There are 99,000 searches on Google across the world every second. To keep users engaged and results fresh and accurate, Google and other search engines make changes to their algorithm.
When Google implements broader changes with a significant impact to rankings, it's called a core update. Unlike the daily minor tweaks, these updates can sometimes lead to unexpected fluctuations in website rankings. If you've noticed a dip in your site's performance after the last update, you're not alone.
This article will guide you through ten actionable steps to help you recover and adapt to the latest Google SEO algorithm update.
What Are Core Updates?
Understanding Core Updates
Google frequently makes minor adjustments to its search algorithms, but core updates are more comprehensive changes that significantly impact search results. According to Search Engine Land, Google Search made, on average, 13 changes each day in 2022. These subtle changes include refining user location signals, slight adjustments to the "rich snippet" display interface, and fine-tuning the "People Also Ask" feature.
On the other hand, a core update is like an overhaul of your top restaurants in a city you haven't visited for awhile. When you return, you may be disappointed to find your number 1 spot has a new menu and your favorite entree is conspicuously missing. While the others may be fine, they're no substitute. Across the street your find a new place with flavors that delight your senses. While the number 1 spot is still good, this place is better.
Similarly, a new website can overtake others after a core update because its sending signals to Google that demonstrate its content is more satisfying to searchers. The website previously ranked number one isn't necessarily bad now, but the dynamics of what Google finds relevant and authoritative have changed.
Watch our HubSpot User Group session discussing SEO recovery or continue reading for more tips.
Timeline of Major Algorithm Updates
In 2011, Google introduced it's first major algorithm update dubbed the "Panda" update. Although a cute image, the "Panda" ferociously attacked affiliate sites and sites with thin content. These sites were notoriously known as "content farms," created with the sole purpose of ranking high on the SERPs and providing little meaningful information to searchers.
In 2012, Google introduced the algorithm update named "Penguin". This targeted spammy links and other questionable tactics meant to manipulate search results.
Lastly, in 2013, came the Hummingbird algorithm. It focused on understanding natural language queries versus matching keywords. While these updates were significant, none compared to the major core updates that have occurred since 2018.
Why Algorithm Updates Matter to Your SEO Strategy
Google's primary aim is to elevate sites that were previously under-ranked by refining the relevance and authority of content. Updates often reward high-quality, pertinent content while penalizing sites with low-value or spammy material. Additionally, technical aspects like website speed, mobile-friendliness, and security (SSL certificates) can influence rankings. With each update, adapting your SEO strategy to align with Google's criteria becomes essential.
As you develop and implement an SEO strategy, keep these three aspect in mind:
- Content quality. Are you answering questions your target audience is asking in satisfying and helpful ways? Are you providing a fresh perspective on well known topics and highly searched keywords?
- Technical and On-Page SEO. What are your core web vital scores? Does your content follow an easily digestible structure with the proper H tags, bullet points, and alt text on images?
- User Experience. Is your website easy to navigate with content that's easy to understand?
What to Do When There’s a Google Update
Step 1: Don’t Panic and Remember the Basics
In the initial weeks of a core update, fluctuations in rankings are common. Panicking and making hasty changes can harm rather than help. Instead, be proactive and check Google's core update status to understand the update's status and if there are any issues that could be affecting rankings. If rankings don't bounce back several weeks after a reported problem is resolved, it's time to make an SEO recovery plan.
Focus on Google's key elements—relevance and authority—by refining your content and backlink strategies.
Step 2: Check Your Keyword Rankings
Start by analyzing your keyword rankings to understand exactly where the impact has been felt. To do this, you can use SEO tools like Google Search Console, SEMrush, or Ahrefs to track fluctuations for your target keywords. Identify which pages or keywords have experienced the most significant changes—these are your primary focus for improvement.
Small drops include moving down from the number 2 position to the number 4 position while a large drop would be dropping from the top 5 and falling into the middle of the pack. A small drop in position doesn’t require drastic action. However, a significant drop off of the first page of the search engine results warrants a deeper assessment.
Look for patterns in these shifts. Did certain types of keywords drop more than others? Are there specific content categories that appear to have been more affected?
For instance, a local bookstore with a strong collection of mystery novels saw its website rankings drop after a Google core update. Previously ranking high for "best mystery books," the update prioritized freshness and originality, favoring sites with new content. Realizing their focus on classic titles neglected trending releases, they adjusted their strategy to include more current titles alongside their classic selections to regain their rankings.
Step 3: Identify Specific Pages with Traffic Drops
Using Google Search Console, create a list of pages that experienced significant ranking drops. Over 200 signals affect a page's ranking, including content freshness. The "Caffeine" algorithm prioritizes dynamic content. Since then, Google has used an algorithm called QDF, or Query Deserves Freshness, to determine if a particular search term should prioritize more recently published content.
