Google Core Update: Everything You Need to Know About Google Algorithm Update

Have you ever been surprised by an unexpected increase or decrease in your organic search traffic from Google? If you’re here, chances that your answer is yes and your website has been impacted by a new Google Core Update are high.

First, don’t panic.

This is a very common scenario for those of us working in the art and science of SEO.

In most cases, this fluctuation comes from a Google algorithm update, and may be reversed in a few days without any action by a search engine “rollback.”

However, each new update, like the March 2023 core update, has the potential to considerably modify the search results.

Especially the Google Updates of 2023.

That’s why for website owners and SEO experts, understanding and adapting to all algorithm updates, including 2023 Google Core Updates, is essential.

Making adaptability and a constant review of SEO strategies essential approach to handle the next update.

Below, we’ll show you how you can adapt to each new Google search algorithm update and automatically monitor changes.

Key Points to Keep in Mind:

Google’s major updates are general modifications to the search algorithm, designed to improve the quality of search results and the user experience by prioritizing relevant, high-quality content.
Various factors influence ranking changes after major updates, such as content quality, user experience, authority and relevance, backlink profile, website security, page load speed, on-page optimization, and meeting Core Web Vitals. Be patient and find out where the algorithm’s focus of impact is.
To adequately prepare for major updates, it is essential to focus on creating relevant, high-quality content that meets the user’s intent. At the same time, you should focus on improving the user experience and consider the EEAT guidelines.
Stay on top of updates in your industry to anticipate changes and adjust strategies accordingly.

What are Google Core Updates?

Google Core updates, or search algorithm updates, are adjustments that Google makes periodically to improve the search experience for users.

These changes are critical to ensuring that the search engine provides relevant, accurate and high quality results.

The Google Search Algorithm is a complex combination of several ranking algorithms and signals, designed to find, index and rank web content in the most effective way possible.

From major updates like the Google Panda Update, which penalizes low-quality content, to the Google Penguin Update focused on combatting link spam, each update has a specific goal.

More recently, with the Google BERT Update and the Google RankBrain Algorithm, Google has integrated advanced natural language processing (NLP) and machine learning capabilities to better understand user queries and deliver more contextual results.

Official statements from Google, like those published on its Webmaster Blog, often provide valuable insights into these updates.

These statements emphasize the importance of focusing on content quality, user experience (UX), and the overall value a website provides to its visitors, aligning with Google’s Search Quality Guidelines.

How to Stay Informed About an Algorithm Update

Staying on top of Google updates is crucial for any effective SEO strategy.

Information about these changes can be obtained from several trusted sources, with Google’s official announcements being most important – such as its Webmaster Blog and the Google Search Central Twitter account.

These platforms tend to be the first to report on a new algorithm update, offering valuable details about its nature and scope.

Additionally, SEO forums and communities are invaluable resources to stay informed and better understand all updates.

Sites like Search Engine Journal, MOZ, and Search Engine Land enable the SEO community to share experiences, interpretations, and strategies related to Google’s latest updates.

When interpreting Google’s announcements and forum debates, it is important to analyze how specific changes may impact your SEO strategy.

This includes understanding how updates may affect aspects like:

Keyword research
On-page SEO
Off-page SEO
EEAT
And user experience

Maintaining a proactive approach and being willing to adapt your strategy as needed is essential to successfully navigate the ever-changing world of SEO.

How to Evaluate the Impact of a Google Algorithm Updates on Your Website

Evaluating the impact of a Google update on your website is crucial to maintaining an effective SEO strategy. Here is a step-by-step guide to do it:

1.Monitor Organic Traffic and Rankings:

Use tools like Google Analytics and Google Search Console to observe changes in organic traffic and keyword rankings. A noticeable decrease could indicate your site has been affected by the update.

2. Review Key Metrics: Bounce rate, time on site...

Examine metrics like bounce rate, time on page, dwell time and conversion rates. Variations in these areas can indicate how the update has influenced the user experience on your site.

3. Identify increases or decreases with SEO tools:

Tools like SEMrush, Sistrix or Ahrefs can provide additional information about fluctuations in rankings and visibility in the SERPs. SeoCrawl also makes it easy to visually see the impact of an update on your website.

4. Use AI to analyze the impact of an update on your website:

The arrival of artificial intelligence offers alternatives to check how Google's algorithm change has influenced your websites. Here we leave a very interesting resource, in the form of a GPT, which creates a graph based on Search Console to visualize the change in your positions.

5. Comparison with Competitors:

Evaluate your performance compared to your competitors. Similar changes across comparable sites may suggest an industry-level impact of the update. Use sixtrix's tool to measure the impact of each update on your website and with a control group based on your competitors. Identify patterns and draw your own conclusions.

