You don’t necessarily need to be an SEO expert or professional marketer to know that Google has come a long way since its launch in 1998. <\/p>\n
With each Google core update, the world’s top search engine has become increasingly smarter over the years, making solid SEO<\/a> knowledge more important than ever for digital-age businesses that are serious about ranking well.<\/p>\n However, knowing that frequent core updates are a reality of digital life is one thing. <\/strong>Understanding them well enough to adapt to new ones like a champ is another. <\/p>\n Here’s a closer look at everything you need to know to stay ahead of the game.<\/p>\n It’s inevitable that pretty much every Google core update will change the game for a decent handful of sites.<\/p>\n If yours happens to be one of them, it’s not the end of the world.<\/strong> There are <\/em>ways to recover, as well as to be better prepared for the next update. <\/p>\n Here are some things to keep in mind.<\/p>\n Naturally, when something massive like a major Google algorithm update tanks your hard-earned site rankings, it’s upsetting. <\/p>\n Most people’s knee-jerk reaction is going to be to panic, but it’s important to avoid that.<\/p>\n When people panic, they also overreact, which can easily lead to bad decisions they’ll regret later. <\/p>\n Instead, get together with industry peers. <\/strong>Talk things out with both people who’ve been affected and people who haven’t, so you’ve got a good read on what’s really going on.<\/p>\n Keep in mind that all Google algorithm updates roll out with one cohesive purpose in mind \u2014 to improve its user experience<\/a> by generating better, more accurate search results. <\/p>\n Sometimes such updates are left to users to figure out on their own.<\/strong><\/p>\n Other times, Google itself will offer additional information as to the focus of the update, so check to see if that’s the case. <\/p>\n For example, the June 2021 update was eventually confirmed as an update meant to address spam.<\/p>\n No two sites that might be affected by a particular Google core update will necessarily be affected the same way. <\/p>\n So while comparing notes with peers is a great way to get a better idea of what’s changed, you still need to consult your own analytics for personalized answers.<\/strong><\/p>\n Does your SEO data<\/a> show you any helpful patterns? Was there a particular page category or type of content that experienced a decline, or did the change appear to affect your entire website? <\/p>\n If the effect was sitewide, it may be an issue best fixed by a stronger focus on quality.<\/p>\n It\u2019s also worth mentioning that sometimes, the data just isn\u2019t going to give you a tidy answer. Traffic dips here, a spike there\u2014it could be seasonality, an industry shift, or even an unrelated technical hiccup from your hosting provider\u2019s end. Honestly, chasing causality in analytics can feel a bit like herding cats. So, while patterns are valuable, don\u2019t get stuck in analysis paralysis. Sometimes the best move is to accept a little ambiguity and keep your broader content and user strategies in motion.<\/p>\n And, of course, don\u2019t forget the importance of timelines when reviewing analytics. If you\u2019re not layering your update-related traffic drop with notes about recent site changes, campaigns, or even holidays, you might be drawing the wrong conclusions. Looking at raw dips in isolation strips away the context that could be driving those changes. It\u2019s not always the update itself\u2014sometimes it\u2019s just bad timing or something totally out of your control. That little reality check saves a lot of pointless stress.<\/p>\n Sometimes, the truth is, you just won\u2019t know exactly why you got hit by an update. People crave clear causes and neat solutions, but Google doesn\u2019t hand out tidy explanations. That shouldn\u2019t stop you from experimenting with changes, though. Test improvements where you suspect a weakness, but give it some time before jumping to another fix. Trusting the process and exercising a bit of patience\u2014as dull as that sounds\u2014usually beats knee-jerk tinkering every time.<\/p>\n It\u2019s also not a bad idea to track notable industry discussion\u2014Twitter\/X threads, or places like WebmasterWorld, can sometimes surface insights or shared experiences that give you a sanity check. When you see big ranking drops or gains across a bunch of unrelated categories, it\u2019s a sign you\u2019re not alone, and maybe not the problem either. That crowd-sourced wisdom can be oddly comforting in the middle of analytics chaos.<\/p>\n If landing pages<\/a> that previously performed really well are no longer ranking the way they once did, then you’ll want to check out the competing pages that are now sitting in those positions. <\/p>\n Remember, algorithm updates don’t affect the number of people using Google or the searches they’re performing, so that traffic is going somewhere<\/em>.<\/p>\n Take a careful look at those pages.<\/strong> <\/p>\n What are they doing that you’re not? Is their content better than yours in some discernible way? How does their approach to concepts like formatting, imagery, layout, and content production differ from your own?<\/p>\n Sometimes a website owner evaluates their data and does their homework on other sites in their niche in an attempt to figure out what the problem could be only to still come up stumped. <\/p>\n And, really, that could be because there isn’t a problem at all.<\/p>\n Not every update is like Panda in that it includes a penalty for websites engaging in certain practices Google sees as quality issues. <\/p>\n In many cases, it’s less that poor-quality websites are being punished and more that terrific sites or promising newcomers are now receiving greater recognition for what they’re putting out there.<\/strong><\/p>\n No matter what a particular Google core update entails, E-A-T<\/a> \u2014 a concept introduced after 2018’s Medic update and covered in detail throughout Google’s quality rater guidelines<\/a> \u2014 will always be something to focus on if you’re serious about achieving and maintaining top SERP rankings.<\/p>\n E-A-T stands for:<\/p>\n In other words, there’s really no shortcut here. <\/p>\n The smarter Google becomes, the more the cream tends to rise to the top all on its own. So focus on creating incredible long-form content<\/a> that’s helpful, readable, and well-written.<\/p>\n The better a resource your website becomes, the more likely it is to come out on top, even after future algorithm updates. <\/p>\n It always pays to focus less on trying to game the system and more on creating incredible content that truly deserves to rank well.<\/strong><\/p>\n When it comes to SEO, you can pretty much take it for granted that the next Google core update is just around the corner. <\/p>\n But a little preparedness can go a long way. <\/strong>Beyond staying dedicated to producing quality, user-friendly, good content<\/em><\/a> on an ongoing basis, you should also:<\/p>\n And if you want a comprehensive overview of the latest update <\/strong>and extra tips on what to do, check out the video below:<\/p>\n You may also be interested in these articles:<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\nHow to Recover from a Google Core Update<\/h2>\n
1. Avoid panicking<\/h3>\n
2. Get to the bottom of the update’s purpose<\/h3>\n
3. Consult your analytics for more information<\/h3>\n
4. Compare your site with the competition<\/h3>\n
5. Don’t assume you’re doing something wrong<\/h3>\n
6. Redouble your focus on E-A-T<\/h3>\n
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7. Be prepared for future core updates<\/h3>\n
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