Updated: Google Algorithm Updates Through 4-10-2025
Updated: Google Algorithm Updates Through 4-10-2025
Google Organic Update Summary
The following is a summary of Google algorithm updates through April 10, 2025. At Fruition, we have a research team that analyzes SEO data across thousands of sites to make informed recommendations for our clients. The information below highlights significant changes that correlate with Google updates. You can monitor your own site with Fruition’s Google Penalty Checker.
Unconfirmed Google Algorithm Update - April 9, 2025
People in the Search Engine Optimization community are reporting that they are seeing signs of a possible Google search algorithm update occurring on April 9th and continuing through the 10th. A number of automated ranking tools such as Semrush and Advanced Web Rankings are also registering spikes in search result volatility occurring around that time. Google has not issued any statement to confirm or deny whether an update has taken place.
Without official confirmation from Google, it is not possible to know whether the observed volatility is truly due to an algorithm update or whether it has some other cause. Under such circumstances, Google recommends against making any sudden, drastic changes to your website in response. If it turns out not to be an update after all, hasty changes might end up hurting rather than helping your site’s performance in the long term. If you observe a significant and prolonged drop in traffic such that you believe it is absolutely necessary to take action, any changes made should be done in accordance with Google’s webmaster guidelines. The guidelines lay out the criteria which Google uses to determine whether a site is high-quality or not. While it is not possible to know the specific details of what changes are made to the algorithm by a given update, all updates have the ultimate goal of better delivering high-quality results to searchers, so the guidelines’ advice should always be applicable.
References
-“Google Search Ranking Volatility Kicks In April 9th & 10th” by Barry Schwartz. Search Engine Roundtable. April 10, 2025. Link
Google March 2025 Core Algorithm Update - March 13, 2025
On March 13th, Google officially announced that they were beginning to roll out a core algorithm update. While Google does not typically confirm algorithm updates, they make an exception for core updates due to the large impact they have on search. This is a global update, affecting all regions and all languages, and is expected to take two weeks to fully roll out.
Google has stated that there is no easy fix for sites impacted by core algorithm updates. This is because they do not penalize sites that have things wrong with them, but rather reward quality sites which were previously overlooked. If your site drops in the rankings, it is not because there is a specific problem that can be corrected to lift a penalty; rather, it means that other sites are being deemed higher quality and promoted. The only way to “recover” from a core update is to improve the quality of your content so that it surpasses your competitors.
For those looking to improve their sites so as to rank better with the next core algorithm update, Google advises site owners to focus on content and quality, expertise, presentation and production, and comparison. Content and quality means having content that provides original information, reporting, research, or analysis; is complete and comprehensive; is insightful and interesting; provides original content and additional value rather than merely copying other sources; and has a helpful and descriptive headline or page title that accurately reflects the page’s content rather than being exaggerated or making promises that aren’t fulfilled. Expertise means having content that is clearly sourced; that is written by an expert or someone who clearly knows the topic well; and that is free of obvious factual errors. Presentation and production means having content that is devoid of spelling or stylistic errors, that is produced well rather than hastily or sloppily thrown together; that is assembled with care rather than outsourced to a large number of creators; that isn’t overwhelmed by an excessive amount of distracting advertisements; and that displays well on mobile devices. Comparison means having content that provides substantial value above and beyond other similar pages that appear for the same search query; and having content that is of genuine interest to visitors to the site rather than existing just to appeal to search engines in an attempt to rank well.
References
-“What site owners should know about Google’s August 2019 core update” by Danny Sullivan. Google Search Central Blog. August 1, 2019. Link
-“Google March 2025 Core Update Is Rolling Out - Here Is A Deeper Dive” by Barry Schwartz. Search Engine Roundtable. March 14, 2025. Link
-“Google March Core Update Volatility Status” by Barry Schwartz. Search Engine Roundtable. March 17, 2025. Link
Unconfirmed Google Algorithm Update - February 20, 2025
People in the Search Engine Optimization community are reporting seeing signs of a potential Google algorithm update around February 20th. A number of automated rank tracking tools such as Semrush, Advanced Web Rankings, and Accuranker are also showing spikes in search engine result page volatility occurring at that time. Google has not issued any statement to confirm or deny whether an update has taken place.
In the absence of official confirmation from Google, it is not possible to know whether this volatility is truly due to an algorithm update or whether it has some other explanation. Under such circumstances, Google recommends against making any sudden, drastic changes to your website in response. If it turns out not to be an update after all, such hasty changes may end up harming rather than helping your site’s performance in the long run. If you observe a significant and prolonged drop in rankings or traffic such that you believe taking action is absolutely necessary, any changes made should be done in accordance with Google’s webmaster guidelines. The guidelines lay out what criteria Google uses when determining whether a given site is high-quality. Because all Google updates aim to achieve the ultimate goal of better delivering high-quality results to searchers, the advice in the guidelines should always be useful, even if it isn’t know what specific changes were made to the algorithm by a given update.
