# Fred update

Category: [Google Updates & Algorithms](https://seo-geo-glossary.com/en/glossary/category/google-updates-algorithms/) › [Historical updates & events](https://seo-geo-glossary.com/en/glossary/category/google-updates-algorithms/historical-updates/) · Historical

**Fred** is the unofficial name of a Google ranking update from March 2017. In SEO the name stands for a change in Google Search.

## Where does the name come from?

According to industry reports, Gary Illyes of Google joked in answer to questions that every update without a name should be called Fred. The name is a placeholder and does not describe one clearly defined system.

## Which sites were affected?

Search Engine Journal describes losses for sites with aggressive ad placement, thin content and affiliate links that looked written for rankings rather than readers, some losing a large share of their traffic. Google did not confirm these details.

## What applies today?

Google's overview of ranking systems does not list a Fred system. Quality assessment runs through its core ranking systems, and its spam detection systems, including SpamBrain, deal with content that violates the spam policies. According to Google, affected sites may rank lower or not appear in results at all.

## Example

A guide portal consists mostly of short texts that mainly carry affiliate links, with several ad blocks above the text. This is the pattern reported for Fred by Search Engine Journal.

## FAQ

**Was Fred a penalty?**
The name stands for a quality-related update. Whether a site was affected showed only in its ranking losses.

## At a glance

- **Started:** March 2017 (according to reports)
- **Type:** Unofficial name for a ranking update
- **Affects:** Sites with heavy ads, thin content and affiliate links (according to Search Engine Journal)
- **Confirmed by:** no, according to reports only; Google confirmed no details
- **Status:** not listed in Google's ranking systems overview
- **Docs:** [Google: Ranking systems guide](https://developers.google.com/search/docs/appearance/ranking-systems-guide)

Last checked: October 8, 2026

## Related terms

- [Google algorithm update](https://seo-geo-glossary.com/en/glossary/google-algorithm-update/index.md)
- [Google core update](https://seo-geo-glossary.com/en/glossary/google-core-update/index.md)
- [Spam update](https://seo-geo-glossary.com/en/glossary/spam-update/index.md)
- [Thin content](https://seo-geo-glossary.com/en/glossary/thin-content/index.md)

## Sources

- [Spam policies for Google web search – Google Search Central](https://developers.google.com/search/docs/essentials/spam-policies)
- [A guide to Google Search ranking systems – Google Search Central](https://developers.google.com/search/docs/appearance/ranking-systems-guide)
- [Google Fred Algorithm – Search Engine Journal (secondary source)](https://www.searchenginejournal.com/google-algorithm-history/fred-update/)

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Last updated: October 8, 2026
URL: https://seo-geo-glossary.com/en/glossary/fred-update/