Vince

What changed

In February 2009 broad commercial queries such as generic product terms began returning large brand domains where smaller affiliate and niche sites had previously ranked. Google described the change as an adjustment that weighted trust, authority and reputation more heavily rather than a brand bonus as such. The name comes from the engineer credited with the change in Google's own commentary at the time.

Timing

Rollout began 20 February 2009. No completion date was announced. Rankings typically remain unstable for the whole rollout window, so measurements taken inside it are not a reliable read on the outcome.

What it affected