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Google’s algorithm updates have contributed largely to guiding the transformative world of digital marketing. In the year 2023, we witnessed nine official and confirmed algorithmic updates, marking a slight decrease from the previous two years. In addition to these updates, Google introduced the Search Generative Experience, a new AI search engine that added another layer of complexity to the search ecosystem.

Google’s Core Updates: Sailing Through Waves of Change

Google rolled out four core updates, a notable increase from the 2022 year. The months of March, August, October, and November witnessed these transformative shifts, each bringing unique characteristics. The impact varied, with some noting familiar volatility and others observing a more muted effect. These updates underscored Google’s commitment to refining the search experience.

Important Reviews Updates

In 2023, Google’s approach to reviews updates evolved, signaling a broader focus beyond product reviews. The “Product reviews update” transformed into the more comprehensive “Reviews update,” impacting the following categories: services, businesses, destinations, and media. February, April, and November emphasized Google’s dedication to improving the quality of review-related content.

Content Updates

Within September 2023, there was a major update that lasted 14 days and sparked discussions amongst the industry. The helpful content update which included a focus on improving their classifier, was implemented to identify helpful content. This update  emphasizes Google’s commitment to rewarding high-quality and genuinely helpful content. SEO professionals engaged in ongoing conversations to adapt strategies to align with this impactful change.

Google’s Spam Clean-Up

During October of 2023 there was a spam update that spanned across 15 days. The update focused on improving their spam detecting efforts. Google aimed to tackle various spam issues across multiple languages, addressing problems such as cloaking, hacked content, auto-generated spam, and scraped spam. This cleanup operation reflected Google’s commitment to providing users with cleaner, more reliable search results.

Other Notable Changes Made By Google

In 2023, Google introduced significant changes to its search algorithms, extending beyond core updates. Some of these noteworthy implementations included a topic authority system to boost the visibility of news content, emphasizing relevance and authority. An update rewarding hidden gems aimed at transforming personalized search experiences by highlighting valuable, undercover content. Another change which included adjustments to the local ranking algorithm in November prioritized the “openness signal” for non-navigational queries, emphasizing the importance of local context. Despite a bug in October’s core update impacting Discover-related traffic, and updates to language matching systems improving search results alignment with user language preferences, the year showcased the complexities of algorithmic adjustments.

Let Our Professionals Help You Understand the Impact of 2023 Google Algorithm Updates on Your Business

The Google algorithm updates of 2023 showcased an rising evolution. From core adjustments to reviews updates, and transformative helpful content updates, with focused efforts against spam, Google continued to refine its search algorithms. These changes reinforce the importance of staying up-to-date with the fast changing world of SEO and adapting strategies to align with Google’s dynamic search environment. Reach out to the team at BluShark Digital to understand more about how these updates can impact your business.