The Werewolf Within: Surviving the Full Moon of Algorithm Updates

Welcome to Biztalbox’s Halloween Marketing Series — where we explore the monsters, myths, and mysteries of modern marketing.

Every couple of months, the algorithm shifts, whether it’s a Google algorithm update or a social media algorithm update. The numbers start to fall, engagement grows quiet, and the patterns that once made sense begin to blur. It’s like the full moon of marketing — inevitable. 

When it rises, every creator feels its pull. Some sit and wait the night out, while others transform. They sharpen their instincts, sense the new rhythm, and move with it. like werewolves under a blood moon, fierce, fearless, and ready to adapt.

The truth is, the algorithm update isn’t a curse; it’s a test of your evolution, and of how well you’ve been doing all along. Because the ones who stay prepared don’t fear the update — they thrive beneath it.

What’s an Algorithm, Really?

There is an algorithm for each scroll and every search. By observing your habits and behaviour online – what you like, what you skip past, and how long you stay – this pattern recognition software learns about you.

The Social Media Algorithm: Every social media platform has its unique algorithms. The Instagram algorithm observes if you like, save, or post something. TikTok learns from the speed at which you swipe. LinkedIn recognises when a post initiates a real conversation.

These social media algorithms function as personal curators, bringing to you more of what you already love and keeping you scrolling for more.

The Google Algorithm: Google’s algorithm works differently but with the same goal: relevance. Every Google Algorithm update takes into account how useful the content is, how quickly the page loads, and trustworthiness. The top results aren’t random; they’re chosen because Google believes they’ll help you most.

So whether you’re scrolling Instagram or searching Google, the algorithm’s job is simple: show the right thing to the right person at the right time.

Now, What’s an Algorithm Update?

Now here’s where things get interesting — algorithms don’t always stay the same.

Every once in a while, they change how they think. That’s what we call an algorithm update.

It’s like the system rewiring its brain — keeping what works, pushing out the stale, the spammy, and the soulless, to make space for the authentic and valuable. This makes the experience better for everyone using it.

It’s like a library constantly rearranging its shelves. As new books arrive and old ones fade out, the librarian moves things around so readers can still find the best stories first. That’s what an update does — it reorganizes everything on the internet to keep the best ones on top shelves.

And for creators, every algorithm update — from the latest Google algorithm update to the Instagram algorithm update is a signal to stay relevant, stay authentic, and keep evolving.

Past Full Moons: The Algorithm Updates That Reshaped the Digital Wild.

1. Google Panda Algorithm Update — The Awakening (2011)

Fourteen years ago, the first major Google algorithm update — Panda — reshaped the digital world. . It reduced the rankings of low quality sites that plagiarized content or added little to no value, while elevating sites that offered original and useful writing. Many brands that had relied on spammy SEO lost visibility overnight, but those creating original, human-centred content began to rise.

For many businesses, the shift was devastating. Entire companies went under because they had relied solely on unsustainable Google traffic — and once that vanished, so did their business.

Interestingly, even though content marketing had been a thing for years, it wasn’t really a mainstream term until Panda. That one algorithm update changed how brands thought about what valuable content actually was, and from there, modern SEO was born.

2. The Helpful Content Update — 2022’s Reckoning

In the long list of Google algorithm updates, the Helpful Content Update marked a major turning point.. It was one of the most significant algorithm updates in a decade. It focused on rewarding people-first content and filtering out blogs written only to please search engines.

It pushed down low-quality sites that scraped content or added little value, while promoting genuine and valuable writing.

3. Instagram’s Shift to Originality — 2022

That same year, the Instagram algorithm update turned its gaze toward original creators. The platform began prioritizing posts made from scratch over reposted or recycled content. The goal was simple: make sure credit, visibility, and growth go to the ones actually creating something new.

Across platforms — from search to social — every algorithm update shared one message: originality wins, authenticity matters, and creativity will always find its place under the digital moonlight.

Surviving the Next Full Moon: How to Prepare for Algorithm Updates

1. Perform an audit of your content

Before the next Google algorithm update or social media algorithm update rolls in, take a moment to revisit what you’ve already shared. Algorithms reward up-to-date, credible content, not the one that is outdated or irrelevant. Give new life to your older pieces: update your stats, refine your wording, and remove anything no longer serving your audience. It’s like strengthening your base before the storm hits.

2. Diversify your formats.

The more ways you share your story, the stronger your footprint will be. Take full advantage of Videos, carousels, stories and podcasts. Each new format gives a fresh rhythm to your content. Social media algorithms notice variety because audiences do too, and both reward those who keep things fresh.

3. Focus on Audience Engagement and Retention

When a new Instagram algorithm update occurs, your audience becomes your anchor. The ones who stay for your voice, your story, your energy — they don’t vanish when reach drops. Keep conversations alive, share what matters to them, and build moments that make people return. The algorithm might count interactions, but only real connections make people stay. 

4. Creating Evergreen content

 Trends come and go, but evergreen content remains relevant and useful long after the hype fades. The kind that teaches, informs, or helps people in ways that don’t expire with the next update. When your work holds lasting value (the kind people search for months or years later), it doesn’t chase the latest social media algorithms; it shines through every cycle. Evergreen pieces like guides, insights, and thoughtful stories keep your presence alive while others scramble to rebuild.

5. Don’t Rely on a Single Platform

When all of your presence is confined to the same platform, even a single algorithm change can wipe out your entire reach overnight. Become visible in more than one space – get an email list, put energy into your social channels, consider collaborations, even try ad space. The more places your audience can find you, the safer you are when one light fades.

6. Design for Humans, Not Just Algorithms

What the platforms reward are experiences people really enjoy. This means websites that load fast, navigate smoothly and content reads easily, no matter what device it’s being read on. For social media, it’s about crafting moments that lead to interaction. For example, polls, videos, questions, and stories that make people stop and stay a while. When users feel good, algorithms take notice.

Under the Next Full Moon

Every update arrives like a full moon — sudden, luminous, and a little unsettling. The air shifts, familiar patterns fade, and the digital forest grows strange again.

Even now, the changes are stirring. Google’s August 2025 spam update has already rolled out, tightening its filters to catch low-quality, manipulative content and highlight pages people actually trust. Meanwhile, Instagram’s new Reels feature tests are giving social media users a way to customize what they want to see in Reels and Explore, and shaping how discovery works from here on.

These cycles will keep returning, each one testing how well you’ve adapted. Every shift gives you a chance to grow sharper, stronger, more in tune with your audience.

Just stay prepared and keep your senses sharp. 

And when the next full moon climbs the sky, don’t shrink from its light. Transform like a werewolf and own the night.

If you enjoyed this night under the full moon, the next creatures in our Halloween Marketing Series are dying to meet you:

Vampire Ads: How Poorly Optimized Ads Drain Your Budget

Frankenstein Campaigns: The Horror of Poor Campaign Alignment

Banshee of Bounce Rate: A Halloween Marketing Tale About Bounce Rate in Digital Marketing

The Headless Horseman of Marketing: What Happens to Campaigns Without Strategy