Experiencing the effects of the most recent Google Core Update? These updates have the potential to significantly disrupt search rankings, leading businesses to hastily attempt to regain lost traffic and rankings. If your website has been negatively impacted in terms of rankings, it is completely understandable to feel frustrated.
However, it’s essential to remember that many others have faced similar challenges and there are several strategies available to handle this situation. In this blog post, we will address the following:
- What a Google Core Update entails,
- Impact of Google core updates on websites,
- The possible impact of AI-written content on rankings
- Common reasons for a drop in rankings after a core update,
- Steps to recover from a Google Core update,
- How to use Google Search Console for insights and optimization, and
- How to prepare for future Google core updates.
What Is a Google Core Update?
Google Core Updates are significant adjustments made to the search engine’s algorithms. These adjustments impact how it assesses and ranks web content, with an aim to improve the search experience of users, providing more relevant, useful, and trustworthy content.
Unlike routine algorithm changes, core updates are substantial and can cause noticeable shifts in search engine rankings. Understanding the nature of these updates is crucial for website owners and marketers who want to maintain/enhance their online visibility on Google SERPs.
Impact of Google core updates on websites
The impact of Google core updates on websites can be massive, often resulting in a noticeable drop/boost in search rankings and organic traffic. After a core update, websites may experience changes in their search rankings. Some may observe a boost in visibility, while others might notice a decline. These changes are signs of Google’s reassessment of content quality and relevance.
These shifts in rankings will definitely lead to changes in organic traffic. Websites that align well with the updated algorithms may see an increase in traffic, while those not meeting the new criteria may experience a decrease.
Google’s stance on using AI for content generation
Does AI-written content cause a drop in rankings? Could it be responsible for a drop in overall website traffic?
Automation has long been used in publishing to create useful content. AI can assist with and generate useful content in exciting new ways, which will make online searches more satisfactory for users. Google itself understands this and has no issue with AI-generated posts as long as it demonstrates E-E-A-T qualities (Expertise, Experience, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness).
This same principle applies to human content. Whichever way content is produced, the search engine looks to surface high-quality information from reliable sources. Using AI does not give content any special gains, and neither does it negatively impact rankings.
Common reasons for a drop in rankings after a core update
- Poor Content Quality
If your content fails to meet the new criteria for relevance, depth, and user satisfaction, it may experience a drop in the search engine results page (SERPs). To tackle this, you need to ensure your content is valuable, authoritative, and aligns with user intent.
- Technical Issues and User Experience
Technical issues like slow page loading or poor mobile optimization, can negatively impact user experience. This is why Google prioritizes websites that provide a seamless experience. If your website fails to provide this, it might experience a drop in rankings.
- Backlink Quality and Diversity
Changes in how Google evaluates backlinks can affect rankings. If your backlink profile lacks diversity or has low-quality links, it may also lead to a drop in rankings.
- Failure to Meet Core Algorithm Signals
Google’s core algorithms consider various signals, including E-E-A-T. If your content and website fail to demonstrate these qualities, it can lead to a decline in rankings.
- Competitor Adaptation
If you comply with the updated algorithms, but your competitors adapt more effectively, they may surpass your website in rankings. This is why you should always stay at the top of your game in providing the best quality, be vigilant about your competition, and adjust your strategy accordingly.
Steps to recover from a Google Core update
If you think a Google core update negatively impacted your website, you can take these steps to help your website recover and position it for improved visibility:
1. Wait, while gathering facts
First of all, do not start making changes right away when you notice a drop in visitors and keywords performance due to a Google update. It is ideal to wait for approximately three days to allow the update to stabilize. During this time, Google checks all websites in their index to see which ones are best.
So what should you be doing in the meantime?
It is essential to first comprehend Google’s expectations and analyze your competitors’ websites. Observe and assess their performance before delving into the details of your own site. These guidelines help explain how Google assesses E-E-A-T of all websites.
2. Look at your published content
Next, turn your attention inwardly to your content. Depending on the size of your website, you can examine all the content or concentrate on your most important pages. Alternatively, if you observe that specific content has been impacted by the core update, analyze and contrast the affected and unaffected content. Adhere to Google’s guidance and evaluate your content based on these four indicators; content quality, expertise, production and presentation and lastly, competitiveness.
3. Improve your content
After reviewing your content with the indicators above, what is next will be to enhance them. For an efficient approach, organize your audited pages and rank them based on importance. Prioritize a service or product page, for instance, over a blog post.
