Google Dance

In search engine optimisation, “Google Dance” described a phenomenon of the early 2000s: for the same search query, Google delivered different results at the same time, and rankings jumped up and down sharply over several days. This doesn't refer to results varying by location – such as a search for “restaurants” in Munich or Hamburg. The cause lay in the technology of the time.

Why does Google “dance”?

At the time, Google updated its index roughly once a month in one big run. The data was distributed across numerous data centres that were not updated at the same time. Depending on which data centre answered a query, users saw the old or the new state. Over several days, rankings therefore fluctuated so much that it looked as if the search results were dancing. Well-placed pages temporarily slipped significantly, weaker pages shot up. The publicly visible PageRank of the time also fluctuated during this phase.

Google Dance no longer exists in this form – but rankings still fluctuate

From 2003, Google switched to continuous index updates, and in 2010 the Caffeine update accelerated indexing considerably once again. New content is now indexed within hours or minutes; a monthly “dance” no longer takes place. Back then, SEOs developed their own tools to track the Google Dance and used it to spot early trends in new algorithm changes.

Fluctuations still occur, however: Google constantly tests new variants of the search results, personalises them by location and device and rolls out major core updates several times a year. During such an update, rankings can fluctuate significantly over days or weeks. Tools such as Sistrix's update radar or Semrush Sensor show whether there is unusually high movement in the search results. Small fluctuations of a few positions are normal. If a website drops significantly and permanently, however, you shouldn't blame it on a “dance” but look for the cause – such as a core update, technical problems, a manual action or stronger competition.