Updating content is crucial for unfolding news or recent events, while evergreen content typically doesn't require frequent updates. For evergreen content that doesn't qualify as QDF, yearly refreshes with new statistics, links to the latest industry reports, or infusing quotes from rising thought leaders in the field can help signal to Google that the content is still relevant to your audience.
Don't think you can fool the algorithm. Changing a few words and updating the publish date of an evergreen piece will have little impact on rankings.
On the other hand, there are certain topics, like historical events, where publishing new content won't help knock out the top performers. You'll need to craft a backlink strategy to boost your page and website's authority in the eyes of Google.
Step 4: Conduct Competitor Analysis
Identify your SEO competitors—those ranking for the same keywords using tools like SEMRush, Ubersuggest, MozBar, and Google Keyword Planner. Analyzing their strategies can unearth opportunities for your improvement.
Here are a few things to consider while doing your analysis:
- Identify keyword gaps by examining the specific keywords your competitors rank well for but you do not, allowing you to expand your keyword portfolio effectively.
- Analyze the content produced by competitors to gain insights into topics that resonate with your shared audience, offering inspiration for new content ideas or revising existing materials for improved engagement and relevancy.
- Conduct competitor analysis to uncover backlink opportunities by studying their link profiles, which can guide your outreach efforts to build authority and credibility.
- Assess competitors’ on-page and technical SEO practices to determine what might be contributing to their success, and implement successful tactics they've employed to optimize your site’s performance.
It's important to recognize that not all SEO competitors are direct competitors because they may target the same keywords but serve different audiences or offer different products and services. This distinction allows businesses to identify unique opportunities and tailor their strategies effectively, focusing on what sets them apart rather than just competing with those who offer similar offerings. Understanding this can lead to more effective marketing tactics and improved SEO performance by integrating answers to questions specific to your audience and product or service offerings.
Step 5: Find Gaps in Your Keywords and Competitors
During the competitor analysis, you'll also want to determine keyword gaps. A keyword gap represents the difference between the keywords for which your website ranks and those that your competitors target. This gap highlights opportunities to optimize your content and enhance your search visibility.
Use a keyword gap tool to find the “shared” and “weak” keywords with rankings changes after an algorithm update. Review which pages contribute to the keyword ranking and find ways to improve those pages.
To close the gap on these keywords and outrank other websites, consider various tactics such as enhancing user experience through website layout, interaction features, and overall design to improve visitor retention and satisfaction. Additionally, experimenting with emerging trends like voice search optimization and AI-enhanced content creation can provide a competitive edge. Structuring your content to address common voice queries and using AI tools to analyze content performance and user interactions can also guide further improvements.
By focusing on these innovative approaches alongside traditional SEO tactics, you can effectively close the keyword gap and elevate your site's search performance.
Step 6: Improve Content Relevance
Review your content for updates and improvements. Avoid "quick fixes" that manipulate the algorithm and focus on providing valuable and relevant content to your audience. Content optimization is about improving user experience, not just search engine rankings.
Review your list of pages and consider where you can make meaningful changes to the content. Take a look at Google's SEO Self-Assessment to honestly reflect on the quality of the content.
Consider the following items to enhance your content and improve its relevance:
- Add headings, subheadings, ordered lists (numbered lists), and unordered lists (bullet points) to assist with readability and on-page SEO organization for users and crawlers.
- Add multimedia elements like images, videos, or infographics to break up walls of text.
- Optimize meta titles and descriptions to accurately reflect the content while incorporating relevant keywords.
- Link internally to other blogs or pages of your site to help guide users through a seamless navigation experience and signal to search engines which pages are more important or related to each other.
- Find a new point of view or way of framing a well-covered topic in your industry to improve the originality of the piece.
- Check the tone of voice for consistency with your brand and audience.
- Review and update any outdated or incorrect information.
Delete content as a last resort only if you think it can't be salvaged.
Assess Content on These Four Areas for Better Page Rankings
- Originality: Is the content insightful? Does it provide a unique perspective on the topic? Does it provide original information, research, or analysis? Can you give more details than your competitors and go beyond the obvious?
- Readability: Use clear language and structure to make your content easy to digest. Make content easier to scan with bullet points and emphasize important points or words with bold or italic text. Consider adding visual elements to break up text or other design elements to highlight an actionable tip.
- On-Page SEO: Create a checklist of on-page SEO best practices that include adding alt tags to images, proper use of header tags, meta descriptions, and internal linking to other content with relevant information.
- Tone of Voice: A consistent tone of voice can help users feel the brand is reliable and authentic, which boosts trustworthiness in Google's E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness) criteria.
