Google’s Core Algorithm is actually several different algorithms that are designed to interpret signals from webpages in order to determine which content will best answer a search query. These signals include keywords, content, links, and more. Google’s search results are constantly being refined in order to provide the most accurate and relevant answer for users.
Just think, technology is advancing daily, so algorithms can become outdated overtime. Therefore, Google does periodic updates known as “Cores Updates” which alter the way Google evaluates web pages when assigning them a ranking. Every time a new update is released, it changes the criteria by which websites are ranked on the SERP. Sometimes these updates may yield small and mostly unnoticeable changes, other times they might be more in-depth.
Overall, keeping an eye on these updates can allow companies like us, Cyberlicious®, to stay on top of changes so we know the best SEO practices to keep our clients on the SERP. The algorithm is no joke, it’s how you get found.
Update Alert:
May 2022: Google releases the May 2022 core update. The rollout was complete as of June 9, 2022.
Core Update May 2022, What Changed?
At this time, there has been no specific announcement on what this core update changed in reference to the algorithms. Google specifically noted that “nothing in a core update is specific to any particular site, these updates may produce some noticeable changes to how sites perform”. Unless Google specifically reports what changes are made, there is no way to know for certain.
What we do know is that is that the update targeted all topics and showed shifts throughout the marketing community. Some businesses moved up in the rankings, just as some moved down. That’s just the game though.
Hit by a Core Update?
If your site happened to get hit by the core update, Google has some advice. First, let’s start off with a negative impact does not mean there is anything to specifically do. As time moves along, so does the type of content that is relevant, the type of queries people actually have, and more. Per Google, “the changes are about improving how our systems assess content overall. These changes may cause some pages that were previously under-rewarded to do better.”
If you’re still worried, here are some tips that may help improve your ranking:
- Focus on content: Show your expertise and do so in a way that has unique and useful information. For more in-depth advice to guide your content creation, check out the questions that Google has piled together.
- Know the Quality Rater Guidelines & E-E-A-T: Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness and Trustworthiness. This document lays out Google’s criteria guidelines.
Why Should You Care?
Well, even if we don’t know every detail about a core update, just knowing that a large update has been run can be helpful when looking at analytics. Having specific dates to keep in mind can explain why your analytics change. If we know that an update is occurring, we may expect fluctuations in rankings and other website metrics in the coming weeks. Therefore, we can narrow down if it’s something we did, or if it was a change to the algorithm.
Once we know that a change has occurred, this gives us the chance to investigate and see where we can make improvements. In the end, our focus is on creating content high in trust, authority, and expertise so we can engage with users who are looking for exactly what we offer.