References
-“Google Search Ranking Volatility Heating Up Again” by Barry Schwartz. Search Engine Roundtable. February 20, 2025. Link
Unconfirmed Google Update - January 29, 2025
People in the Search Engine Optimization community are reporting seeing signs of a potential Google algorithm update beginning on January 29th and continuing through January 30th. A number of automated rank tracking tools such as Semrush and Wincher are also registering spikes in volatility occurring on those dates. Google has not issued any statement confirming or denying whether an update has taken place.
Without official confirmation from Google, it is not possible to know whether the volatility is truly due to an update or whether it has some other cause, such as a bug or temporary churn. In the absence of such confirmation, Google recommends against making any sudden, drastic changes to your website, as they could end up harming rather than helping your performance in the long run if it turns out not to be an update after all. In the event that you observe a significant and prolonged drop in ranking and traffic such that you believe taking action is absolutely necessary, any changes made should be done in accordance with Google’s webmaster guidelines. The guidelines lay out what criteria Google uses when judging if a site is high quality. Because all Google updates have the ultimate goal of better delivering high-quality results to searchers, the advice contained in the guidelines should always be applicable even if the details of what specific algorithm changes were made by a particular update aren’t known.
References
- “Google Search Ranking Volatility Heats Up January 29 & 30th” by Barry Schwartz. Search Engine Roundtable. January 30, 2025. Link
Google Spam Update - December 20, 2024
On December 20th, Google announced that they were rolling out a spam update. Though Google does not typically announce updates other than broad core algorithm updates, they appear to have made an exception this time. This update applies to sites in all regions and all languages, and the rollout is expected to take up to one week to complete. It penalizes sites which violate some of Google’s spam policies, not including link spam or site reputation abuse.
If your site is penalized by this update, it is due to a violation of Google’s spam policies. In order to recover, you must bring it back in line with Google’s guidelines. First, you must determine which specific part of your website violates Google’s rules. Google’s spam policies are listed on the Google Search Central Blog, but a short overview of certain specific practices that Google classifies as spammy and can penalize you for are cloaking, doorway abuse, hacked content, hidden text, keyword stuffing, machine-generated traffic, malware, misleading functionality, scaled content abuse, scraping, sneaky redirects, thin affiliation, or user-generated spam. Cloaking is the practice of presenting different content to search engines than to human visitors. Doorway abuse is when multiple pages are created to rank for specific search queries and then funnel users to one page containing the actual content of the site. Hacked content is when a malicious actor gains access to your website through security vulnerabilities and adds code that redirects visitors to another site or downloads dangerous programs to their computers. Hidden text is when there is text on your pages that is designed to be visible to search engines but not human users, through methods such as using white text on a white background, hiding text behind an image, positioning the text off-screen, or setting the font size to 0. Keyword stuffing is filling a site with unnecessary, unnatural, or out-of-context keywords in an attempt to manipulate Google’s search algorithm. Machine-generated traffic is when your site sends automated queries to Google, such as scraping results for rank-checking purposes. Malware is when your site has software designed to harm a computer, a mobile device, the software it’s running, or its users; any software installed without user consent is considered malware. Misleading functionality is when a site intentionally tricks a user into thinking they can access some content or service that the site does not actually provide. Scaled content abuse is when many pages are generated for the primary purpose of manipulating search rankings rather than helping users, often by using generative AI or by scraping content from other sites. Scraping is when a site harvests content from other sites, often through automated means, and then hosts it on their own site, often without adding any original content or value and without citing the original source. Sneaky redirects are when a visitor is sent to a different URL than the one they requested for an illegitimate purposes, such as showing search engines one type of content while redirecting users to something completely different. Thin affiliation is when product affiliate links are posted with product descriptions and reviews copied directly from the original merchant without any original content or added value. User-generated spam is when a site offers a venue for user-generated content, such as a hosting service, forum threads, or blog posts, and does not moderate it to prevent malicious users from filling it with spam.
Once you find how your site violated Google’s guidelines and remove the offending contact, it will be possible to have the penalty lifted. However, the algorithm is only periodically refreshed, so it may take many months for the changes to register and your site to recover.
References
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“Google December 2024 Spam Update Rollout Shocks Before Holidays” by Barry Schwartz. Search Engine Roundtable. December 20, 2024. Link
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“Google Search Spam Updates and Your Site” by Google. Google Search Central. October 31, 2024. Link
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“Spam Policies for Google Web Search” by Google. Google Search Central. November 19, 2024. Link
Google Core Algorithm Update - December 12, 2024
Core algorithm update
On December 12th, Google announced that it would begin rolling out a core algorithm update. While Google does not typically announce algorithm changes, core updates are an exception because of the large impact that they have on rankings. This update comes only a week after the conclusion of the rollout of the previous core update, which began on November 11th; according to Google, this update will affect a different set of core systems than the previous one. The update is expected to take two weeks to fully roll out. It will affect all types of content in all regions and all languages. It is not a penalty aimed at punishing sites that have broken Google’s rules, but rather looks to promote great sites that have previously been unfairly overlooked.
According to Google, because core algorithm updates are not penalties, there is no quick fix to be had. If your site drops in the rankings, it is not necessarily because there is something specific wrong with it that can be remedied in order to recover; it is because competing sites are being judged as higher-quality and of greater utility to searchers. In order to rise in the rankings, you must improve your site so that it is overall superior by Google’s criteria.
