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Important Details About Google’s Core Algorithm Update
(August 2023)
September 29, 2023
Google rolled out core algorithm updates that impact how their search engine results are processed. This typically happens a few times a year and in August of 2023, they introduced an update that impacts user-generated content (UGC).
UGC often appears in search results for specific, niche questions. They’re found in Reddit forums, on Quora answer pages, and other forms of social media. As is the goal of every core algorithm update, the goal of this update is to improve search results for users on Google.
Here’s What This Update Means for Your Business
The quality and relevancy of content are being rewarded in Google search results. While this has always been Google’s goal, it’s more difficult to achieve than many of us assume, which is why these tweaks and changes roll out as often as they do.
Google looked at search intent and made some shifts. Your business may encounter:
- Less traffic to older content that hasn’t been updated in a few years.
- Fewer hits on outdated content.
- More traffic to content that previously didn’t rank as well.
While user-generated content holds more weight than it used to, it doesn’t mean it will automatically rank higher or outperform content on your own website
EEAT is Just as Powerful as Ever
EEAT stands for Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness. As you add more relevant content to your business’s website, your authority grows, and Google begins to trust your website and its content more.
This isn’t a new concept in SEO but based on what information is available from the August 2023 update, EEAT is just as relevant as ever.
Your website content should be written for users first and search engines second. User intent shows to be a larger driving factor than focusing on making content strictly appear to search engines–it has to be created with the audience in mind, not traffic.
What to Do if Your Site Traffic Takes a Hit
Do nothing for now.
As Google updates roll out, they can have a rebound as the core change impacts your traffic, but this is due to relevancy, not Google deeming your quality as bad.
While there’s absolutely no guarantee that any website will recover from a core algorithm update, if you work with a trustworthy marketing company that knows what they’re doing, they’ve been implementing EEAT into your content all along.
Once you assess whether or not your site’s loss in traffic is temporary or not, the best path forward is to keep content relevant, high quality, and demonstrate your authority more than ever before. Google encourages any users who see drops in website performance to prioritize the quality of future content; the problem isn’t a technical one that can be changed with website adjustments.
Expected Recovery Time From a Hit
If traffic is down, audit your content.
Does your content meet your standards and promote everything mentioned in EEAT? If it does, you simply have to endure while creating more valuable content moving forward.
Recovery time can take anywhere from a few weeks to a few months after a core update. While companies like iMarket Solutions quickly identify patterns and changes from Google’s updates, other business websites are also trying to find a solution that works for them. If your site traffic is to recover, don’t expect it overnight.
Give Your Business Website the Best Fighting Chance
Your home services business deserves a marketing team who adapts to every algorithmic change Google throws your way and works to build your online authority.
