Google Dance: What is it & Why Does it Happen?
If you thought that Google Dance is an annual party that all Google employees attend to celebrate their success, you are completely wrong. Unfortunately, Google Dance has nothing to do with actual dancing. So what is Google Dance and why does it happen?
What is Google Dance?
Simply put, when Google notices your page for the first time, it might not know where to put it on the search results page right away. So, Google might give it a higher position just so that they can see how it would do. If your page does well in that position, you might be ranked very favorably in the end.
The name Google Dance probably comes from the fact that your page changes positions on the SERPs (Search Engine Results Page) so rapidly, in other words ‘dances’, before it ends up in the spot it deserves. This volatility is completely normal, and, moreover, preferable because that means your page has been noticed!
The History of Google Dance
Before the Google Dance, we have today, there was the ‘old’ Google Dance. It would happen a couple of days after a new algorithm update, which Google used to do periodically. These days, algorithm updates, as Google states, happen in real-time.
Why does it happen?
There are many reasons why Google Dance happens and many criteria that determine how long it lasts and how much your page ‘dances’ on the results page. Here are some of the factors:
Age – A brand new website will have volatility than an older one.
Competitiveness – More competition obviously means more dancing as there are more websites competing to take your place on the list.
Link Building – If you are building new links and if those links are powerful, your page will probably dance more than others.
Changes – If you decide to make bigger changes to your website or page, be prepared for it to dance more.
How long does the Google Dance last?
Just like the reason it happens, how long the Google Dance lasts depends on many factors. If you take a look at the factors mentioned above, you can follow a simple rule – the more drastic these factors are, the longer your Google Dance will last. For example, bigger changes and more powerful links will make your page dance longer than smaller changes and less powerful links.
Can this be prevented?
Google Dance cannot be stopped or prevented, as it is up to Google, not your page. However, even though this looks like a period of turbulence for your page, you should remember that the Dance is a great thing for your page and that the situation will stabilize at some point.
What should you do when Google Dance happens to your page?
There is nothing in particular that you need to do when Google Dance begins. The best thing for you and your website is to relax and not think about the volatility your page is experiencing. You want to keep working on it, keep improving it so that you can prove that it deserves to be high up on the SERPs.