Page layout algorithm (2012): what it changed and what it means now

What Google changed#

On 19 January 2012, Google announced “an algorithmic change that looks at the layout of a webpage and the amount of content you see on the page once you click on a result,” in a Webmaster Central post by Matt Cutts. Pages whose first screen “doesn’t have a lot of visible content above-the-fold or dedicates a large fraction of the site’s initial screen real estate to ads” could rank lower.

Google drew a line: the change “does not affect sites who place ads above-the-fold to a normal degree.” Page layout algorithm is Google’s name. Top Heavy is the industry’s nickname: Search Engine Land wrote that “we and others have taken to calling it by the more descriptive ‘Top Heavy’ name.”

When it rolled out#

Google’s post said “today we’re launching” the change, on 19 January 2012. Google stated no completion date. Search Engine Land reported a refresh of the algorithm in October 2012, which it called Top Heavy 2.

What is known about its impact#

Google’s figure: “This algorithmic change noticeably affects less than 1% of searches globally.” Google explained that meant in less than one in 100 searches, a typical user might notice a reordering of results.

What site owners should do#

Google’s ranking systems guide does not list a page layout system by name. The principle sits in its page experience guidance, which says Google’s core ranking systems look to reward content that provides a good page experience, and asks: “Does your content avoid using an excessive amount of ads that distract from or interfere with the main content?”

• Check the first screen of key templates on common desktop and mobile sizes: the main content should be visible without scrolling past ads.
• Make sure visitors can easily tell the main content apart from ads and other page elements.
• After changing a layout, expect a delay: Google said on a typical site it can take several weeks to recrawl and process enough pages to reflect it.

How to check whether it affected you#

This is historical. Search Console keeps 16 months of data, so January 2012 can only be checked in archived analytics, by comparing Google organic traffic to ad-heavy templates before and after 19 January 2012. The Google Algorithm Updates timeline lists every update with its dates.

Later refreshes#

• Page layout 2, or Top Heavy 2 (9 October 2012): Matt Cutts called it minor, with “~0.7% of English queries noticeably affected.”
• Page layout 3, or Top Heavy 3 (around 6 February 2014): Matt Cutts said a refresh became visible on “~Feb. 6th” and gave no impact figure.

Related updates#

• The Panda update was the previous site-quality change, in 2011.
• The Intrusive interstitials update extended the idea to mobile pop-ups in 2017.