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Google Core Updates
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Alex in March 2024
"Traffic dropped 40% in a week. I changed nothing. Then I read โ Google launched a major Core Update. This isn't a bug โ Google is re-evaluating site quality. What to do?"
๐ Google Core Update โ a large-scale update to the core algorithm that re-evaluates the relevance and quality of pages across the entire index.
What a Core Update Is and When They Happen
Google releases several Core Updates per year (usually 3โ4). They don't target spam โ they change how Google assesses page quality and usefulness.
- A drop โ a penalty. It's a re-evaluation โ you didn't do anything wrong, others just got better
- Gains also happen โ if your site is higher quality than competitors
How to Respond to a Drop After a Core Update
| โ Don't do this | โ Do this |
|---|---|
| Delete pages | Analyze the affected content |
| Change URL structure in panic | Improve E-E-A-T signals |
| Wait for a "rollback" | Invest in content quality |
After a Core Update:
1. Identify affected pages (GSC)
2. Compare with top competitors
3. Find the content quality gap
4. Improve โ don't wait for a "rollback"
1. Identify affected pages (GSC)
2. Compare with top competitors
3. Find the content quality gap
4. Improve โ don't wait for a "rollback"
๐ฏ Fact: recovery after a Core Update usually only happens after the next update โ if you improved your site.
๐ฎ Test yourself: how should you respond to a traffic drop after a Core Update?
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