Back in September Google released it’s new Hummingbird algorithm, apparently affecting 90% of search queries, as it strives for greater accuracy and more relevant results. Aimed at ‘conversational searches’, like what is the best cake? rather than simple terms such as best cake. (when is the last time you made a search request like that?)
Then on the 4th October they released Penguin 2.1, aimed at reducing the quality of spammy backlinks, I assume the theory is that better sites have better backlinks, (as they have been around longer?) and newer sites, (trying to use spammy backlinks to gain traction?) can’t be as good or as relevant. Fairly naive thinking, though I guess it might help in ‘cleaning up the web’?