As of 15th August 2024, Google’s latest core update has completed. While this isn’t a standalone event – experts estimate that Google updates its algorithm between 500-600 times per year – not all updates are created equal. Spanning 19 days, the changes caused a significant amount of ranking movement and disturbance to Google Search results overall.
What makes this algorithm update different?
The August 2024 core update took into account the negative feedback users had provided on previous “Helpful content” algorithm updates, particularly that of September 2023.
John Mueller, Search Advocate at Google, said
“This latest update takes into account the feedback we’ve heard from some creators and others over the past few months. As always, we aim to connect people with a range of high-quality sites, including ‘small’ or ‘’independent’ sites that are creating useful, original content on relevant searches. This is an area we’ll continue to address in future updates.”
This August 2024 core update “aims to better capture improvements that sites may have made, so we can continue to surface the best of the web,” Mueller added.
The update aims to boost high-quality content and demote SEO-focused material. It is designed to refine how Google evaluates and ranks content to deliver more relevant search results for users. As the rollout completed, Google stressed that SEO professionals and site owners alike should monitor their metrics and align content with Google’s focus on user value.
The ranking bug
On 15th August, Google acknowledged a glitch that affected a large number of search results, but claimed that it was unrelated to the ongoing August 2024 core update. Businesses were likely to experience drastic ranking fluctuations during the four days succeeding the update, however Google stated these fluctuations should be disregarded, as they were a direct result of the glitch. On the 20th Augst, the issue was declared resolved by Google.
Will my website be negatively impacted by the Google Algorithm update?
Although the impact has been varied, it is undoubtedly there. A recent poll showed that:
• 44% of businesses said My Rankings/Traffic Are Down
• 27% of businesses said My Rankings/Traffic Are Up
• 29% of businesses said No Change
If you have been negatively impacted by a core update, Google stresses that creating helpful, reliable, people-first content is key. “There’s nothing new or special that creators need to do for this update as long as they’ve been making satisfying content meant for people. For those that might not be ranking as well, we strongly encourage reading our creating helpful, reliable, people-first content help page,” Google said previously.
How can I maintain my SEO rankings with Google updates?
Focus on EEAT – Experience, expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness
1. Experience – Include first-hand experience or original data, to make the content unique and demonstrate a depth of knowledge about the topic or product. For example, if you are reviewing a product, the article should demonstrate that you have experienced the product first-hand and detail your personal experience and findings. You could also include photos and video content where this would be helpful to the user – for example, your own experience of fitting a pushchair into your car boot, installing a car seat in your own vehicle or fitting a bike rack on your own car.
Original data, research and analysis is an excellent way to demonstrate expertise and ensure your content is unique. For example, you could do a customer or client survey to collect feedback and viewpoints on a topic. Once you have collected your original data, you can then provide an analysis or summary of the data which further demonstrates your “experience”.
2. Expertise – Write useful, original content which demonstrates your Expertise in a subject area. Clearly indicate the author and provide a description or link to an author profile or about us page with further information to reinforce their expertise on a subject. This could reference how long you have worked in an industry, any qualifications you may have, any awards for work in the industry you may have received, related accreditations etc. If the article has been peer reviewed or co-authored by another expert in the field, highlight this.
3. Authoritativeness – Your website should be recognised as a reliable source and a leading authority in your industry. This involves providing expert, informative content, as well as building strong backlinks from other reputable websites. Additionally, contributions from industry leaders and the strategic use of relevant keywords and phrases can enhance your website’s authority.
4. Trustworthiness – Demonstrate trustworthiness by creating helpful content that genuinely addresses your customers’ needs, rather than focusing solely on search engine optimisation. Google evaluates trustworthiness based on the content’s intended purpose; websites offering financial information, for example, will be subject to stricter evaluation than a website supplying recipes. Providing inaccurate or misleading information can harm your website’s reputation and trust with both Google and your visitors.
Another crucial aspect of trustworthiness is protecting customer data. For ecommerce websites, shoppers must feel confident that their financial transactions and personal information are secure. An SSL certificate is essential to signal to visitors that your website is a safe place to conduct business.
If your business needs help with creating a solid SEO strategy, get in touch with the redPepper team today.
