Have you ever wondered why your website’s rankings are suddenly dropping or why your competitors seem to be outranking you? If you haven’t done anything different to your site to warrant that kind of response, a Google Algorithm update is likely taking place. Google is constantly making changes to the way that its search algorithms work. According to Search Engine Land, Google launched 4,725 changes in the year 2022 — averaging about 13 times per day. While most websites can fly under the radar during these changes, major Google algorithm updates have the potential to significantly impact rankings and, in some cases, completely displace your entire search visibility.
Here, we will take a closer look at Google algorithm updates and why they matter. By exploring different kinds of algorithm updates and strategies for survival, we’ll discuss a few methods for beating the algorithm and maintaining your website visibility in search.
What is a Google Algorithm Update?
As one of the best search engines in the world, Google works to incorporate and update the best and most up-to-date technology. These new introductions, known as “Google algorithm updates,” increase the quality of search results to provide users with the best possible content.
While many think of algorithm updates as strict criteria for judging websites’ quality, it's important to note that the vast majority of these updates are internal recalibrations and testing of Google’s processes and machine learning abilities. As a result, many of these more minor updates tend to go unnoticed. In some cases, more significant algorithm updates have the potential to impact search engine rankings significantly, causing concerns for many website owners working to maintain their visibility. Over the years, Google has implemented many notable types of algorithm updates, such as:
- Core Updates: By evaluating numerous factors, these updates can substantially influence search rankings, potentially affecting the visibility of countless websites. Core updates are designed to improve and increase search results' overall quality and relevancy and enhance user experience.
- Product updates: Google utilizes product updates to target product-related search queries. In order to provide accurate and relevant search results for users seeking to purchase an item, the website’s quality and product offerings are evaluated and ranked to provide users with the best possible search results.
- Mobile-First Indexing: As search engines become increasingly utilized on mobile devices, Google updates its algorithms to prioritize mobile-friendly websites. This allows Google to show, index, and rank the mobile version of a website’s content in mobile searches.
- Page Experience Update: With user experience at the forefront, Google prioritizes a combination of factors such as page speed, mobile-friendliness, and overall user experience when ranking websites for search results.
- Link Spam Updates: To minimize spam and low-quality content, link-spam updates target websites that engage in link spamming and manipulative link-building practices, preventing them from ranking in search results.
- Helpful Content: As many websites begin to understand the algorithm’s needs and wants on a formulaic level, website owners are starting to produce content that focuses primarily on appeasing ranking criteria rather than helping and informing people or providing value. Google’s helpful content update strives to target “algorithm-chasing” content while rewarding genuinely useful and valuable website content content with better rankings.
Combatting Algorithm Updates With Content
Most Google algorithm updates come as a surprise to website owners and businesses. While it is possible to predict a potential algorithm update, it can seem impossible to keep track of every single instance. By staying on top of your content offerings and making quick adaptations to your website content, you can deploy various strategies for survival.
A few ways that you can combat algorithm updates are:
- Focusing on quality content: Creating high-quality, informative, and engaging content from the get-go is the best way to ensure your website’s content doesn't become a target. Produce meaningful content that meets the needs and interests of your target audience.
- Optimizing for user experience: Creating a user-friendly experience ensures that visitors to your website stay and engage with your content. By maintaining traffic metrics, you can signal to Google that your content is worth viewing and that it is helping people find the information they need.
- Building high-quality backlinks: Natural and high-quality backlinks help to establish your website’s credibility.
- Monitoring your website regularly for changes: Google algorithm updates occur multiple times a day. Monitoring your website for changes ensures that you stay on top of any major updates before they roll out.
- Avoiding black-hat SEO practices: Manipulative tactics such as keyword stuffing, excessive link building, or link spamming can harm your website’s rankings and reputation.
Utilizing SEO Best Practices for Post-Algorithm Update Recovery
If the aftermath of a Google algorithm update leaves you particularly disappointed with your resulting website rankings, don’t worry — it’s not the end of the world. Utilizing SEO best practices and reevaluating your website’s content can get your website back into the good graces of Google’s algorithm and revive your rankings.
While the overall goal is to produce genuine content that helps and informs the public, optimizing to meet some of Google’s requirements can help you get the boost you need. Google values Expertise, Experience, Authority, and Trust (E-E-A-T) when evaluating content. Ensuring that your content meets these requirements is the first step in increasing your visibility and rankings.
When combined with other optimizations and tools such as structured data, user experience, and voice search, utilizing SEO best practices in your content offerings can go a long way toward getting the results you deserve.
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