On August 15th, Google released its latest core algorithm update, bringing changes that could make or break your website ranking in search results. Core updates are designed to improve search results and make SEO executives sweat. The August update took a full month to roll out, but what’s really changed?
We took a look and created a breakdown of what you need to know and what you should be watching out for.
Improved Understanding of Content Quality
For the last few years, Google’s main message to SEOs has been to push helpful content. Helpful for actual people, if we’re being more specific, not Googlebot. The August update was no different, and Google’s advice has stayed the same: make sure your contents not just well written, but also useful for the people reading it.
Gone are the days where site owners can stuff as many keywords onto their pages as possible. Google’s systems are getting smarter at distinguishing high-quality, authoritative content from low-quality (or outright misleading) content.
Google never likes to tell us too much about these updates, but they are rewarding websites with original, well-researched and insightful pages that provides genuine value to users.
So what does that mean for site owners? Well, we recommend you think about your users when creating your content, not Googlebot. Making sure you tick off the following should help you in future updates:
- Focus on high quality content: make sure your content isn’t just there for the sake of SEO. Give it a purpose, avoid keyword stuffing and aim for comprehensive, insightful and original material.
- Remember to E-E-A-T: if you didn’t know, E-E-A-T (experience, expertise, authority, trust) is one of Google’s ranking metrics. You can showcase your expertise by including author bios, linking to authoritative sources and displaying trust signals across your website (hello, 5 star reviews).
- Regularly update your content: Google tends to be a bit of a hoarder, and it knows not only what your website looks like, but also what it looked like 19 updates ago. Show Google you’re continuously working to improve your site for users, and make sure you don’t keep any outdated content that’s struggling to rank.
- Keep one eye on user experience: Page load speed, mobile-friendliness and easy navigation are all on Google’s shopping list. Ensuring your site is fast, responsive and easy to navigate will help you do well when their next update comes
How to check if you’ve been impacted?
Its possible you didn’t notice much of a change. Though a core update is broad, sometimes specific types of websites can see the biggest impact. Monitoring your site’s impressions and clicks in Google Search Console will help you understand how it’s going for your site specifically.
Why is Google’s August 2024 core update important?
The August 2024 algorithm update is important because small websites might benefit. The last few large updates received backlash for wiping out a majority of smaller players, this update suggests a bit of recovery for those underdogs. Here’s what Google had to say when referring to the negative feedback:
“The 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 –“
Our translation: Google’s sorry. Or at least, as sorry as they could ever be. Which really isn’t very sorry at all, but this is the closest you’ll get.
Final Thoughts
Whether your site was rewarded or punished by the latest core update, Google’s advice is clear. With a focus on rewarding websites that offer real value, maintaining a high standard for your site’s content is more important than ever.