Google’s August 2024 Core Update
Google’s August 2024 core update has officially finished rolling out and has tremendously changed the landscape for website owners and SEO professionals. The update began on August 15 and finished on September 3, 2024. The 19-day process has already caused big shifts in search rankings and traffic.
The August 2024 update used Google’s feedback after its September 2023 Helpful Content Update (HCU) and the March 2024 core update. These past updates have heavily impacted many website owners, specifically independent and smaller businesses. The new rollout Google released addressed the concerns voiced by those affected, making it a particularly meaningful update for websites struggling with previous changes.
Ranking Movements
SEO experts and professionals have tracked the effects of this update. According to a poll conducted by SEO expert Barry Schwartz, 44% of respondents reported a decline in their rankings, 27% saw improvements, and 29% experienced no change at all. Despite some sites beginning to recover from the September 2023 HCU, many did not experience substantial recoveries, with several even seeing further declines in traffic.
A search ranking bug was found early in the update, and affected rankings from August 15 to 20. The bug was fixed but website owners should know to not look at the data from those dates, because the data will be skewed due to the bug.
Key Takeaways
Google has provided a “helpful content” page emphasizing the importance of user-centered content. This means that users should create content that is considered “helpful content” to rank higher on search. While no specific actions exist for immediate recovery, continual improvement to your site’s content remains the best strategy. Google encourages creating content that satisfies user intent rather than simply optimizing for search engines.
For those seeing positive effects, this update offers a sign of encouragement that ongoing efforts to create valuable content are being recognized.
Preparing for Future Updates
It is extremely important for users to monitor website performance as Google’s core updates are frequently rolled out. If this update benefits your site, continue to produce content as you have previously. If it hurts your site, you should consider changing and updating your content to start ranking higher. Google will continue to update its algorithm, so being flexible with content can maximize ranking success on a website.
Reach out to the digital marketing professionals at BluShark Digital to learn more.