If your service page is not as competitive as others in search results, observe your competitors’ product pages for ideas. Doing all these will improve your on-page SEO.
4. Enhance your technical SEO
After working on your on-page SEO, optimize the technical aspects of your website. This includes:
Page Speed Optimization
- Compress and optimize images.
- Minify CSS, JavaScript, and HTML files.
- Utilize browser caching to reduce loading times.
Mobile Responsiveness
- Ensure your website is responsive and works well on various devices and screen sizes.
- Test your site on different browsers and mobile devices to identify and fix any issues.
XML Sitemap
- Create and submit an XML sitemap to search engines to ensure all pages are indexed.
Robots.txt
- Review and optimize the robots.txt file to control search engine crawlers’ access to different parts of your site.
Monitoring and Analytics
- Set up tools like Google Analytics to monitor website performance.
Caching
- Implement caching mechanisms for static resources to reduce server load and improve load times for returning visitors.
Testing
- Regularly test your website using tools like Google PageSpeed Insights to identify and address performance issues.
Also Read: Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Best Practices for 2023(Opens in a new browser tab)
5. Build backlinks
The significance of backlinks in influencing Google rankings cannot be overstated. In Google’s algorithm, these links act as a vote of confidence in your content’s credibility and relevance. The endorsement from another website signals to Google that your content is valuable and trustworthy, contributing to your overall search engine ranking.
The impact of backlinks becomes even more pronounced when they are from high-quality and reputable sources, such as well-known news sites, high-ranking sites in your niche, or government websites. This adds more value to your Domain Authority (DA), which in turn boosts your website rankings.
How to use Google Search Console for insights and optimization
What’s Google Search Console
Google Search Console (GSC), is a free tool from Google that helps you understand and improve how well your website shows up in Google searches. GSC gives you the most up-to-date information about how your website is doing in search results, making it a really important tool for anyone who wants their website to be ranked higher in the SERPs. It helps monitor:
Website Performance:
When using GSC you can start by looking at the “Performance” section to understand your website’s click-through rates, impressions, and average positions for different queries. Identify top-performing pages and keywords, and find areas for improvement.
Coverage Analysis:
Go to the “Coverage” report to find any crawl errors, indexing problems, or excluded pages. Fixing these issues ensures Google can properly index and display your content in search results.
Search Analytics:
Use the “Search Analytics” report to dig deeper into user queries, clicks, and impressions. Spot trends, popular searches, and areas where your website can boost visibility.
URL Inspection Tool:
The “URL Inspection” tool lets you see how Googlebot sees a specific page on your site. Use it to make sure crucial pages are indexed correctly and fix any problems that might hinder optimal crawling.
Sitemap Submission:
Sending a sitemap to Google Search Console helps with efficient crawling and indexing. Regularly update and submit your sitemap to ensure all relevant pages get indexed.
How to prepare for future Google core updates
Being ready for future Google Core Updates is a smart move to keep your website visible and maintain its rankings. These strategic steps can help ensure your site is prepared for upcoming algorithm changes:
- Stay updated on Google’s announcements about changes to its algorithms. Google announces all its updates on the Google Search Central Twitter feed.
- Make it a habit to review and update your content regularly. Check its accuracy, relevance, and engagement metrics.
- Stay current with the latest SEO best practices. Understand new trends that could affect search engine rankings.
- Focus on continually enhancing the user experience. Regularly review site navigation, readability, and multimedia integration.
- Look for high-quality, relevant backlinks and disavow low-quality ones. A strong and diverse backlink profile contributes to your website’s overall authority.
- Don’t rely on just one traffic source. Engage with various channels like social media, email marketing, and referral sources. A diverse traffic portfolio makes your website more resilient to changes in search engine rankings.
- Use Google Search Console for insights into your website’s performance. Keep an eye on crawl errors, user queries, and indexing issues. Addressing these improve your site’s overall health.
Elevate Your Digital Presence with Primeclick Media
Ranking high in the Google SERPs is not “just an advantage”—it’s now essential for robust online visibility since almost everyone (including your competitors) now recognizes the benefits that come with it. This article has outlined the impact of Google Core Updates, common reasons for the drop in rankings, and proactive steps for recovery and future optimization.
You can take it a step further and contact us today at Primeclick Media. Let us assist you in optimizing your technical SEO and in crafting content that commands attention. It is no longer about being seen; it’s about being unmissable.
