Google Core Update March 2024: All you need to know
"What has happened to my ranking?" This is a question that some companies that operate their own website have probably been asking themselves over the last few days. Changes in Google's ranking could be related to a recent update carried out by Google.
Google's so-called "core updates" in particular often have unexpected and significant effects on search rankings. For those affected, it is often not clear what the drop in traffic is due to, let alone what measures should be taken to regain the lost search traffic.
In this article, we will therefore look at the latest Google Core Update from March 2024 and show you what measures you can take to improve your position on Google again.
What is a Google update?
Google's search engine uses sophisticated algorithms to determine the order of search results, taking hundreds of different factors into account. These factors, as well as the search function itself, are adjusted by Google several thousand times a year. These constant changes can affect the presentation of search results, the importance of individual ranking factors, the interpretation of search intent and much more.
Most of these adjustments are minor and do not have a significant impact on the overall appearance of the search results pages. However, Google carries out major updates several times a year, which are officially announced and often lead to significant shifts in the search results. These are the so-called core updates:
What are Google Core Updates?
In contrast to the regular smaller updates, a Google Core Update is a significant change or adjustment to Google's core algorithm in order to improve the relevance and quality of search results. The core algorithm is the centrepiece of Google and determines which websites appear in search results and how they are ranked based on factors such as relevance, authority and user experience.
These updates are made to optimise the overall search experience and ensure that users receive the most useful and up-to-date information. In contrast to the smaller updates that Google carries out continuously, core updates are more extensive and therefore usually have a significant impact on search results.
It is important to understand that core updates are not intended to penalise certain websites, but rather to reward high-quality content. As a result, some websites may rise in their rankings while others may fall, especially if their content is deemed less relevant or of lower quality compared to other websites.
The Google update of March 2024
In the last update in March 2024, Google carried out two major updates. The "Core Update for Helpful Content" and the "Spam Update". We will show you what these two updates are all about below:
Google Core Update for helpful content
Google is making changes to its algorithms in the Core Update to favour content that is geared towards the needs of users - so-called "people-first" content. This involves changing some of the core ranking mechanisms so that Google is better able to identify content that is unhelpful, offers a poor user experience or gives the impression that it was created primarily for search engines and not for users.
Google expects these changes to lead to a decrease in low-quality content while bringing more visitors to helpful and high-quality websites. Google assumes that this core update, together with previous adjustments, will reduce the amount of low-quality content by around 40 per cent.
New spam update
Google's new spam update is about three main targets:
Firstly, Google does not want humans to create content just to be found by search engines, regardless of whether humans or computer programmes (such as AI) create this content. So-called mass content, which is only created to achieve a good ranking in the search results, is therefore penalised with a lower ranking. A well-known example of this is content with "keyword stuffing", where the content repeats the same keywords over and over again without any real context or added value for the reader instead of useful information or real tips.
Secondly, Google will try to stop the problem with Expired Domains. These are website addresses that are no longer in use and are being taken over by others to capitalise on their former reputation. This can lead users to mistakenly believe that this content belongs to the original website and will therefore be penalised by Google in future rankings.
Thirdly, Google does not want websites that are very popular with Google to "rent out" their subpages or directories to others. An example of this are large news portals that publish supposedly objective product reviews. In some cases, however, these are merely affiliate content designed to generate commissions. Google also wants to take action against this and has therefore initiated the spam update.
What can you do if your ranking is deteriorating?
If you are affected by a recent Google update, it is first important to find out all you can about the update and keep calm. There are always ways to win back lost traffic. It often just takes a little effort and patience.
No matter which update affects your website, we recommend proceeding as follows:
1. Inform yourself
Google publishes important information for every core update, which should be read carefully. It explains which changes have been made and which tips affected companies should follow in order to improve their ranking. The information on the last Google Core Update from March 2024 can be found here.
2. Investigate the consequences of the update
Once you have familiarised yourself with the update, you should turn your attention to your own website. Use tools such as Sistrix, Google Analytics or Google Search Console to continuously monitor possible changes in your ranking and traffic.
3. Follow Google's recommendations
If there are negative changes in traffic, it is advisable to first check whether the drop in traffic is really so significant and unusual that it can be attributed to the Google Core Update, or whether it is merely a matter of normal ranking fluctuations. To find this out, it is worth comparing the current drop in traffic with the data from the previous year at the same time, for example. Seasonal trends can be very pronounced in certain industries or for certain topics.
If you come to the conclusion that the drop in rankings is due to the Google Core Update, you should use the information in the official Google Update Guide to check whether your website contains content that could be categorised as "unhelpful" by Google. It is always worth taking a look at the competition. Enter relevant keywords into the search engine and analyse which websites and content appear in the top positions and what makes this content different from yours or ask yourself why this content ranks better than yours.
4. Improve the content with the E-E-A-T approach
If you decide that your content is lacking in quality, you should evaluate the overall quality of your website. However, this does not happen overnight and takes time. It makes sense to familiarise yourself with the E-E-A-T concept.
E-E-A-T represents the elements of experience, expertise, authority and trustworthiness and is a concept that Google itself publishes as a guideline to achieve a high search engine ranking. Generally speaking, content that meets the E-E-A-T guidelines is characterised by high quality and credibility, and is written by professionals who are recognised in their specific niche and have direct experience. Below we give you 5 actionable tips to optimise your content according to the E-E-A-T approach:
- Prove a high level of expertise and authority:
Develop a strong presence in your area of expertise. This can be achieved through publications, the accumulation of positive customer reviews or posts in reputable forums. Your website should clearly communicate your expertise and recognition. - Strengthen trustworthiness:
Make sure your website is securely connected (e.g. via HTTPS) and provide transparent contact information and a clear privacy policy. Openness and honesty, especially with regard to potential conflicts of interest, strengthen user trust. - Optimise the user experience:
A positive user experience on your website is crucial. Pay attention to intuitive navigation, fast loading times, mobile-friendliness and accessibility. Content should be clear, easy to understand and visually appealing. - Update content regularly:
Keep your content up to date to demonstrate your expertise and relevance. Up-to-date information increases the trust and reliability of your website. - Take feedback seriously:
Be open to feedback and show how you respond to criticism. This can be through comment sections, customer support or social media interactions. Handling feedback professionally can significantly increase the trustworthiness of your brand.
To check your content for E-E-A-T compliance, you can always ask yourself the following questions: Would you trust the content on your own website so much that you would make significant decisions and even invest money based on it? Would you enter your payment information on a website with similar content without hesitation?
If you answered no to these questions, a qualitative revision of your website is absolutely necessary.
5. Wait and watch
After optimisation, you need to be patient and wait. Ranking changes, especially after a Google Core Update, do not improve overnight. Review your measures regularly and continue to optimise.
Conclusion
In the blog post "Google Core Update 2024", we looked at the latest developments in Google's search engine algorithm and how these can affect SEO strategies. It's crucial that you keep up with the changing requirements and optimise your online presence to stay visible in Google search results.
Are you affected by the latest Google Core Updates and having problems with SEO optimisation? Then don't hesitate to contact us at Arcmedia. Our digital marketing experts will be happy to help you.
