Google updates are algorithm changes that filters and refreshes the rankings and organic traffic of websites. The primary motive of a Google update is to improve the relevancy and quality of the Search results. In the month of September, Google came out with one core update and two unnamed algorithm updates. Let’s see what they are and how they have impacted your business websites.
1) Google Algorithm Update
Date of Update: September 5, 2019
Unlike the updates that rolled out in August, this unnamed algorithm update was not as widespread. However, those affected saw a significant fall in their traffic. According to the renowned SEOs Bill Lambert, this was a flash rollback and the Google was gearing up for the big URL on top release. He also advised to do routine update on the sites during these updates. It is always advised to use quality tools like SEMrush and SEO writer to tweak the existing content and target all the keywords in the top ranking pages. Also, getting new content ideas and auditing your sites on a regular basis is also a great way to draw heavy traffic. The process also prepares you for the next Google update.
2) Unnamed Update
Date of Update: September 18, 2019
Between 13th to 18th September, SEOs around the world noticed a sharp fall in the rankings in the categories related to persons’ future, happiness, health and stability. Sectors like Law & Government, Vehicles, Health, Finance, Entertainment, Games, Online Communities, Reference, and Science were hit hard by the unnamed update.
3) September 2019 Core Google Update
Date of Update: September 24, 2019
The latest Google Core Update rolled-out on 24th. According to a lot of SEO toolset data, this update is not as powerful as the June core update. It is seen that the impact is majorly felt by YMYL- Your Money, Your Life categories in which Health and Finance niche took the maximum burnt. According to SEMrush Sensor Deviation, it was seen that the food & beverage, electronics and computers categories were also affected by the update.
It was seen that sites like DailyMail, eBackPage.com, lasd.org and marionschool.net were the biggest winners and the sites like TheFourMusic.com, Monks.org, BraidingClub.com, PascoLibraries.org and RoyalCaribbean.com.au saw a significant downfall.
Google has been very reluctant on giving any advice to recover from the past core updates. However, if your website is hit by the latest algorithm update, it is suggested to follow the Google Raters Guidelines which focuses on the quality of the content and user experience on the website. According to Barry Schwartz, it is better to keep an eye on the update for the next couple of days and make your site better, by working on driving traffic and conversions.
What is a Google Core Update?
A core update is a change in Google core search engine algorithms which aims at providing more accurate, relevant and useful search results to the user. Google comes out with a core update in every quarter that shuffles ranking and traffics to provide the best search results that solves the users problem.
What happens after a Core Update?
Google rankings are mostly affected after a core update, quality update or even after a user interface update. While some sites rank higher for their prime keywords, other see a sharp fall in their position. Also, organic traffic and click-through rates may be impacted by the updates. In 2018, Google came out with approximately 3200 updates in which only a few were core updates.
