An algorithm update is how Google improves the way search results are ranked to give users more accurate, relevant and high-quality information. Google rolls out algorithm updates several times a year, ranging from small to large core updates. These updates have a direct impact on the ranking of websites in search results, which is why many businesses and marketers pay close attention to any changes. When it comes to What Is Google’s New SEO Update, it is important to mention that Google is constantly adjusting its ranking system to offer a better user experience and eliminate low-quality or spammy content from the search results.
What is a Google Core Update?
Google’s core update means that Google will review for the purpose of improving search results. Google’s search algorithm makes small improvements every day, but it also makes large-scale improvements about two to four times a year.
Every time such a large-scale update is made, the ranking changes according to the content of the improvement, so it can be said that those who work related to SEO, such as website page SEO management, should pay attention.
How does the algorithm work in the first place?
Google uses a program called a crawler to collect information from a huge number of websites on the Internet and register it in its search database. Then, SEO specialists rank the sites based on their own evaluation criteria in the database and display the sites in order from the top in the search results.
A programme that ranks according to this evaluation standard is an “algorithm”. In order to eliminate such malicious sites from search results with higher accuracy, Google continues to update the core program of the algorithm regularly.
Why do rankings change with algorithm updates?
When algorithm updates are made, your site’s ranking may change due to the new evaluation criteria set by Google. As a result, the ranking of the site that was ranked high until now drops, and conversely, the ranking of the site that was ranked low until now rises, and the ranking of the search results changes.
The specifics of algorithm updates are often not disclosed in detail. However, by comparing the search rankings for each keyword before and after the update, it is possible to predict what kind of update was done to some extent.
If you haven’t done anything in particular and your site’s rating is dropping, it may be because your site’s content doesn’t match the algorithm’s new criteria as well as it used to.
Why Is Google Updating Algorithms?
Algorithm updates are carried out at a relatively high frequency of large-scale updates several times a year. This frequency is not only for the purpose of updating the evaluation criteria of the site but also for the convenience of users.
So why are algorithm updates happening so often?
Algorithm updates are meant to update the criteria for evaluating sites so that better content is consistently ranked higher for users, but that’s not all. Some sites are doing malicious SEO, such as black hat SEO and copying content in order to improve the search ranking.
Such sites not only hinder visitors from searching, but they may also be a stepping stone to more malicious sites such as SEO poisoning, so if left unattended, the damage may spread. Algorithm updates also play an important role in excluding sites with such malicious SEO companies from search results with higher accuracy.
One of the important roles of algorithm updates is to judge such sites more accurately and give penalties such as lowering the ranking.
To respond to diversifying search methods of users
One of the reasons why Google continuously updates its search algorithms is the diversification of search methods. Developed an algorithm that can more accurately understand the user’s search intent, which is changing from the conventional search method of simply entering a few KWs to sentence-type queries and even to voice search.
To avoid being ranked lower due to algorithm updates
Algorithm updates are rarely announced in advance, and even if there is a notification, the details of the update are not disclosed, so it is difficult to take measures in advance. However, at the time of the June 2019 update, there was a notice to the effect that a large update would be made, so there may be more updates with advance notice in the future.
Most importantly, build a site that doesn’t lose rankings even with algorithm updates.
Improve the quality of content in your pages
The most crucial factor is the page’s content quality. No matter how many SEO measures you take, if the quality of the content on the page is poor, you will not be able to get a high evaluation from the algorithm.
By keeping the quality of the content on your page high, you can prevent a significant drop in ratings even with algorithm updates.
Also, by creating high-quality content that spreads on social media, you can expect to get backlinks, and as a result, you will be more likely to rank higher in search results.
Rewriting pages that have fallen in rank
If you find a page whose search ranking has dropped or whose search traffic has decreased, it is recommended to rewrite that page.
However, just blindly rewriting the sentences will not give you a correct evaluation. It is important to rewrite content that is judged to be highly convenient for users, such as adding the latest accurate information or adding more specialised information.
In addition, if you update the date using the datetime tag of the HTML tag when rewriting or updating the WordPress publication date and time to the latest, you can have the crawler recognise it as newer information.
Summary
It is not easy to take measures in advance against changes in search rankings due to algorithm updates. That’s why it’s important to have a proper awareness of “creating high-quality content” on a daily basis.
Rather than leaving the content on the site, it is important to rewrite it according to the update and add the latest information, update the content frequently, and provide users with highly reliable information.