I want to FULLY understand Panda, Penguin, and Hummingbird. I want to understand Google Algorithm.

I would start reading posts from Tom Anthony at Distilled and Dr Pete at Moz.

Larry Kim has also published excellent articles on Rank Brain.

I lurk around SE Roundtable to get the latest updates: https://www.seroundtable.com/category/google-updates

They speculate on new changes just as they suspect it's happening. Speculation's sometimes wrong but still.. exciting to be on top of things

Here..

http://www.linkresearchtools.com/wp-...le-Penguin.pdf

Check this out

FAQ: All about the Google RankBrain algorithm

It is a must for SEO practitioner that he/she is always updated in search engines not only that but also on how to understand its behavior. SEO will align its method according to search engine and most importantly focuses on target users needs and expectations in optimizing the website.

I personally think that to better understand where Google is now, where they may be going.. you have to understand where they have been. Looking at this: https://moz.com/google-algorithm-change#2002 start way at the bottom and start reading your way up.

You start to understand the issues of today... didn't start yesterday, they started years ago.. and layer apon layer of corrections have been added over all that time to tame things like weak content and linking etc.

Looking back to Nov 2003 and the Florida update.. it made SEO what it is today.. before Florida? it was the wild wild west... keyword slamming link blasting craziness. When you get into the details of Florida... the issues of Panda and Penguin were addressed even back then 13 years later and crap links and poor content are a mainstay in SEO conversation.. it makes no sense really.

You start to understand the complexity... of what Google does, and what you are up against in better understanding SEO there are without question a bunch of twists and turns.

@savidge4 Thanks for that in depth reply and the link. Very detailed info there. Thanks a bunch for that