6. Content and Technical Audits:

Perform a comprehensive audit to identify areas for improvement in content and technical aspects of SEO, such as page load speed, mobile friendliness, and schema markup use.

7. Implementation of Changes and Results Monitoring:

Based on your analysis, implement necessary improvements and continue monitoring results. Remember to wait for the update to fully roll out before taking any action, and keep in mind effects may take time to manifest.

Google Update Recovery Strategies

Implementing recovery strategies after a Google update is essential to mitigate negative impacts on search listing and lost traffic.

Consider these key strategies:

Content Review and Improvement: Evaluate your existing content and look for improvement opportunities. Ensure it is relevant, high-quality, and aligned with Google’s new Search Quality Guidelines.
On-page SEO Optimization: Review and improve elements like titles, descriptions and headings, ensuring they are aligned with relevant keywords while maintaining content freshness and relevance.
User Experience Enhancement: User experience is crucial. Work on aspects like page load speed and mobile friendliness to deliver a smooth, satisfactory experience.
Technical SEO and Site Audits: Conduct technical audits to identify issues that may be affecting your site’s search engine performance, including schema markup and structured data use.
Quality Link Building: Focus on obtaining high-quality inbound links from relevant, authoritative sites to enhance authority and rankings.
Ongoing Monitoring and Adjustments: knowing when Google makes a core algorithm update it is crucial for your site’s performance and make data-driven adjustments.

How to Prepare for Future Google Core Updates

Preparing for future Google updates is key to maintaining solid SEO performance. Follow these strategies:

Focus on Quality Content: Prioritize the creation of informative, valuable content aligned with Google’s EEAT (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness and Trustworthiness).
Ongoing Content Refreshing: Keep your content fresh and relevant by regularly updating it to maintain quality and relevance.
Technical Website Optimization: Conduct regular technical audits to ensure full site optimization for search engines.
Diversified SEO Strategies: Diversify your SEO strategies by incorporating content marketing, social media, technical SEO, and link building.
Ongoing Training and Education: Stay on top of the latest SEO trends and techniques.
Monitor volatility in Google search results: A good way to know if we are facing a new algorithm update or small changes is with the Semrush Sensor. It’s a free tool you can subscribe to and get alerts when high volatility in the SERPs take place.

Evolution of search Latest Updates Table:

Here we have compiled a list of core update of 2023, both confirmed and unconfirmed, along with searches related to major updates.

Update Name	Date	Impact
Reviews update	November 8, 2023	Focused on sites with user-generated content like Reddit or Quora that have seen their rankings rise.
Google november 2023 core update	November 2, 2023
October 2023 Core update	October 5, 2023	Focused on duplicate and thin content
Ranking is experiencing an ongoing issue	October 5, 2023
Spam update	October 4, 2023	Broad core update in various languages, to clean up results from sites using \”cloaking\”, pirated content, autogenerated pages, and \”scraped\” info.
September 2023 Helpful content update	September 14, 2023	Focused on content designed solely to rank well in search engines rather than to help or inform people
August 2023 Core update	August 22, 2023
April 2023 reviews update	April 12, 2023	Major algorithmic update related to sites containing product, service, destination, gaming, movie and other similar reviews.
March Core update	March 15, 2023	Aimed at improving search results quality by giving priority to websites offering the best user experience.
February Product reviews update	February 21, 2023	Focused on product review sites. Accompanied by a change in the existing guidelines on product reviews update.

Here you can consult an exhaustive list of the different previous updates that Google has confirmed.

Conclusion

Google’s major algorithm changes represent opportunities to improve and refine our SEO strategies.

Adapting to these changes is crucial to maintain and improve your website’s search ranking and traffic. Focusing on creating valuable content, offering an excellent user experience, and following Google’s Search Quality Guidelines are essential practices.

Each update is an invitation to review and enhance our SEO approaches, and with a proactive attitude and well-informed strategy, it is possible to prosper in the ever-changing world of SEO.

Before launching into making any changes, it is essential to understand what has changed in each update, whether it is impacting us, and play by the search engine’s rules in the long run.

If you are looking for guidance about core updates, reach out to us,

We will analyze your case.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are Google's major updates?

Google’s major updates are changes made to Google’s core search algorithm that can impact websites’ rankings across the web.

How often does Google release these updates?

Google may roll out several major updates per year, like the September 2023 Helpful Content Update or the October 2023 Spam Update. Or the recent ones on November 8th and 3rd, 2023.

Can a Google update affect my website?

Yes, any site may see its search ranking positively or negatively altered following an update like the major October 5, 2023, and October 19, 2023, updates.