If you have a website, you've probably heard of Google Updates. These changes in the search engine algorithm affect the positioning of search results and can cause factors that were previously key to your SEO to lose relevance or new ones to appear.
Google performs a large number of updates each year, which can cause your web ranking to rise or fall unexpectedly.. But not all updates are the same. Core Updates, or major updates, are the most important and tend to have a much stronger and more widespread impact on the SEO of the websites.
While some updates are minor and go unnoticed, Core Updates are the ones that Google communicates officially and publicly, as they can significantly alter the visibility of many sites. These updates are usually performed several times a year, and Google's goal is always the same: to improve the quality of results and provide users with the most relevant and useful content.What does this mean for your website? Let's take a closer look.
What is a Google Core Update?
To understand the impact of a Google Core Update, it is important to know that Google's algorithm is based on hundreds of factors that determine the ranking of each website in search results. These are far-reaching updates that seek to improve the accuracy with which the algorithm identifies the quality, relevance and trustworthiness of content. that it displays to users.
Unlike other specific updates, such as Penguin or Panda, which fix specific problems (such as link spam or low-quality content), a Core Update involves a general overhaul of the algorithm. This means that Google may change the order or relevancy of factors such as content authority, user experience or site trustworthiness.
The effect of a Core Update can be observed in the massive changes in positioningwhich may benefit certain sites and disadvantage others, depending on how they adjust to the new algorithm's approach.
How does it affect the SEO of your website?
The impact can be both positive and negative depending on whether your website meets quality criteria that Google considers a priority. You may experience an increase in traffic and a better position in search results. On the other hand, if your site does not fit these criteria, it may be displaced by other pages that Google considers more relevant.
Some key areas that a Core Update may affect:
- Key words: changes in the algorithm may cause the keywords you used to rank for to change places in the search results, affecting your visibility.
- Organic trafficWhen losing positions and visibility, it is likely that you will also notice a drop in traffic from organic searches, which can affect your conversion and reach goals.
- Authority and trustIf Google perceives that your site's authority has decreased compared to others, your content in general may lose relevance in search results.
- Speed of indexing new pagesIf your domain authority is affected, Google may crawl your site less frequently, which could delay the appearance of new content in search results.
What should you be aware of after a Google Core Update?
- Check the positioning of your main keywords: see if your most important keywords have moved up or down in rankings. This will give you a clear idea of the impact the update has had on your site.
- Check the visibility of your domain to see if it has changed. A drop may indicate that you need to make some adjustments to align with the new algorithm.
- Analyze your performance in Google Search Console: check if there has been a decrease in impressions and clicks, as this may reflect a decrease in your search visibility. In this step you will be able to identify which URLs have been most affected.
- Focus on the quality of your contentTake the opportunity to review and improve the quality of your articles and pages. The content must respond to users' needs in a complete, clear and useful way.
- Perform an SEO auditcan help you identify areas for improvement. You can do it on your own if you have advanced SEO knowledge or hire a specialized agency.
How to recover if an algorithm update negatively affects your website?
If after the last Google Core Update your website has been damaged, here are some recommendations to recover:
- Evaluates if the fall is temporarySometimes changes in traffic are momentary or due to external factors. Review your metrics for several weeks before making major adjustments, as the impact may take time to stabilize.
- Work on user experience (UX)Improve technical aspects that improve the speed and usability of your site. This includes reducing load times, improving the navigation structure and making sure your site is accessible from all devices.
- Renew and optimize your contentIf you detect that some pages have lost positions, review and improve those contents. Add useful information, remove irrelevant parts and update the data.
- Follow a continuous improvement strategyGoogle's algorithm changes are constant. The best way to be prepared is to adopt a continuous improvement SEO strategy, focused on delivering valuable content and improving the user experience.
Google Core Updates are a challenge, but they are also an opportunity to opportunity to improve the quality of your web site and strengthen your positioning.. Stay on top of these updates, review your content and improve the user experience so that changes are always on your side.
At Geotelecomwe have experts in web positioning who will work with you to resolve any issues following an upgrade. In addition, we invite you to follow our LinkedIn profile We will help you with everything you need!
