Google handles over two trillion searches yearly and has been around for over 20 years. Given this massive scale, it's no surprise that Google frequently updates its search algorithm. Last year alone, Google made over 3,000 changes to Google Search. This year, they started sharing information about something called Google Core updates.
So, what is a Google core update? Unlike regular updates, a core update involves significant and broad changes to how Google's search algorithm works. While most updates happen quietly and go unnoticed, core updates are different because they have a noticeable impact on search results.
Keep reading to learn more about these core algorithm updates and see some examples of the latest ones.
A Google core update is when Google makes major changes to how its search engine works. These updates are designed to make the search engine better at finding useful, relevant, and trustworthy information for users.
Google's core updates are important because they affect how websites are ranked in search results. This can impact a website's visibility and traffic. Usually, Google announces these updates several times a year.
Here are three examples of significant core updates:
When: Early March 2019
What Happened: Google made changes but didn't share specific details. However, research showed that websites with low-quality content saw their rankings drop. Many of these sites worked on improving their content to recover.
These updates aim to improve user's overall search experience, ensuring users find the best possible information.
When: Early June 2019
What Happened: Google released a core update that was similar to previous ones without any major new changes. Google suggested reading its 2011 blog post, "More guidance on building high-quality sites," for long-term improvement tips.
When: Late September 2019
What Happened: Google rolled out another core update. Many webmasters noticed a recovery in their rankings and traffic, especially those who were negatively affected by the June update. This update significantly impacted healthcare and news websites.
Understanding and adapting to these core updates is crucial for businesses, especially those offering SEO services in Florida. Staying informed and making necessary adjustments can help maintain or improve search engine rankings.
Review the guidelines, take notes, and apply insights in the next step. Evaluate your existing content, focusing on key pages or all content based on website size. Analyze both impacted and unaffected content after a core update. Google suggests examining content in four areas:
Refer to the table for further details on these questions
|
Question Type |
Questions |
|
Content and quality |
Is the content unique? Does it provide insights beyond the surface? Is the headline informative and engaging? Would you consider bookmarking or sharing this page? |
|
Expertise |
Are there factual errors in the content? Can you trust it to make decisions regarding your money or life? Was it written by an expert or enthusiast? |
|
Presentation and production |
Are there any spelling mistakes in the content? Is there an excessive amount of ads? Is the content mobile-friendly? Does the content seem messy? |
|
Comparative |
Does the content provide significant value in comparison to other pages of its kind? Is the content designed to cater to the needs of visitors or website administrators? |
Your answers will help you to determine the current effectiveness of your content.
Once you've evaluated your content and addressed the questions above, you can begin improving it. To streamline this process, gather your reviewed pages and rank them based on their importance. Prioritize those that offer the most value, such as service or product pages, over less crucial content like blog posts.
For instance, if your service page doesn't measure up to competitors' content in search results, take action. Analyze competitor product pages to understand the value they provide to consumers. Then, enhance your page by adding a product video and detailed usage instructions.
By delivering helpful and relevant information, you enhance the user experience on your site by 10X.
Links are really important for how Google ranks websites. That's why it's valuable to check out who's linking to your website using a tool like Ahrefs, which shows your backlink profile. When another website links to yours, it's usually because they think your content is great.
By checking and improving your content, you can get more websites to link to yours, especially good-quality ones. To Google, links are like a vote of confidence. When other websites link to yours, it tells Google and its users that your content is relevant and trustworthy.
This effect is even stronger when a well-known and respected website links to yours, like a famous news site, a leading blog, or a government website. These are the first four steps to recover from a major Google Search update.
SEO services in Florida take time, so you don't want to wait to recover from a Google core update. You want to start immediately by reviewing Google's standards, auditing your content, improving it, and attracting links to it.
If you're looking to elevate your website from the lower ranks of Google's search results to the top, reach out to New Vision Digital. Our comprehensive SEO services can help your business boost your site and rankings, driving increased traffic, leads, and revenue. In addition to being the best SEO company, we're also a leading reputation management company in USA.
