A process or set of rules that computers follow to perform a task. In digital marketing, algorithm usually refers the sets of processes Google uses to order and rank websites in search results. The SEO industry gives various Google algorithms their own nicknames like Penguin (which analyzes the quality of links pointing to a website) and Panda (which assesses the quality of the content on a website). The main ranking algorithm is SEO is referred to as “The core algorithm”.
Source: HSMAI CHDM Study Guide