What Are Google Search Core Updates?
Google Search’s core updates are significant changes made to its search algorithms multiple times a year. These updates aim to improve search results, ensuring users find relevant and high-quality information. Core updates are broad and impact search rankings across various industries.
While most websites do not need to worry about core updates, some may notice fluctuations in traffic. If your site experiences a drop in rankings, it’s essential to understand how core updates work and what steps you can take to improve your content.
How Core Updates Work
Core updates do not target specific websites. Instead, they refine Google’s ranking systems to better assess and deliver relevant, trustworthy, and useful content.
Imagine you have a list of your top 20 favorite restaurants. Over time, new restaurants open, and some improve their services. When you update your list, you might include new places and adjust the rankings of existing ones. This doesn’t mean the old restaurants are bad, but the overall competition and user preferences have shifted. Similarly, Google reassesses websites based on new standards and evolving content quality.
Checking for Traffic Drops Using Google Search Console
If you suspect your website has been affected by a core update, use Google Search Console to analyze your traffic:
- Confirm the core update’s rollout: Check Google’s Search Status Dashboard to see when the update started and ended.
- Wait a week before analyzing: It takes time for rankings to stabilize after an update.
- Compare traffic before and after the update: Look at your website’s performance a week before the update and a week after.
- Examine ranking changes:
- Small drop (e.g., from position 2 to 4): No drastic changes needed; avoid overreacting.
- Large drop (e.g., from position 4 to 29): A deeper content assessment is required.
- Check different search types: Determine if the drop is specific to Web Search, Google Images, Videos, or News.
How to Assess a Large Drop in Rankings
If your website has experienced a significant and sustained ranking drop, evaluate your content objectively. Consider these factors:
- Overall site quality: Look at your website holistically rather than just a few pages.
- Compare with competitors: See what similar websites are doing better.
- Seek external opinions: Ask unbiased users to review your site and provide feedback.
Things to Keep in Mind When Making Changes
If you identify areas for improvement, avoid quick fixes that may harm your site’s credibility. Instead, focus on long-term, user-first strategies:
- Improve content quality: Make your articles more informative, structured, and user-friendly.
- Enhance readability: Use clear language, headings, and bullet points.
- Do not remove content unnecessarily: Deleting content should be a last resort. Instead, refine and update existing content.
- Avoid SEO gimmicks: Follow best practices that enhance user experience rather than trying to game search algorithms.
When Will You See an Improvement?
If you’ve made meaningful updates to your content, you may see ranking improvements within a few days. However, in some cases, it can take months for Google to reassess your site. If no improvements are noticed, you might need to wait for the next core update.
Conclusion
Google’s core updates are designed to improve the overall quality of search results. If your website is affected, focus on enhancing your content’s value rather than chasing algorithm loopholes. Prioritizing user experience and providing high-quality, reliable information is the best way to maintain and improve your rankings over time.