Google’s October 2023 Core Update began nearly three weeks ago, on October 5, 2023. After two weeks, the update has caused significant changes in organic rankings. So, let’s talk about what a core update is, what changed during the rollout, and how this update will impact your SEO.
Whenever Google makes “significant, broad changes” to its search algorithms and/or systems, the company refers to that as a core update. These updates are meant to ensure that the search page is providing the very best results for users. This is why, when there is a core update, website owners may notice a change in organic performance.
Google is pretty tight-lipped about the specifics of core updates, simply saying that the updates are meant to improve “how [its] systems assess content overall”. The goal isn’t to punish sites that were once ranking highly. Rather, core updates are meant to give more-deserving websites a more accurate ranking than before.
As we’ve said, after a core update rolls out, you’ll probably notice a change in performance. This change can be positive; maybe your site begins to rank more highly for relevant keywords that were once out of your grasp. But, of course, the change can also be negative. Your site may drop in the rankings as Google’s updated algorithm determines that other websites are more relevant to certain search queries.
If the latter happens, Google provided some advice in 2019 on what to consider when refreshing your website post-core update, which still seems applicable in this latest rollout. While there’s nothing to “fix,” per se, it’s important to make sure that you’re creating the best content you can. Google has provided some helpful tips, including the following:
- Any content (information, research, commentary, etc.) should be original and unique.
- The content should be insightful – no listing the obvious.
- Content should be comprehensive.
- No plagiarizing. If you are citing other sources, you should provide some additional value, rather than just copying and pasting.
- Make sure your page title is an accurate summary of the content. Don’t exaggerate for shock value.
- Create shareable content. In other words, make content that people might want to share with others.
- Make sure the content is free of stylistic issues or spelling errors.
- Don’t bog down the page with ads, or otherwise make it difficult to view, especially on different types of devices (ie. mobile).
If you stick to these SEO tips, there’s no guarantee that you won’t still see changes in your rankings, but you might be more insulated from any particularly negative impacts that result from this - and future - core updates.
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