Ways you can improve your site fall into four general categories: content and quality, expertise, presentation and production, and comparison. Content and quality refers to what your site is about. Having good content and quality means you have original research or analysis rather than simply restating information that is available elsewhere; that you provide a complete and comprehensive analysis of a top rather than just a brief summary; that you give insightful analysis of a subject beyond what is immediately obvious; and that you have a headline or page title that provides a descriptive summary of the content without being misleading or overly sensationalized. Expertise refers to your credentials. Having good expertise means that you clearly source all references used; that your content is written by an expert or an enthusiast who has a strong knowledge of the topic; and that your content contains no easily verifiable factual errors. Presentation and production refers to how your content appears to people visiting your site. Having good presentation and production means that your content contains no spell, grammar, or stylistic errors; that your content is refined and polished rather than hastily or sloppily produced; that advertisements on your site are not overly intrusive and don’t interfere with consumption of the content; and that your pages display well on mobile as well as desktop devices. Finally, comparison refers to how your site measures up against your competitors. Having good comparison means that your site is more useful to searchers than other sites competing for the same search terms and that your content is genuinely helpful to human visitors rather than having been constructed solely to appeal to computer algorithms.
References
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“Google December 2024 Core Update Landed & Its Big” by Barry Schwartz. Search Engine Roundtable. December 15, 2024. Link
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“Google December 2024 Core Update Is Live - What Are We Seeing” by Barry Schwartz. Search Engine Roundtable. December 13, 2024. Link
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“Google Posts Help Advice For Sites Impacted By Core Updates” by Barry Schwartz. Search Engine Roundtable. August 1, 2019. Link
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“What site owners should know about Google’s August 2019 core update” by Google. Google Search Central Blog. August 1, 2019. Link
Google Core Algorithm Update - November 11, 2024
Core algorithm update
On November 11, Google announced that it was beginning the rollout of a core algorithm update. While Google does not typically officially announce when it makes updates to its algorithm, core updates are an exception because of the large impact they have on search results. The update will affect all types of content in all regions and all languages, and is expected to take two weeks to fully roll out.
Google has emphasized that there is no quick fix to ranking drops resulting from core algorithm updates. These updates do not work by penalizing sites, meaning that a drop in rankings is not necessarily a sign of a problem that needs to be corrected. Rather, they change how Google assess the quality of content; sites that were previously overlooked are now being recognized and promoted above yours in the rankings. In order to “recover”, you must improve the overall quality of your content to a level that is competitive with them.
To improve your site, Google recommends focusing on content and quality, expertise, presentation and production, and comparison. Content and quality means having content that provides original information, reporting, research, or analysis rather than simply regurgitating what is available elsewhere; providing a substantial, complete, or comprehensive description of the topic rather than just a quick summary; providing insightful analysis or interesting information beyond what is immediately obvious; and having a headline or page title that provides a descriptive, helpful summary of the content without being exaggerated, shocking, or misleading. Expertise means having clear sourcing of references used; background about the author or the site publishing the content; content being written by an expert on enthusiast who demonstrates strong knowledge of the topic; and an absence of easily-verifiable factual errors. Presentation and production means having content free of spelling and stylistic issues; content that is refined and polished rather than hastily and sloppily produced; advertisements being limited so they do not interfere with or overwhelm useful content; and content that displays well on mobile devices as well as desktop. Comparison means having pages that provide better value to searchers than competing pages for the same query and producing content that is genuinely useful to visitors rather than designed solely to appeal to search engines.
References
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“Google November 2024 Core Update Is Now Rolling Out - What We Know So Far” by Barry Schwartz. Search Engine Roundtable. November 12, 2024. Link
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“Google Posts Help Advice For Sites Impacted By Core Updates” by Barry Schwartz. Search Engine Roundtable. August 1, 2019. Link
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“What site owners should know about Google’s August 2019 core update” by Google. Google Search Central Blog. August 1, 2019. Link
Unconfirmed Google Algorithm Update - October 31, 2024
Unconfirmed Google update
People in the Search Engine Optimization community have reported seeing indications of a possible Google search algorithm update beginning on October 31st, 2024. Some automated rank tracking tools such as SimilarWeb and Advanced Web Rankings also showed spikes in volatility occurring on that date. Google has not issued any statement to confirm or deny whether an update has taken place.
Without official confirmation from Google, it is not possible to know whether this volatility is truly due to an update or whether it has some other cause such as a temporary bug or normal churn. In the absence of such confirmation, Google recommends against making any sudden, drastic changes to your website in response to a perceived update. If it turns out not to be an update after all, such hasty changes may ending up harming rather than helping your site’s performance in the long run. If you observe a significant and prolonged drop in your site’s rankings such that you believe taking action is absolutely necessary, any changes made should be done in accordance with Google’s webmaster guidelines. The guidelines lay out what criteria Google uses when determining whether or not a given site is high-quality. Given that all of Google’s updates are ultimately aimed at better delivering high-quality sites to searchers, working to make your site high-quality by their definition should always be beneficial regardless of the specific algorithm changes made by any individual update.
