Fred algorithm

Definition

“Fred” is the unofficial name widely adopted by the SEO community to refer to a significant Google search ranking algorithm update that caused noticeable fluctuations around March 2017. It’s important to note that Google never officially named this update “Fred”; the name originated from an informal suggestion by Google’s Gary Illyes and subsequently stuck within the industry.

The “Fred” update appeared to primarily target websites violating Google’s webmaster guidelines (now part of Google Search Essentials), particularly those exhibiting characteristics of low quality. This often included sites with:

• Thin, low-value content.
• An overwhelming focus on monetization (aggressive advertising, excessive affiliate links) at the expense of user experience.
• Content seemingly created solely for ranking and revenue generation, rather than providing genuine value to users.

Websites negatively impacted by “Fred” typically experienced sharp drops in their organic search traffic and rankings. It is generally considered to have been an update focused on enhancing search quality by devaluing low-quality sites.

Is It Still Relevant?

The specific update event from March 2017, known unofficially as “Fred,” is less relevant as a distinct, named entity that Google actively maintains today. Google continuously updates its core algorithms.

However, the principles and types of websites targeted by “Fred” remain extremely relevant in 2025. Google’s commitment to rewarding high-quality, user-focused content and penalizing or devaluing low-quality sites with poor user experience and aggressive monetization is stronger than ever. Key factors making the underlying issues relevant include:

• Ongoing Core Updates: Google regularly releases broad core algorithm updates that refine how it assesses content quality, relevance, and user value – often impacting sites similar to those affected by “Fred.”
• Helpful Content System: Google’s Helpful Content system specifically aims to reward content created for people first, while devaluing content created primarily for search engines, which directly aligns with the issues “Fred” addressed.
• Page Experience Signals: Factors like Core Web Vitals and avoiding intrusive ads relate directly to the poor user experience often found on sites targeted by quality updates.
• E-E-A-T Emphasis: Google values content demonstrating Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness, which low-quality, ad-stuffed sites typically lack.

Therefore, while you won’t find Google talking about “Fred” today, understanding the types of sites it impacted provides valuable lessons for adhering to current quality guidelines and focusing on long-term, sustainable SEO practices.

Real-world Context

The “Fred” update primarily affected websites characterized by low quality and aggressive monetization tactics, regardless of their geographic focus (so, specific Pattaya examples aren’t particularly relevant, though a low-quality site *about* Pattaya could have been hit).

Typical sites negatively impacted included:

• Low-Quality Affiliate Sites: Sites with thin content, often scraped or spun product descriptions, whose main purpose was to funnel users through numerous affiliate links without providing substantial unique reviews or information.
• Ad-Heavy Content Farms: Websites publishing large volumes of often mediocre content on disparate topics, where the pages were cluttered with excessive display ads, pop-ups, or other ad formats that severely degraded the user experience.
• Misleading Lead Generation Sites: Pages designed primarily to capture user information via simple forms or deceptive layouts, offering little genuine content or value in return.
• Thin or Scraped Content Sites: Sites that republished content from elsewhere with little original contribution or had very little content per page relative to ads or affiliate links.

Webmasters of these types of sites observed significant traffic losses (often 50-90%) following the March 2017 update, prompting widespread discussion in SEO forums as people tried to diagnose the common factors among affected sites.

Background

• Timing: Significant ranking volatility was observed by SEO tracking tools (like MozCast, SEMrush Sensor) and reported by webmasters starting around March 7-8, 2017.
• The “Fred” Name: Google initially described the fluctuations as part of routine algorithm changes. When asked for a name, Google’s Gary Illyes humorously suggested naming all updates “Fred.” The SEO community adopted this name specifically for the March 2017 update.
• Confirmation (Indirect): While not using the name “Fred,” Google later confirmed that it had released an update around that timeframe targeting low-quality sites violating its webmaster guidelines, validating the observations made by the SEO community.
• Algorithmic Context: “Fred” wasn’t seen as introducing entirely new rules, but rather as a refinement or stricter enforcement of existing quality guidelines, building upon previous updates like Panda (focused on content quality) and Penguin (focused on link quality). It emphasized the importance of overall site quality and user experience over aggressive monetization.

What to Focus on Today

The best way to “optimize” concerning the principles behind the “Fred” update is to proactively focus on quality and user experience, adhering to current Google guidelines:

• Create Helpful, People-First Content: Ensure your content is original, accurate, comprehensive, provides genuine value, and meets user intent. Focus on demonstrating strong E-E-A-T.
• Prioritize User Experience (UX): Offer a clean site design, intuitive navigation, fast loading speeds (Core Web Vitals), mobile-friendliness, and secure Browse (HTTPS).
• Monetize Responsibly: If using ads or affiliate links, ensure they don’t overwhelm the main content or create a poor user experience. Avoid intrusive interstitials. Clearly label sponsored content or affiliate links where appropriate.
• Avoid Thin or Duplicate Content: Ensure your pages offer substantial, unique value. Prune or improve low-quality, thin, or redundant pages (see Content Pruning).
• Follow Google Search Essentials: Regularly review and comply with Google’s official guidelines regarding content quality, technical requirements, and spam policies.
• Monitor Site Performance: Keep track of your organic traffic, rankings, and user engagement metrics. Investigate significant drops, considering potential quality issues alongside known algorithm updates.
• Build a Sustainable Website: Focus on building a reputable brand and website that users trust and find valuable, rather than employing short-term tactics that might violate guidelines.

Essentially, avoiding the issues targeted by “Fred” means practicing high-quality, ethical, user-centric SEO – which is precisely what Google aims to reward in 2025.

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