Since the rise of search engine optimization in the nineties, Google has been the search leader and the most influential force that has shaped SEO. In the first decade of the new century the search giant experimented with several dimensions to its algorithm that determine search rank. Since 2011 Google has taken an aggressive stance at redefining its algorithm so that sites with quality content get better rankings than useless or harmful sites. In 2013 the company has made more critical adjustments that will alter the future of SEO.
2013 Changes
As a web developer, you will certainly want to take note that Google Analytics no longer provides keyword data that allow site owners to track users by keyword searches. This change means that you no longer will have the data that tells you how many people visit your site for a specific keyword. But you can still learn which keywords rank high in Google and the number of visitors for a particular landing page. Meanwhile, other search engines such as Bing still make keyword data available. Google Webmaster Tools also still tracks keyword data if you want the information.
The thinking behind this move relates to making all organic searches secure to protect user privacy. After Google made changes to secure search in 2011, the result was an increase in "(not provided)" data, so the search engine decided to use encrypted searches instead.
A more expected change has been that Google continues to move away from PageRank as a relevant metric for search rankings. In fact, PageRank has mostly been irrelevant since 2009, but some site owners still cling to it, possibly unaware of its irrelevance. A more significant change has been to Hummingbird, an algorithm component that handles complex queries. Hummingbird has been improved to quickly parse full questions and provide better answers.
Don't Forget Google+
One of the most important updates to Google's algorithm has been more emphasis on Google+, the company's own social network. Google now counts "+1s" as votes for your website and gives them heavier weight than Facebook "likes."
Conclusion
Instead of worrying about every new move Google makes, just make sure your website continues to expand with fresh content that users are looking for. SEO is constantly changing, but the one constant is that it favors quality sites instead of sites trying to game the system by exploiting factors that influence search algorithms.
