmasterWorld named an update, it is nice to see them get back into it. Brett updated the WebmasterWorld thread and named it "Google Florida Update 2."
I ran a poll on Twitter asking what we should name it, so far we have 350 responses. Most want to name it the Google 3/12 broad core update but I guess we should just go with the Google 3/12 broad core Florida 2 update so we can all be on the same page.
Google 3/12 Broad Core Florida 2 Update
Why name it Florida 2? The truth is, there is absolutely no relation to Florida 1, which was in November 2003 and this update. Google's algorithms, index, search engine was a completely different beast then. Florida 1 was way bigger than this update. The reason Brett named it Florida 2 is because Florida 1 happened around a PubCon event he ran in Florida back then and now Florida 2 happened a week after PubCon Florida last week. That is the only reason - there are zero similarities outside of that.
Like I said, it was confirmed by Google:
This week, we released a broad core algorithm update, as we do several times per year. Our guidance about such updates remains as we’ve covered before. Please see these tweets for more about that:https://t.co/uPlEdSLHoXhttps://t.co/tmfQkhdjPL
— Google SearchLiaison (@searchliaison) March 13, 2019
It started on March 12th, as we suspected, but Danny Sullivan confirmed it:
It began yesterday. cc: @rustybrick
— Danny Sullivan (@dannysullivan) March 13, 2019
It is a global worldwide update:
It's global and at the same time for this.
— Danny Sullivan (@dannysullivan) March 13, 2019
It can take a week or longer to fully roll out:
— Danny Sullivan (@dannysullivan) March 13, 2019
That is what we know so far. I will probably start collecting data around this update soon, but I want to give it a bit more time to fully roll out so you all can review your data and see the impact.
I don't think it is bigger than the 8/1/18 Medic Update yet, I 100% do not think it is as big as the Florida update from 2003. But we need more time for this to roll out and settle.
So let's go with the "Google 3/12 Broad Core Ranking Update Florida 2" for the name.
Forum discussion at Twitter and WebmasterWorld.
Update: Danny Sullivan at Google said go with naming it "Core."
So ... we've not typically given the core updates a name, because we want to have people focus on what they're about -- *core* updates, as opposed to say the Speed Update that we did name and was about site speed. Our preference is any name continue to use "Core" in it...
— Danny Sullivan (@dannysullivan) March 14, 2019
There's a strong preference that the updates be "Core" plus a date so that everyone can easily know what it was about. Of course, "Core Update March 2019 doesn't exactly roll off the tongue." But that's what it was, and there's no confusing with other things....
— Danny Sullivan (@dannysullivan) March 14, 2019
If "March 2019 Core Update" isn't tongue-tripping enough, maybe Core Update 19/3 (Year/Month) would work. But I think that numbering sequence might also be confusing. Anyway, just curious if there are better Core+Date naming ideas people would have. Names shouldn't be confusing.
— Danny Sullivan (@dannysullivan) March 14, 2019
Update 2: Google has officially decided to name this update the March 2019 Core Update.
Here are all our current stories as of March 27th on the Google core update from March:
- Google Search Ranking Algorithm Update On March 12 (Florida 2), March 13, 2019
- When Naming The Google 3/12 Broad Core Ranking Update Florida 2, March 14, 2019
- Google Names The 3/12 Update The "March 2019 Core Update", March 15, 2019
- Speculation Around The Google March 2019 Core Update, March 15, 2019
- Survey: Tell Us How You Were Impacted By The Google March 2019 Core Update, March 15, 2019
- Google March 2019 Core Update Had Many Reversals But It Was Not A Reversal, March 18, 2019
- Google March 2019 Core Update Myth Busting From Google, March 19, 2019
- Google Search Algorithm Update Fluctuations From March 20th to 22nd, March 25, 2019
- Revealing The Google March 2019 Core Update Survey Results, March 26, 2019
