Google is undoubtedly the king of web browsers, with 8.5 billion searches taking place each day and 99,000 searches per second. Therefore, any update with Google is certainly a very big deal that requires thorough deliberation. Recently, Google rolled out its latest core update on the 22nd of August, 2023.
The primary intent behind this update is to enhance search engine optimization and search results. But that is not all that this update is about since there are more nuances to the matter that you need to understand.
So, what exactly is this update about, and how does it impact search engine optimization? Let’s find out!
Let’s Start With Understanding The Core Updates From Google
Google is one of the leading search engines in the world, and it makes a lot of continual effort to retain that title. Core updates are one of those continual efforts from Google to transform its algorithms. These transformations aim to give users more relevant results with minimal effort from the searcher’s end.
You can find these updates on the browser’s Search ranking updates page, generally rolled out multiple times a year. As for 2023, Google released a core update in March 2023, followed by the second core update of the year in August 2023. Besides that, there were two more updates this year; the first came in February 2023 and another in April 2023.
What Is The Essence Of The August 2023 Core Update?
Google Core updates are designed to enhance users’ search experience while using the browser. These updates have never been designed for any specific website or web page. Instead, these updates are meant to transform Google’s algorithm in a manner that websites that update their content regularly are rewarded accordingly.
Even the August 2023 core update aims to realize this goal and enhance search engine optimization for users and websites. Google calls this update The Google August 2023 Broad Core Update, and it was released on the 22nd of August 2023. The overall impact of this update is evident across all regions in the globe, regardless of any language barriers. It is important to understand that this update is not a penalty in any form, but it aims to [provide searchers with relevant results.
Most people are concerned about the update’s impact on their websites and pages, but experts agree this should not be a concern. This means you need not worry about the update causing a decline in the overall performance of your website. But in case you experience any decline, it is better to leverage Google’s guidelines on working in tandem with the update.
What Is The Actual Impact Of The August 2023 Google Core Update?
Before you get into the details of the update, it is important to understand these updates can affect your website in a good or a bad manner. Besides, you must remember that this rollout is an ongoing process, and making any predictions before the completion of the rollout might not be wise. Instead, it is better to wait for the completion of the rollout and see how it affects different niches and verticals.
It is further worth noting that the update’s initial impact on websites has not been that significant. Industry experts suggest that some websites might have gained or lost about 20% to 80%, but nothing is conclusive. Certain sites also report that they have gained significant traffic following the report’s launch. But most of these reports are unverified; hence, it is better not to draw any conclusions.
Instead, the best thing to do in this case is to use your preferred analytics tracking tools to monitor your website’s performance. This will help you get a better idea of what’s the actual impact of the update on your specific website. But you must also remember that general fluctuations in traffic do not always mean that it is happening because of the update.
How Do You Know If The Update Has Impacted Your Website?
It is not uncommon for Google updates to trigger a sense of frenzy and panic among online marketers trying to determine its impact on their website. But this should not be the case since it does not do any good to you or your website. Of course, a site’s performance might decrease after an update, but that does not necessarily mean something is wrong with the website.
Think of core updates as the list of movies you have created based on your taste and preferences. When you update this list every year, chances are some new movies replace the older ones and hence change the list. Certain movies might also be released, making them a candidate for your list. Besides that, you might even consider certain films deserve better ranks on your list. This means that the most deserving films will make it to your list and change it in due process.
Steps To Access If The Core Update Has Impacted Your Website
Every core update from Google raises many questions about its impact on the performance of your website. But panicking about the situation is no good, and following a couple of simple steps can make things much clearer. So here are some of the important steps to help you determine if the update has impacted your website.
Step 1:
The first thing you need to do is wait for the completion of the core updates rollout phase.
Step 2:
The next thing you can do is compare the organic ranking data of the website from the before and after phases of the core update release. To get better transparency, you can check data based on different time periods, including the last thirty days, the last ninety days, and even year-on-year trends.
But you must remember an important thing here: taking shorter data samples might prevent you from making the right decision. Instead, you must wait until the data is thoroughly processed to get better insight into the matter. Also, make sure you don’t base your decisions on real-time data at this point.
Step 3:
The next thing you need to do is keep an eye out for unique patterns or sudden drops indicating that this update has impacted your niche or website.