References
- “Halloween 2024 Google Search Ranking Update” by Barry Schwartz. Search Engine Roundtable. November 1, 2024. Link
Google Core Algorithm Update - August 2024
Core algorithm update
On August 15th, Google announced that they were releasing a core algorithm update. While Google does not typically announce changes to its algorithm, core updates are an exception because they have large and far-ranging effects on search results. According to Google, this is a global update which targets all types of content. It is expected to take four weeks to fully roll out. It is not a penalty, but rather seeks to reward high-quality pages; if your site falls in the rankings, it is not because it is being penalized, but because other sites are being promoted. Google also stated that the goal of this update is to improve the quality of their search results by showing more genuinely helpful content and less spammy content that was made solely to rank on search. It aims to connect people with a range of high-quality sites, including smaller independent sites that are creating useful, original content.
Because this update is not a penalty, there is no single easy step to take to “recover” from it. A drop in rankings does not necessarily mean that there is anything wrong with your site; it is simply that your competitors are offering a higher-quality user experience and thus ranking above you. In order to rise in the rankings, you need to improve your site until it exceeds theirs in usefulness and user-friendliness. Google Search Central, in its tips for dealing with a rankings from from a core update, advises against quick fix changes in favor of long-term development and sustainability. It suggests analyzing different search types separately, to determine whether a particular type of traffic was most impacted, and evaluating the pages that were most impacted to see how they can be improved. Deleting content should be an absolute last resort, only employed if the content is deemed so bad as to be completely unsalvageable.
References:
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“Google Search’s core updates and your website” by Google. Google Search Central. August 15, 2024. Link
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“Google August 2024 core update rolling out now” by Barry Schwartz. Search Engine Land. August 15, 2024. Link
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“Google August 2024 Core Update Rolling Out - Will Small Sites Rank Again?” by Barry Schwartz. Search Engine Roundtable. August 16, 2024. Link
Unconfirmed Google Algorithm Update - August 9, 2024
Unconfirmed Google update
People in the Search Engine Optimization community reported seeing signs of a potential Google algorithm update beginning on August 9th and continuing through August 10th. A number of automated rank tracking tools such as Semrush and Mozcast also registered spikes in volatility occurring at that time. Google has not issued any statement to confirm or deny whether an update has occurred.
Without official confirmation from Google, it is not possible to know whether this volatility is truly indicative of an algorithm update or whether it has some other cause. Under such circumstances, Google recommends against making any sudden, drastic changes to your site in response to a perceived but unconfirmed update. If it turns out not to be an update after all, hasty changes may ending up harming rather than helping your site’s performance in long term. If you observe a significant and prolonged drop in rankings and traffic such that you believe taking action is absolutely necessary, any changes made should be done in accordance with Google’s webmaster guidelines. The guidelines lay out what criteria Google uses when judging if a site is high-quality or not. Since the ultimate goal of all Google updates is to better deliver high-quality results to searchers, the guidelines should always be applicable regardless of the specific changes made by any individual update.
References:
- “Google Search Ranking Volatility August 9th and 10th (No HCU Progress)” by Barry Schwartz. Search Engine Roundtable. August 11, 2024. Link
Unconfirmed Google Algorithm Update - July 5, 2024
Unconfirmed Google update
People in the SEO community are talking about the possibility that a Google search algorithm update has taken place. A number of automated rank tracking tools such as Advanced Web Rankings, Algoroo, and SERPmetrics registered spikes in volatility taking place on July 5th. Google has not issued any statement to confirm or deny whether an update has taken place.
Without official confirmation from Google, it is not possible to know whether an update truly has taken place or whether the observed volatility stems from some other source. Under such circumstances, Google recommends against making any sudden, drastic changes to your website in response; if it turns out not to be an update after all, such hasty action could end up harming rather than helping your site’s performance in the long run. If you observe a significant and prolonged drop in rankings such that you believe taking action is absolutely necessary, any changes made should be done in accordance with Google’s webmaster guidelines. The webmaster guidelines lay out what criteria Google uses when determining if a site is high-quality. Because every Google update is ultimately aimed at better delivering high-quality search results to users, its advice should always be useful, regardless of the specific changes made by any individual update.
References:
- “July 4th Weekend Google Search Ranking Update & Volatility” by Barry Schwartz. Search Engine Roundtable. July 7, 2024. Link
Google June 2024 Spam Update
Confirmed Google update
On June 20th, Google announced that it has released a new algorithm update that they have named the Google June 2024 Spam Update. According to Google, the update will take up to one week to fully roll out. Google did not provide specific details about what changes were made, stating only that “It’s a normal spam update.”
