Vince update (2009): what changed and what it means now

What Google changed#

In February 2009, webmasters noticed that large, well-known brands seemed to rank better for some broad, competitive queries. Google addressed it in a Google Webmasters video titled “Is Google putting more weight on brands in rankings?”, published on 4 March 2009.

Search Engine Land summarized the video the next day. It reported that Matt Cutts called it not an update but a “minor change,” and that “a Googler named Vince created this change.” The name therefore came from Google itself, which called it the Vince change internally. According to that summary, Cutts said it was “more about factoring trust more into the algorithm for more generic queries,” and that it did not affect long tail queries.

When it rolled out#

Google gave no launch date. Search Engine Land traced the first reports to a WebmasterWorld thread created on 20 February 2009, followed by coverage on Search Engine Roundtable on 23 February. This page uses 20 February 2009 as the start date; the exact day is approximate. Google stated no completion date.

What is known about its impact#

Google gave no figures. Search Engine Land reported that Cutts said most searchers would not notice the change. The idea that it favored big brands came from webmasters and SEO commentators, and Google disputed that reading. This page repeats no third-party traffic estimates.

What site owners should do#

There is no Vince system to optimize for. Google’s ranking systems guide does not list one by that name, so treat it as one of many past changes absorbed into Google’s ranking. The lasting lesson is about trust, which Google’s current helpful content guidance addresses directly:

• Show who is behind the site and why readers should trust it, with clear author and company information.
• Answer Google’s self-assessment questions on expertise and originality honestly for your key pages.
• Earn recognition through useful content rather than chasing signals attributed to brands.

How to check whether it affected you#

This is historical. Search Console keeps only 16 months of data, so February and March 2009 can only be checked in archived analytics or server logs, by comparing generic, high-volume queries before and after 20 February 2009. The Google Algorithm Updates timeline lists every update with its dates.

Related updates#

• The Florida update was the previous widely discussed ranking change, in 2003.
• The Mayday update was the next quality-related ranking change, in 2010.