Step 4:
At this stage, you must leverage the Google Search Console to identify specific search terms that have led traffic to your website. Determine if these search terms are relevant to your website and if they are coming from your target audience.
Step 5:
Lastly, you need to determine specific sections or pages of your website that have been impacted and find a logical reason behind this underperformance. These reasons can be anything from poor content quality, relevance, older content, or even outdated content.
What Can You Do In Case Your Website Is Underperforming Following The Update?
It would not be untrue to say that there are certain websites that are reported to be underperforming following the update. However, it is worth mentioning that websites with lower ranks but relevant to queries might see a boost in their rankings. As a result, this will cause other websites to lose more ranking. This means if you see a website outranking yours, chances are that its content is more relevant and of better quality.
This does not mean your website has a technical issue or has been flagged for keyword or linking spam. This also means you need not sweat about simple complications with your internal linking structure, URL, or the website as a whole. Instead, you must focus on enhancing your content’s quality, authoritativeness, and quality.
Another important thing you can do in the case of an underperforming website is leverage the concept of E-E-A-T. This unique acronym stands for experience, expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness. Embodying this effective acronym in every content piece can go a long way in enhancing your website’s overall performance. The E-E-A-T acronym is a major player in Google’s latest August 2023 core update, so you must use it to your advantage.
Google’s Recommendations To Help You Recover Your Website
If your website has been underperforming following the update’s launch, Google has recommended some important questions you must ask yourself. These questions will help you enhance the overall quality of your website content and restore its ranking. These important questions include the following:
- Has your website offered a comprehensive view of the topic in discussion?
- Does your website feature a significant number of clickbait titles in your content?
- Is all your website content original and backed with reliable insights, research, and analysis?
- Is your website’s content suitable for sharing on different social media platforms?
- Even if you derive your content from other sources, does it provide any additional value and originality?
- Do your content’s titles and headers offer a reasonable and accurate overview of the information you are presenting to the reader?
Answering these questions is very important since it will help you identify the right issue that has been hampering your website’s overall performance. Following this, you can take necessary actions and transform your content to meet all Google standards. So make sure you are mindful of this information since these are recommendations from Google.
What Is The Actual Reality Of Recovering From Google Core Update?
In most cases, it is not uncommon for websites and webpages to take several months before recovering from the consequences of the Google Core update. But that does not always mean there is no light at the end of the tunnel. It is important to consider that Google is updating its algorithm constantly, which makes way for certain additional changes. These additional changes have the potential to impact the website’s performance in a good way.
Most industry experts and search engine optimization consultants agree recovering from the losses of a Google core update is not always certain. In fact, Google has always cautioned websites that there is no guarantee that the update will help you enhance your website’s ranking. This makes it evident that no website has a guaranteed ranking on the browser’s search results.
Tips
To Enhance Content Quality For Boosting Website’s Performance
While recovering from the adversities of the Google core update is challenging, it is not impossible. Consistent effort into enhancing on-page SEO and off-page SEO can go a long way in terms of boosting your website’s performance. Hence, here are some well-thought-out tips and suggestions to help you create the right content and get better rankings.
- Always use high-quality videos and images on your website.
- Keep your focus on ensuring your content is informative and provides great value to readers.
- Always make a point to feature content that impresses your readers and not the search engine alone.
- Use social media to your advantage and promote your content across different social media channels.
- Using concise and clear language can effectively boost your website’s performance.
- Structure your content in a manner that makes sense to your readers.
Bottom Line
Online search engine optimization is a complex process that requires extensive and consistent efforts. Therefore, a well-thought-out and effective strategy is very important to generate better results.
Besides that, leveraging the competence of professional SEO services in India can also help you better manage your website during this difficult time. So make sure you are mindful of this information and take measures to use Google Core updates to your advantage.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q.1. What is the official name of Google’s latest update?
A – Google’s latest update is called the August 2023 Broad Core Update, which was announced on the 22nd of August 2023.
Q.2. Is it important to enhance content quality in 2023?
A – The latest core update from Google makes it very important to focus on content quality in 2023.
Q.3. Should I promote my content on social media platforms?
A – Promoting your content across different social media channels is very important since it helps drive better traffic and enhance your content’s reach.
