Google confirmed midweek that it had released a “broad core algorithm update” after webmasters spotted a slight change in SERPs and traffic.
Google said that the latest adjustments were not major and are simply part of its commitment to roll out updates “several times per year”. The tech giant then pointed followers on Twitter to guidelines that supported its previous core updates in March and April, which explain the subtle changes.
Google said back then that any update can lead to “drops or gains” for certain sites but that there is nothing fundamentally wrong with the webpages that may have slipped further down search rankings or are not performing as well. The fluctuations are largely due to Google’s systems now prioritising pages that may have been under-rewarded previously.
It added that there was no quick “fix” for any webmaster hoping to make up lost ground from the update and urged brands and publishers to simply focus on creating and publishing “great content”.
Webmasters should take note that core updates are different from the more targeted updates that Google releases from time to time. The latter often focuses on page speed ranking or interstitials, for example, which allow site owners to make changes to boost SERPs. In contrast, core updates are simply there to make search results more relevant for users.
The best way to benefit in the long term is to improve content quality and webpages over time, rather than trying to implement quick fixes as Google may recognise improvements and organically improve rankings.
