Google August 2023 Core Updates
Google has just announced its August 2023 core update for search.
This may take up to two weeks to complete.
Key Points
- Google launches August 2023 core update, to improve the quality of search results.
- If pages drop in performance after the update this may not constitute an issue as the key is the relevance of your content.
- If affected by the core update, not that a recovery is not automatic and website recovery may vary. Look to continually improve your content.
The latest news is available on Google’s updates releases page.
It is important to note that Google regularly updates its algorithms to improve the quality of the search results that it provides to users.
Some websites’ performances in search will go up and some go down as a consequence of this core update.
How to recover from a core update
A core update can affect a website’s performance in the search results, but it may also have no noticeable impact.
It is a good idea to add a note to your Google Analytics of the date of any major update from Google and you will be able to see the before and after position.
If your website drops in traffic this does not necessarily mean that you have a problem with your website, its content or the website’s structure.
Google has always emphasised that web owners should focus on quality rather than assuming a technical fix is required.
This is not to say that ongoing improvements to the technical aspects of your website should be ignored.
Practical steps for a Google Core update recovery
There is a variety of things that you can do to improve your search performance if you are seeing a drop in web traffic.
- Review web pages that are not performing well. This should be an ongoing process for any web page that is not performing well and not just those that seem to be affected by the update.
- Good content answers people’s queries. Review the pages and determine if the content provides the answers to what people are looking for.
- Review the search terms that people use to find your pages.
- Quality content will work in the long run but remember that Google does not guarantee positions in its search results.
Google has over time provided information and questions to consider when evaluating your content
The aim is that you provide the best content you can and in turn, their algorithms will reward it.
Questions to help evaluate your content
- Is the content of genuine interest or created to influence the search results in a false manner?
- Does the content provide original information, research or analysis?
- Does the content provide value when compared to other pages found in the search results?
- Is the content a complete description of the subject?
- Is the content simply copying content from other websites?
- Is the content beyond obvious – does it provide insight?
- Are the headline, and page titles helpful and descriptive?
- Is the content obviously just clickbait or exaggerations?
- Is the content so good you would share it? or refer to it?
- Would this content be bookmarked or referenced by others?
Questions to establish if your content showcases your expertise
- Would a user consider the content authoritative or trustworthy?
- Does the content provide sources, citations or references to establish veracity?
- Is the content author an expert, or enthusiast who can demonstrate their knowledge of the topic?
- Are there obvious errors?
- Would you trust the content to be the basis for life or business decisions?
Questions on page presentation and quality?
- Are there obvious and lazy spelling or grammar mistakes?
- Does it look sloppy or lazily produced?
- Is the content full of Ads that interfere with reading or viewing the webpage?
- Is the content mobile-friendly?
How long does it take to recover from a core update?
It can take months for a website or specific pages to recover from a core update.
This is not as bad news as it seems. Google is continually updating its algorithms and these can have a positive impact on your rankings.
If you are constantly improving your content then in the long run you may recover and exceed your pre-update positions.
A drop in rankings can be the impetus required to review content on your website that is long overdue.
As a guide, if you review our car industry report you will see websites in the top 100 that perform well and guides on how to improve your website.
Get in touch if you have any questions on how this recent core update has affected your website.