Google yesterday announced yet another Google Core Algorithm update – the October 2023 Core Algorithm Update.
This is the 3rd core algorithm update this year following on from March and August updates, and will yet again cause people to scratch their heads as performance may be affected, especially in the short term.
So what is a Google Core Algorithm Update?
These updates from Google are rolled out multiple times a year, but with little information as to what they are changing within their algorithm there can be little indication on what may or may not be affected as well as how to “recover”, but the intention of these updates is to continue to provide users with the best possible results based on their search queries, which in turn encourages website owners to produce informative and useful content for users.
What are the key things you should know about the latest Google Core Algorithm Update?
- Core updates are frequent:
Google usually releases several core updates throughout the year. Each update may target different aspects of Google’s complex search algorithm, which may have varied impact on websites. - Keyword rankings may fluctuate:
These updates may result in ranking fluctuations over the coming days and weeks. Some websites won’t be affected at all whereas some will, however there is no indication as to what websites or industries may be most affected. - How can you “recover”?:
If your website drops keyword ranking positions and you want to look at a path to recovery, it’s important to analyse your website holistically, from technical set up to content, to really understand where improvements can be made. - User-first content:
Google emphasises the importance of high-quality content with the end-user in mind. Creating content designed to inform, entertain or enrich the end-user will allow your website to improve in ranking positions. - User Experience:
User experience is vital in website rankings and therefore must be considered when reviewing overall performance. This considers items such as page speed, navigation, and your users journey from one page to the next throughout the website. - Expertise, Experience, Authority, and Trustworthiness aka EEAT:
Google factors into it’s results a website’s expertise, experience, authority, and trustworthiness. Creating content designed to show expertise and authority within a specific field can increase ranking positions. - Monitoring & adapting:
You should continue to monitor performance and see where you may have been affected. This can give you insight as to what parts of your website you can improve upon based on the algorithm updates.
What do I do if I’ve been hit by the October 2023 Core Algorithm Update?
If you have been “hit” by the core algorithm update, the best thing to do is to remain patient. Fluctuations may appear for several weeks before returning to normal. It’s important to not make any knee-jerk changes to the site as your content or website may have been perfectly fine.
However, what you should do is monitor performance and check your ranking keyword positions. If you notice large-scale drops then you need to look into the content and optimisation of that page or group of pages. Are you providing users with the best content to search their query or is there more you can do here?
If you are stuck on how to recover from a Google core update or have any questions, then get in touch at [email protected]..
