August 2023 Google Core Update – What SEO’s Need To Know?

The year has been a busy one for Google core update and in August 2023, the second core update has emerged. Following a turbulent time in organic search going back to May this year, the Google core algorithm update was launched on August 24^th that is expected two weeks  to fully roll out.

An increase in organic search volatility has become the norm and a lot of credit is due to small and noticeable updates. But broad fundamental upgrades have the most significant and pervasive impact. The last Google core update in 2023 had a substantial impact on the search results with positive outcomes for some and reduced visibility in case of others. You could come across a small change as well.

The specifics of the update have not been released till date, but the essence has to be on understanding what is Google core update? The objective of the core update is to ensure that overall, we are delivering on a mission to present helpful and reliable result for the searches.

There is nothing wrong in the pages not performing as well before there is a core update. They may have violated spam policies, could be subject of an algorithm or manual action as these tends in happening to pages which violate these policies. Nothing in a core upgrade targets particular websites or pages. Instead, the adjustments aim to enhance how the systems evaluate material relative to its entire context. Some pages that were previously under rewarded may perform better in the search results as a result of these modifications.

What are the things about the August 2023 core update?

• Google core algorithm update was released globally impacted all regions
• It is not restricted to any specific form of content- these effects all types of content, sites and the verticals
• As opposed to penalising low quality sites, it promotes great content It implies that pages perceived to be of poor importance would be elevated above others.
• Google discover  along with  featured snippets are not impacted
• Auto suggest is not impacted.

The impact of the August 2023 Google core update

Remember that Google August core update can be good and bad news. Making predictions about the impact of the update before it has rolled out is a risky business. It is better to wait till the roll out has been complete and gather as much information possible about the verticals or niche that has been affected. You avail an idea about Google core algorithm update in detail.

A suggestion is to use analytics and rank track to monitor your site for any sudden changes or decreases in traffic and position. Be aware that fluctuations in traffic are normal and not all changes will be affiliated with the Google August core update.

Who has been affected by the August 2023 update?

It is difficult to say which industries have been most affected by Google core update. The last broad core update was in March 2023, where business and industrial, arts and entertainment, industrial shopping, and internet along with telecommunications were most affected.

The early chatter, impacts in the financial sector, health and medical, hospitality and leisure or ecommerce. Though this is an early indication and should not be taken as fact just.

How do you know if your site has  been affected

Google core update can lead to stress and anxiety among the site owners as they will want to see if their site has become a victim. The first rule of Google core update is not to panic. A dip in performance after a core update does not point to a problem in your site.

What is google update core is better to explain with an example. An ideal way on how a core update works is you made a list of the top 100 movies in 2021. In 2024, the list is anticipated to vary when you refresh it. A few fantastic new films that have never been made before will be considered for inclusion. Additionally, you might choose to reevaluate some films and decide that they now merit a better ranking than they previously did.

The list is expected to change and films higher on the list that move are not bad. Simply put, better films are going to come before them.

Follow these steps to assess if your site has been impacted by a Google core update

By now you have an idea what is Google core update, let us figure our if your site has been a victim of the same.

• Delay until the core upgrade is fully deployed.
• Compare the organic website and ranking before and after the rollout. It can be the last 30 days, 60 days and the year on trends. If you take too small a sample it can lead to poor decisions and negatively impact the well performing pages. If you are using GA4, keep in mind that it could take a while for the data to be processed, so wait until a full three days have passed. For this reason, the use of real time data should be avoided
• Observe sudden patterns or drops that indicate that your niche ahs been affected by Google core algorithm update
• Look in Google search console at which search terms led users to your site. Do you feel that are these terms relevant? Are they your target audience.
• Identification which sections of the site have been hit and why this may be. Do you think it is poor quality? Out of date or broken or relevant. Is it still relevant?

How do you recover from the negative impacts of the latest Google core update

A decrease in performance does not indicate there is something amiss with your site. Though the general aim is  to recover any decrease and enhance the performance of the site in search engine rankings. A decrease in visibility and position can heavily impact traffic to your site and more importantly conversions.

To regain any lost positions following the August 2023,update focus on the content. You need to review the freshness, relevance and position where applicable. Ensure you check the authority   of every piece of content that you have produced and make it as useful as possible. It is prudent that you incorporate all the key elements of EEAT- experience, expertise, authority and trustworthiness. Think about the following inquiries as you analyse your content for EEAT.

Content and quality questions

• Does the content provide  a complete or comprehensive description on a topic
• Is this the sort of page that you want to bookmark or share it with your friend
• Does the content have any spelling issues
• Is the content produced well or does it appear hastily

Expertise questions

• Does the content present information in such a way that makes you want to trust it. Here pointers like clear sourcing, the kind of expertise involved, the background of the author on the site that publishes it holds relevance.
• If someone researched the site producing the content, would they come up with an impression that it is widely trusted or widely recognized as an authority on its topic

Make yourself stand out from rivals and enhance user experience with the following advice and pointers.

The need of the hour is to continue producing high quality content that exceeds EEAT guidelines, that boasts your existing content and measure your current content positions. This will monitor your movement forward. Within a few months you will witness a recovery or gain in new areas based on your refreshed and new content

In a few cases it is going to take another update, that is not necessarily not a core update to get back on your feet.

To conclude organic search is constantly evolving. It is really hard to keep up with the best practice in order to ensure that the site performs the best. An approach to SEO is to follow the best practices as they continue to evolve long- term advantages for the clients and reach their goals.

If you think that you have become a victim of Google August core update it is better to seek professional help. They are experts who will guide you in limiting the potential negative impact of Google core algorithm update and boast traffics and rankings.

For more such blogs, Connect with GTECH.