What to Know About the Google Core Update

In early December of last year, digital marketing specialists anxiously awaited the impacts of the Google broad core algorithm update. This update, similar to the Google core update in May 2020, made significant changes to the ranking algorithm and affected a vast majority of indexed web pages. Think of it like a roller coaster, this update had websites seeing dramatic traffic spikes going both up and down. And for some businesses, the ride was far from fun.

Who Thrived Because of this Update?

The industries that experienced the greatest impacts from this Google core update were those in health, real estate, law and government, travel, finance, jobs, and education. And, if your business is in one of the industries listed above and is accustomed to getting tens of thousands, or even millions, of visits per month, then you definitely felt the effects.

According to SEM Rush, nearly 50% of the biggest winners (dramatic traffic increases) and losers (dramatic traffic decreases) were to domains with traffic exceeding one million visits per month.

Tips on Surviving Future Google Updates

You never know when Google might want to launch another update, so it’s important that your website is prepared at all times. In order to stay one step ahead of the next Google core update, make sure you:

1. Wait until any updates from Google are fully published before making significant changes on your website. This allows the entire update to run smoothly and have an accurate impact on your website.
2. Publish high-quality content that follows Google’s best practices. Having content that is easily recognizable and trusted by Google will naturally give it a better position against competitors.
3. Utilize structured data. Doing so will help search engines uncover the most relevant content for each search and query.
4. Ensure any major SEO fixes are resolved. Any major issues can hinder a smooth user experience and put your website lower in the SERP.

If these recommendations feel overwhelming or they aren’t aligned with your scope of work, we can help!

Trust the Experts at Top Floor

Our team stays up to date on industry trends, utilizes the latest technology, performs regular software updates, and more, which means you can trust us to provide relevant and thoughtful recommendations for propelling your business forward. When you’re ready to experience the difference of working with a digital marketing agency that gives a shit, then let’s get in touch.