If you have been negatively impacted by a spam update such as this one, Google’s advice is to review Google’s spam policies in order to ensure that your websites are in compliance. If your site violates Google’s spam policies, making changes to to fix this can help it improve over the course of a couple of months. Some specific practices which are banned by Google’s spam policies are cloaking, meaning presenting different content to human users and automated search engine agents with the intent to manipulate search rank and mislead users; doorway pages, meaning pages created to rank for specific search queries and exist only to funnel users to a destination page that doesn’t rank as well; expired domain abuse, meaning purchasing an expired domain name in order to benefit from existing links pointing to the previous content while hosting new content that is not relevant to the site’s former purpose; hidden text and links, meaning the practice of placing content on a page which is intended solely to manipulate search engines while not being viewable by human visitors; keyword stuffing, meaning the practice of filling a web page with keywords in order to manipulate rankings in Google search results; misleading functionality, meaning that a site does not actually provide the content or service it claims to; scaled content abuse; meaning many nearly-identical pages created for the purpose of manipulating web search rankings rather than providing value to users; scraped content, meaning content copied from other, more reputable sites; sneaky redirects, meaning sending visitors to a different URL than the one they initially requested; and thin-affiliate pages, meaning pages of product affiliate links where the product descriptions and review are copied directly from the merchant without any added value.
References:
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“Google June 2024 Spam Update Takes Target” by Barry Schwartz. Search Engine Roundtable. June 21, 2024. Link
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“Google Search spam updates and your site” by Google. Google Search Central. March 18, 2024. Link
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“Spam policies for Google web search” by Google. Google Search Central. June 5, 2024. Link
Unconfirmed Google Algorithm Update - June 16, 2024
Unconfirmed Google update
Some people in the SEO community are reporting seeing signs of a Google update taking place on June 16th. The automatic rank tracking tools Accuranker and Algoroo are also registering spikes in volatility occurring at that time, though other ranking tools have not noted anything. Google has not issued any statement to confirm or deny whether an update has taken place.
Without official confirmation, is not possible to know whether this volatility is truly due to an update or whether it has some other cause, particularly since not every tool is even picking it up. Under such circumstances, Google recommends against making any sudden, drastic changes to your website. If it turns out not to be an update after all, hastily-made changes intended to benefit your site may end up harming it in the long term instead. If you observe a significant and prolonged drop in rankings and traffic such that you believe taking action is absolutely necessary, any changes made should be done in accordance with Google’s webmaster guidelines. The guidelines lay out the criteria Google uses when judging if a site is high-quality. Because every Google update is ultimately aimed at better delivering high-quality results to searchers, the advice in the webmaster guidelines should always be applicable regardless of the specific changes made by any individual update.
References:
- “Google Father’s Day Weekend Search Ranking Volatility” by Barry Schwartz. Search Engine Roundtable. June 16, 2024. Link
Unconfirmed Google Algorithm Update - May 9, 2024
Unconfirmed Google update
People in the Search Engine Optimization community are reporting seeing possible signs of a search algorithm update occurring on May 9th. A number of automated rank tracking tools such as Semrush, Mozcast, and Advanced Web Rankings are also registering large spikes in volatility taking place around this time. Google has not issued any statement to confirm or deny whether an update has taken place.
Without official confirmation from Google, it is not possible to know whether this truly is an algorithm update or whether the observed volatility stems from some other source. Under such circumstances, Google recommends against making any sudden, drastic changes to your website in response to a perceived update. If it turns out not to be an update after all, such hasty modifications might end up harming rather than helping your site in the long run. If you observe a significant and prolonged drop in rankings such that you believe taking action is absolutely necessary, any changes made should be done in accordance with Google’s webmaster guidelines. The guidelines lay out Google’s criteria for what makes a website high-quality in their eyes. Because every algorithm update is ultimately aimed at better delivering high-quality websites to searchers, the advice in the webmaster guidelines should always be applicable regardless of the specific changes made by any update.
References:
- “Google Search Ranking Update Volatility Starting On May 9th” by Barry Schwartz. Search Engine Roundtable. March 9, 2024. Link
Google Core Algorithm Update March 2024
Core algorithm update
On March 5th, 2024, Google announced that they were beginning to roll out a core algorithm update. While Google does not typically announce algorithm updates, they make an exception for core updates due to their large impact. As a core update, this is a global change which will impact pages in all regions and all languages. Because of its size, this update is expected to take a month to fully roll out. When it is complete, Google estimates that it will result in a 40% reduction in low-quality, unoriginal, and unhelpful content appearing in search results.
Google core algorithm updates are not penalties that demote low-quality websites; rather, they function by improving the ranking of high-quality websites so that they surpass low-quality results in the search engine results pages. As such, there is no quick fix for sites which drop in the rankings following a core update; the only way to recover is to improve your content to the point that it is superior to your competitors and ranks above them. Google Search Central Blog contains a list of advice for sites looking to improve following a core update; it was originally posted for the August 2019 Core Algorithm Update, but remains relevant to today’s changes. This advice is split into four categories, covering content and quality, expertise, presentation and production, and comparison to other sites.
Content and quality advice deals with the material which is on your site. Google recommends that your content provide original information, reporting, research, or analysis rather than simply regurgitating information that is available elsewhere. Your content should provide a substantial, complete, or comprehensive description of the topic rather than just a surface-level overview. It should include insightful analysis or interesting information beyond what is immediately obvious. If it draws on other sources, it should provide substantial additional value and originality rather than simply copying or rewriting those sources. Page headlines and/or titles, when used, should provide a descriptive, helpful summary of the content, and should avoid being shocking, exaggerating, or employing other “clickbait” techniques.
