Google employees have recently announced that the upcoming Google Core Update is set to be released in the coming weeks. Understanding and addressing major and minor changes to the Google algorithm can ensure your organic performance takes the smallest impact possible.
What Is a Google Core Update?
The Google algorithm has thousands of small and mostly insignificant changes to it each year. However, a Google Core Update makes significant, broad changes to the Google search algorithm which are more likely to have a noticeable effect on search results.
These updates tend to improve the search experience for users, attempting to provide more relevant and trustworthy content to digest or answer their questions. They can happen a number of times each year and Google will often announce these weeks or days before they roll out.
Why are Google's Algorithm Updates Important?
Marketing leaders should be very aware of how important a Google algorithm update is. After months of working on SEO performance and monitoring results, a Google update could come along and spark a fire that changes all of the good work you have done.
Remember, the goal of an algorithm update is to improve the search experience for users, so as long as you're producing high-quality, relevant content for your industry, the long-term impact of an update should be a positive one.
Writing your content with the E-E-A-T acronym in mind, covering Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness and Trustworthiness should mean that any long-term negative impact from the update should be minimal.
What can you do Before an Update Rolls Out?
In regard to Google's algorithm updates, anything you could do to try and have impact pre-roll out should be tactics that you are already employing as part of an ongoing SEO strategy.
These things include:
- Assessing individual web page performance
- Evaluating keyword rankings and optimising to improve performance
- Improving user experience, site speed and ensuring internal links work
It's also wise to keep up to date with what the update could be changing or impacting by following good, reputable sources of information.
Expert Advice on Addressing a Core Google Algorithm Update
ClickThrough SEO Specialist Cathryn Burt believes that the best thing you can do when it comes to Google algorithm updates is remain calm.
"When it comes to Google algorithm updates, the main thing is to not panic."
"A lot of the time, for most websites, the core algorithm updates can send performance into a whirlwind while it figures out what is best."
"Ranking changes and visibility in the SERPs can fluctuate pretty wildly, but there are three things to remember:"
"One is to be aware that this is happening and monitor throughout."
"The second is don't react too quickly - performance may drop but could just as easily return to normal, or improved levels."
"And the third is to wait until the update has finished rolling out and then make informed decisions on next steps."
"One other thing to note is that often, even if you make changes to improve performance after an algorithm update, you may not see any real change until the following update."
"With core algorithm updates becoming more and more common, the best thing you can do is to ensure your site remains relevant to your audience and keeps users at the front of mind."
Addressing Long-Term Google Algorithm Performance Drops
Algorithm updates offer ongoing opportunities for improvement - and seeing long-term performance drops could mean there are flaws in your organic strategy.
Our team of experts can offer an integrated approach to recovering performance drops, as well as best practice organic strategy to ensure an update doesn't derail your digital performance.
Get in touch with us to learn how we can benefit your digital marketing efforts.