Step 7: Enhance Content Authority
Establishing authority is crucial for content creators, as it builds trust and credibility with audiences. Google's E-E-A-T criteria—Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness—are essential for evaluating content quality online. These factors ensure users receive accurate and reliable information, enhancing their experience. Following E-E-A-T not only boosts page authority but also improves search rankings, making it vital for content creators seeking visibility and credibility.
On-Page Tactics to Increase Authority
Creating effective content involves several key strategies to engage your audience and build trust. Here are some essential tips:
- Easy to read: Use clear language and straightforward explanations to make complex topics accessible.
- Easy to trust: Use quotes from experts, link to credible sources, provide clear and accurate information, be transparent about the author of blog articles, and regularly update articles to reflect the latest knowledge and insights.
- Easy to navigate: Create a user-friendly layout, making it easy for readers to find the information they need.
Off-Page Tactics to Increase Authority
Off-page authority, commonly known as backlinks, is crucial for enhancing your website’s credibility and search engine rankings. Here are some strategies to effectively build off-page authority:
- Leverage social media platforms and influencer collaborations: Engaging with influencers can create buzz around your content and drive traffic to your site. Collaborating with influencers raises brand awareness among their audience, leading to greater visibility. As your content gets shared across social media, it can naturally generate backlinks from other websites, enhancing your off-page authority.
- Build relationships within your industry: Networking is crucial for securing guest posting opportunities and forming partnerships with reputable sites. By sharing valuable content on other platforms, you establish your authority and attract backlinks that boost your site's rankings. These relationships can create a win-win scenario, where both parties gain exposure and credibility in the industry.
Step 8: Address Technical SEO Issues
Technical SEO refers to optimizing website infrastructure and code to improve search visibility. While it may seem daunting, addressing technical issues can significantly impact your site's performance in search rankings. Technical SEO enhances user experience (UX) by making it easier for visitors to navigate your site, find relevant information, and have a positive experience. It also ensures search engine crawlers can accurately interpret and index your content, leading to better rankings.
Key Elements of Technical SEO
- Mobile-Friendly Design: With the increasing use of mobile devices for internet browsing, optimizing your website for mobile is crucial. Having a responsive design that adapts to different screen sizes not only provides better UX but also ranks higher on Google's mobile indexing.
- Page Loading Speed: Slow loading speed can frustrate users and lead them to leave your site, reducing your page's dwell time. It is crucial to optimize images, remove unnecessary plugins, and leverage browser caching for faster loading times.
- XML Sitemap: An XML sitemap helps search engines crawl and index your site better, improving visibility in search results.
- Broken Links: Broken links can significantly impact user experience and reduce your page authority. Regularly check for broken links and fix them to avoid users encountering 404 errors.
Use Google's Mobile-Friendly Test
To assess the mobile-friendliness of your website accurately, use Google's Mobile-Friendly Test. This tool not only highlights areas that need improvement but also provides tips on how to optimize your site for mobile devices.
Review HubSpot's SEO Recommendations
Utilizing HubSpot's Content Hub provides you with a wealth of SEO recommendations tailored to enhance your website's performance. Begin by filtering these suggestions based on their potential impact on your site’s rankings, allowing you to prioritize changes that will significantly increase your visibility. Start with the highest-impact items and work your way down the list. If you're not a developer, don't worry! You can also filter recommendations according to whether they can be addressed by a marketer. If you need help from a developer, filter and export a list of SEO issues by the developer role.
Step 9: Create and Optimize New Content with HubSpot Topic Clusters
Utilize HubSpot's topic cluster model to connect related content pieces, improving site structure and authority on particular subjects. With this model, a pillar page acts as the main hub for a particular topic, with cluster content pieces linking back to the pillar page. This approach creates a cohesive structure that signals search engines about your website’s relevance and authority in specific topics.
Pillar Pages
Pillar pages cover broad topics that are essential to your business or industry. These pages provide an overview of a topic, linking to more detailed information provided by cluster content pieces. Pillar pages should be comprehensive and highly optimized to attract organic traffic and establish domain authority.
Cluster Content Pieces
Cluster content is more specific and provides in-depth information on subtopics related to your pillar page. It links back to the pillar page, creating a clear connection between the two and enhancing your site's authority.
Step 10: Monitor Your Website's Ongoing Performance
Continuously track your site's performance using analytics tools like Google Analytics, SEMRush, HubSpot or others. It is essential to regularly review metrics such as page views, bounce rates, time on page, and conversions to assess the effectiveness of your content.
By monitoring these metrics regularly, you can identify which pieces of content are performing well and which ones may need improvement. Use this data to make informed decisions on future content creation and optimization strategies.
Additionally, regularly tracking your site's performance allows you to identify any technical issues or errors that may be impacting your rankings. Addressing these issues promptly can prevent them from negatively affecting your site's visibility in search results.
Assess Your Website to Jumpstart Your SEO Recovery
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