Expertise advice deals with the trustworthiness and authoritativeness of your site. Google recommends that your site demonstrate the trustworthiness of its content through using clear sourcing, providing evidence of the expertise involved, and including background information about the author or site that publishes it through such means as an author page for the writer or an About page for the site. The content should be written by an expert or enthusiast who demonstrably knows the topic well, and should be free of any easily-verified factual errors.
Presentation and production advice deals with how the content is created and presented to viewers. Google recommends that content should be free of any spelling errors or stylistic issues. Content should appear professional, not sloppy or hastily produced. The site should not host an excessive number of ads that distract from or interfere with the main content.
Finally, comparison to other sites deals with how your site measures up when compared to other sites offering similar products or services. Your site should provide substantial additional value compared to competitors who appear in the results for the same searches. Your content should serve the genuine interests of visitors to the site rather than existing solely to try and attract traffic from search engines.
References:
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“Google March 2024 Core Update Rolling Out - It’s A Big Core Update” by Barry Schwartz. Search Engine Roundtable. March 6, 2024. Link
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“What site owners should know about Google’s August 2019 core update” by Danny Sullivan. Google Search Central Blog. August 1, 2019. Link
Unconfirmed Google Algorithm Update - February 28, 2024
Unconfirmed Google update
People in the Search Engine Optimization community are reporting seeing signs of a Google algorithm update beginning on February 28th and continuing through February 29th. A number of automated rank tracking tools such as SERPmetrics and Cognitive SEO are also showing spikes in volatility occurring around that time. Google has not yet issued any statement to confirm or deny whether an update has taken place.
Without official confirmation from Google, it is not possible to know whether this volatility is truly due to an algorithm update or whether it has some other cause. Under such circumstances, Google recommends against making any sudden, drastic changes to your website in response to a perceived update. If it turns out not to actually be an update after all, such hasty changes might ending up harming rather than improving your site’s performance in the long term. If you observe a signifiant and prolonged drop in traffic such that you believe taking action is absolutely necessary, any changes made should be done in accordance with Google’s webmaster guidelines. The webmaster guidelines lay out the criteria Google uses in determining if a site is high-quality; because every algorithm update is ultimately aimed at better delivering high-quality updates to users, their advice should always be applicable regardless of the specific details of any particular algorithm update.
References:
- “Early Signs: Google Search Ranking Update On February 28 & 29th” by Barry Schwartz. Search Engine Roundtable. February 29, 2024. Link
Unconfirmed Google Algorithm Update - February 14, 2024
Unconfirmed Google update
People in the SEO community are reporting that they are seeing signs of a potential Google algorithm update beginning on February 14th and continuing through February 15th. A number of automated rank tracking tools like SERPmetrics, Advanced Web Rankings, and Semrush are also showing spikes in volatility occurring at that time. Google has not issued any statement to confirm or deny whether an update has taken place.
Without official confirmation from Google, it is not possible to know whether this volatility is truly due to an algorithm update or whether it has some other explanation. Under such circumstances, Google recommends against making any sudden, drastic changes to your site in response. If it turns out not to be an update after all, such changes might end up harming rather than helping your site’s performance in the long term. If you observe a significant and prolonged drop in rankings or traffic such that you believe taking action is absolutely necessary, any changes made should be done in accordance with Google’s webmaster guidelines. The guidelines lay out what criteria Google uses when determining if a site is high-quality or not. Because every Google update is ultimately aimed at better delivering high-quality results to searchers, the advice contained in the webmaster guidelines should always be applicable regardless of the specific algorithm changes made by any individual update.
References:
- “Google Search Ranking Algorithm Update Hits On February 14 & 15 (Unconfirmed)” by Barry Schwartz. Search Engine Roundtable. February 15, 2024. Link
Unconfirmed Google Algorithm Update - February 7, 2024
Unconfirmed Google update
People in the SEO community reported signs of a potential Google algorithm update beginning on February 8th and continuing through February 9th. Automated rank tracking tools such as Algoroo and Mozcast also registered spikes in volatility during this time. However, Google has not issued any statement to confirm or deny whether an update occurred.
Without official confirmation from Google, it’s unclear whether an update actually took place or if the observed volatility is due to another factor. In such cases, Google recommends against making sudden, drastic changes to your website. If no update occurred, hastily-made changes could harm your site’s performance in the long run. If you observe a significant and prolonged drop in rankings and traffic that warrants action, any changes should be made in accordance with Google’s webmaster guidelines. These guidelines outline the criteria Google uses to determine if a site is high-quality. Since the goal of every Google update is to better deliver high-quality results to searchers, following these guidelines is always advisable, regardless of the specific changes made to the algorithm.
References:
- “Google Search Ranking Algorithm Update Brewing February 7th and 8th” by Barry Schwartz. Search Engine Roundtable. February 8, 2024. Link
Unconfirmed Google Algorithm Update - December 28, 2023
Unconfirmed Google update
The Search Engine Optimization community reported signs of a potential Google algorithm update beginning around December 28th and continuing through December 30th. Automated rank tracking tools such as Semrush, SERPmetrics, and Advanced Web Rankings also registered spikes in volatility during this period. Google has not confirmed or denied whether an update took place.
