Google Core update is the latest core update of the Google algorithm. This update was released on May 4 and, among many shocks, it has moved the results of online traffic from local SEOs .
It was announced by Danny Sullivan of Google, who confirmed that they released the second update to the core search algorithm this year (remember the first one was in January). They called this the ” Google Core Update May 2020 “. No funny names, no cute animals to imagine, just the facts.
While the January Google Core Update only led to an average volatility of 8 points. By May 6, almost all categories showed maximum volatility rates. To be precise, 9 to 9.4 points.
May’s Google Core Update appears to be much stronger, influencing SERPs and positions more. Something that, without a doubt, brings with it some notable advantages and disadvantages.
What is happening with Google Core Update?
Although last year Google shared with us this blog post that they called “What Webmasters Should Know About Major Google Updates . ” Many surely overlooked it.
But this post is absolutely packed with information that helps you understand what to do when facing a traffic crash after a Google update .
In the blog post, he states that several times a year, Google “will make significant and extensive changes to [its] search algorithms . ” Noting that the objective of these updates is “to fulfill Google’s mission to present relevant and authorized content to search engines . “
Now, all of these major updates seem to focus largely on trust as well as protecting the security of search engines.
The main advance that Google made with the Core Update of May 2020 is to understand what the user is looking for to present results. In other words, Google improved in the process of determining relevance.
In Google’s shoes
On the occasion of this new algorithm update, the search engine giant explains that understanding a user’s query is a challenge.
It is also interesting to note that the way people search has also changed . John Mueller, Google’s webmaster trends analyst recently commented that the new generation of users search very differently: “They will go to Google and they will ask a complete question .”
The Millennials and Generation X you type a keyword and one or two suffixes, and add another if it does not work. The younger generation will age and this change will be visible in searches.
Why should you care about Google Core Update?
Every time Google updates its search ranking algorithms, your site may improve or worsen in results. That is why knowing when Google performs these updates gives you something to base yourself on to understand if it was something that you yourself changed on our website, or it is all a result of the changes in Google’s ranking algorithm.
Today we know that Google will release an update of its algorithms from time to time. So keep a close eye on your reviews and rankings.
Who benefits from the May Google Core Update?
It is inevitable to detect some drops and / or position gains once the Google Core Update is fully implemented. Certainly, during the pandemic we know that user queries related to travel, tourism, live events, etc., decreased significantly. Therefore, many of the category volatilities related to these issues are not a big surprise.
However, the greatest impact of the most recent algorithm change occurs in various industries. Including, in addition, some of those already affected by the pandemic. Among these are travel, real estate, health, pets, and people and society. But if anyone has come out on top of the latest change without a doubt, it’s the media.
With everyone’s constant gaze on the news in recent months, many media outlets are gaining unparalleled attention from users. But it seems that everything they are doing has worked well, and they are being rewarded in this update.
Websites optimized for mobile devices also fall into the group of winners . The pandemic certainly has a lot to do with it. The users increasingly spend more time surfing the net.
Google has moved everything, even the cryptocurrency market
According to initial statements from the Webmaster World Forum and Twitter, Google Core Update has sparked changes across a wide range of industries, ranging from prescriptions to technology, healthcare, and even finance.
There are also some early signs that the cryptocurrency sector has been affected, according to Forbes , who reported that media, youtubers, and crypto and trading sites have been affected by shadows generated by Google Core Update.
How to become relevant with all these changes
Specialists point out that Google is using BERT to better understand what is the intention behind a user’s query. Google explains that algorithms analyze the content of web pages to assess whether the page contains information that may be relevant and that matches what a user is looking for.
However, excessive use of keywords can backfire. Therefore, it is more advisable to feed the pages or blog posts with photographs, videos or lists that involve the keywords in one way or another.
Google tells us in that document that they go beyond simple keyword matching. In fact, they also look at “aggregated and anonymous interaction data” combined with other cues to help their AI systems better estimate relevance.
Generating value is the key
While Google has said it has been optimized to better interpret user searches, it also recommends that webmasters and SEOs whose websites have been affected by the May Google Core Update “focus on delivering the best content possible . ” At the same time, he suggests auditing the website by asking questions in the following four areas:
- Content and quality: Does your website offer original and valuable content that goes beyond copying? Are the meta titles and descriptions attractive and designed to match the content? As a webmaster, would you share this content with friends?
- Experience: Is the content reliable? Does the page contain errors? As a webmaster who arrives at the site through Google, would you trust you?
- Presentation and production: Does the content you offer look well researched and produced or is it more like mass production? Are there too many ads? Does the site load attractively on all devices?
- Competitive comparison: Does your website offer added value compared to other competitors? Does the content meet the expectations of users?
- Your team’s webmasters may be able to get a first impression by answering these questions and honestly browsing your own website. You can compare it to your competitors, especially regarding the value of the content you offer to your audiences.
The challenge of Google Core Update
As always, Google goes one step further to better understand what users are looking for . In addition, also determining what is most relevant to them.
This is quite relevant especially for smaller websites. Now, if you have been affected by the latest Google Core Update, we give you these tips so that you can improve your SEO positioning again :
1.- Read carefully the quality guidelines of the Google evaluators
Look at each of the examples given to see if the things marked as a high or low quality sign might apply to your site as well. In this way, you will have a broader idea of how to improve it.
2.- Do the same with the Google blog post about major updates
Pay close attention to the points they share on Google to help you determine if the content is of high quality. What better source of information than the search engine that has developed the algorithm?
3.- Determine when your website used to rank well, and when it stopped doing so
See who ranks well with your keywords now . Thoroughly evaluate whether their content is better than yours. If it really isn’t any better, take a look at the types of sites Google displays in SERPs.
4.- Consider using user tests to obtain impartial opinions on whether your content is really the best of its kind.
Do your best to demonstrate any real-life experiences that researchers may consider valuable. If you don’t have real-life experience, consider hiring an expert to write for you, or even use user-generated content.
At Antevenio we make the organic positioning of your website improve thanks to effective SEO strategies . Increase your web traffic with quality links and through keywords relevant to your business.