Without official confirmation, it’s difficult to know if this was indeed an update or if the volatility was caused by something else. Google advises against making sudden, drastic changes to your website in response to a perceived algorithm update. If no update occurred, such changes could harm your website’s long-term performance. If you observe a significant and prolonged drop in rankings and traffic that necessitates action, any changes should align with Google’s Webmaster Guidelines. These guidelines detail the criteria Google uses to assess site quality, and following them ensures your site remains in good standing regardless of any updates.
References:
- “Google New Years Eve Search Algorithm Update” by Barry Schwartz. Search Engine Roundtable. December 30, 2023. Link
Google November 2023 Reviews Update
Confirmed Google update
On November 8th, Google announced the rollout of a reviews update. Although Google typically does not announce algorithm updates, they made an exception for this update. Notably, they also stated that future updates of this type would not be officially confirmed, though they will continue to occur regularly. This update specifically targets review content, including reviews of products, services, and destinations, and affects searches in multiple languages, including English, Spanish, German, French, Italian, Vietnamese, Indonesian, Russian, Dutch, Portuguese, and Polish. The update is expected to take one or two weeks to fully roll out.
This update is not a penalty. Instead, it promotes and rewards insightful analysis and original research. If your site drops in rankings following the update, it may not be due to a specific problem, but rather because other sites were promoted over yours. To recover, improve the overall quality of your review content. Google provides guidelines on Google Search Central for creating high-quality review sites. Review sites should evaluate the product, service, or destination from a user’s perspective, demonstrate knowledge about the subject, provide evidence such as visuals or audio to support the authenticity of reviews, and include quantitative measurements of performance. Additionally, reviews should explain what sets the product apart from competitors, discuss comparable options, and describe the benefits and drawbacks of the product.
References:
- “Google November 2023 Reviews Update Rolls Out” by Barry Schwartz. Search Engine Roundtable. November 9, 2023. Link
- “Write high-quality reviews” by Google. Google Search Central. May 23, 2023. Link
Google November 2023 Core Algorithm Update
Core algorithm update
On November 2nd, Google announced the rollout of a core algorithm update. Unlike many algorithm updates, Google typically confirms core updates because of their significant impact on rankings. This update comes shortly after a previous core update in October, but Google stated it focuses on different systems than the October update. The update affects all types of content across all regions and languages, and it is expected to take two weeks to fully roll out.
Core algorithm updates adjust the criteria Google uses to determine if a website is high quality, promoting sites that were previously unfairly overlooked. It is not a penalty; if your site drops in ranking, it is because other sites were promoted above it, not because your site was pushed down. To “recover,” improve your website to offer superior quality content and user experience compared to competitors. Google advises focusing on content that is helpful, reliable, and aimed at users rather than web crawlers. Specific recommendations can be found in the Google Webmaster Guidelines.
References:
- “A Q&A on Google Search updates” by Google. Google Search Central Blog. November 2, 2023. Link
- “Google November 2023 Core Update Rolling Out” by Barry Schwartz. Search Engine Roundtable. November 3, 2023. Link
- “Google November 2023 Core Update Is Super Volatile & Super Fast” by Barry Schwartz. Search Engine Roundtable. November 5, 2023. Link
Google October 2023 Core Algorithm Update
Core algorithm update
On October 5th, Google began rolling out a new core algorithm update. Core algorithm updates are notable because they significantly impact search results. This update is surprising, given how soon it follows the previous core algorithm update in August. As with most core updates, this update affects searches across all regions and languages, and it is expected to take up to two weeks to fully roll out. Additionally, the October 2023 Spam Update is also in the process of rolling out, making it challenging to determine which update is responsible for any observed changes in rankings or traffic.
Google’s webmaster blog provides guidance for site owners on responding to core algorithm updates. These updates are not penalties. If your site’s ranking drops, it’s because other sites have been promoted, not because your site is being punished. To “recover” from a core algorithm update, focus on improving the quality of your website’s content until it surpasses that of your competitors. Review the Google search quality rater guidelines to understand what their raters look for when determining a website’s quality and ensure your site meets those standards. Your content should be original, add value beyond what’s already available, cover subjects in comprehensive detail, be trustworthy, and be professionally presented without excessive advertising. It should also display well on both desktop and mobile devices.
References:
- “Google October 2023 Core Update Rolling Out” by Barry Schwartz. Search Engine Roundtable. October 6, 2023. Link
- “What Site Owners Should Know About Google’s August 2019 Core Update” by Danny Sullivan. Google Search Central Blog. Originally posted August 1, 2019; updated March 2020. Link
March 2023 Google Core Update
The March 2023 update was a Broad Core Algorithm Update, one of the largest and most influential types of updates made by Google. Core updates affect all types of content across all regions and languages. The intention of core updates is to promote and reward high-quality websites that were previously unfairly overlooked by the algorithm. These updates do not apply penalties; if a site drops in rankings after the update, it doesn’t necessarily mean there was anything wrong with that site, but rather that other sites have been deemed better and promoted accordingly.
What Sites Declined?
According to SISTRIX, large losers included reference sites operating on the wiki model of user-generated content, such as wiktionary.org, urbandictionary.com, tvtropes.org, wikivoyage.org, and azlyrics.com. Urban Dictionary and Wiki Voyage were notable for being among the largest losers in both absolute decline and percentage decline, making them the only two sites on SISTRIX’s lists to do so.
What Sites Improved?
SISTRIX’s analysis of Google UK searches identified large winners, measured in terms of absolute change in Visibility Index, including official government sites such
as company-information.service.gov.uk, next.co.uk, and europa.eu. Also benefitting were news sites like theguardian.com; reference sites such as yourdictionary.com, dictionary.com, secondhandsongs.com, and whosampled.com; and commercial sites like diy.com and superdrug.com.
(Note: This data is for Google UK only and may not necessarily apply to searches in other regions.)
SEO Strategies for the March 2023 Update
Because core updates do not impose penalties, recovering from a loss in ranking is not a matter of fixing something specifically wrong with your site. Oftentimes, there may be nothing wrong at all – the drop occurs because other websites are better and have been ranked accordingly. In their advice on dealing with core updates, Google emphasizes that there may be nothing in particular to fix, and attempting to fix the wrong thing can be worse than doing nothing at all. Instead, the only way to recover ranking is to steadily improve the quality of your content until it is superior to that of the websites now ranking above yours. Google provides several guidelines for site owners to evaluate the quality, accessibility, and usefulness of their sites and identify areas for improvement.
Webmaster Tools Help
These guidelines include the Google Webmaster Guidelines and the Google Quality Rater Guidelines. In general, ensure that your content is written for humans rather than search engine crawlers, authored by someone with demonstrable expertise or authority, presented professionally across various devices, and not overwhelmed by disruptive advertising. Additionally, your content should provide unique value that cannot be found on other sites offering similar information. When your site is of superior quality compared to competitors, it will rise back up in the rankings.
Unconfirmed Google Algorithm Update - February 14, 2023
The Search Engine Optimization community reported signs of a potential Google algorithm update occurring on February 14, 2023, and March 14, 2023. Anecdotal evidence of changes in traffic was provided by site owners, and a number of automated rank tracking tools registered spikes in volatility on those dates. However, Google did not issue any statement to confirm or deny whether an update took place; this is standard procedure for smaller algorithm changes, as only the largest updates typically get officially announced.
February 2023 Update
Without confirmation from Google, it’s impossible to know for certain whether the volatility was due to an update or another cause. In such cases, it is recommended to avoid making sudden, drastic changes to your website in response to fluctuations in traffic. If the volatility turns out to be temporary rather than a true update, hasty changes could harm your site’s performance in the long run. If you observe a significant and prolonged drop in rankings or traffic that requires action, ensure that any changes made align with Google’s webmaster guidelines. Since these guidelines outline the criteria Google uses to judge website quality, following them is beneficial regardless of the specific details of any particular update.
References:
- “Another Unconfirmed Google Search Ranking Algorithm Update Around February 14th” by Barry Schwartz. Search Engine Roundtable. February 15, 2023. Link
Unconfirmed Google Algorithm Update - January 14, 2023
The Search Engine Optimization community reported signs of a potential Google algorithm update on Saturday, January 14th. Automated tracking tools such as Mozcast, SEMRush, and RankRanger recorded spikes in volatility during that time. However, Google did not issue any official statement to confirm or deny whether an update took place.
Google Doesn’t Mention the January Update
Without official confirmation from Google, it’s uncertain whether this was indeed an algorithm update or if the volatility was caused by another factor. Google recommends against making sudden, drastic changes to your website in response to unconfirmed updates. If it turns out not to be an update after all, such hasty modifications could harm your site in the long run. If you observe a significant and prolonged drop in rankings that requires action, ensure that any changes made align with Google’s webmaster guidelines. Since these guidelines outline the criteria Google uses to assess site quality, following them is advisable for improving your site regardless of the specifics of any given update.
References:
- “Weekend Google Search Ranking Algorithm Update - Saturday, January 14” by Barry Schwartz. Search Engine Roundtable. January 16, 2023. Link
Unconfirmed Google Algorithm Update - January 3, 2023
SEO experts reported signs of a possible Google algorithm update on January 3rd and 4th of 2023. Automated rank tracking tools such as Cognitive SEO and SERPmetrics registered large spikes in volatility that might indicate an update. However, Google has not confirmed or denied whether an update occurred. Additionally, two officially announced Google updates, the Helpful Content Update and the Link Spam Update, were still in the process of rolling out at the time. Therefore, it’s uncertain whether the current volatility is due to a new update or a continuation of these previous updates.
January Update Could Be Seasonal Changes
In January 2023, rumors circulated about a potential Google algorithm update, but without official confirmation, it remains unclear whether any actual changes were implemented or if the observed volatility was due to ongoing updates. In such ambiguous situations, Google advises against making hasty, significant changes to your website, as these might backfire and damage your rankings in the long run. However, if you experience a substantial and persistent decline in rankings or traffic that demands action, ensure any modifications align with Google’s Webmaster Guidelines, which outline the key factors Google considers in determining a website’s quality. Additionally, given the proximity of the volatility to the Helpful Content Update and Link Spam Update releases, it’s worth considering their potential role in the fluctuations and examining their specifics to see if they’re relevant to your site.
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