Google often announces algorithm updates that can alter how the search engine operates. These changes also affect the rank positions of the search results — for better or for worse.
With the consistent changes in the industry and search engines, it's hard to stay up-to-date. Most recently, with the GSC bulk export and March 2023 Core Update announcement, having a framework for how you approach such changes makes a world of difference.
Volatility from algorithm updates, like in February 2020 for example, tend to give SEOs a scare when some rankings plummet, seemingly overnight. And then without fail, those rankings start to rise again and level out.
Not to mention, in fact, new algorithm updates are released every day.
You may not notice these updates when you conduct your day-to-day Google searches, but they all work to better the quality of the results.
Larger, more significant updates are called broad core algorithm updates. These updates are often global and typically have a widely noticeable effect. Google core algorithm updates don’t target one thing specifically, so you will need to conduct deep analysis to figure out what the changes are.
Note: Publications like Search Engine Journal keep a running list of Google's algorithm changes, from Penguin to BARD to core web vital updates. But as you'll come to see, the search algorithms should not be your focus!
Until recently, Google rarely announced the release of an algorithm update. They did, however, give an alert to the February 2020 update and gave an announcement on May 4, 2020 via Twitter and their developer blog as well.
Following the course of announcing these changes to alert both website owners and SEOs, Google also announced that Core Web Vitals would combine with other search signals to create Google's new Page Experience signal that gauges the overall quality of a user's site experience.
It gave site owners and SEOs time to prepare because it didn't go into effect until finally in February 2022, although it was announced to go into effect in February 2021.
Most recently, Google announced the March 2023 Core Update, which is set to release on the day of the announcement and roll out two weeks thereafter:
The point? Google constantly makes changes to its algorithm. Some changes are minor; others can be core updates.
Since these updates are so frequent, you’ll always be playing catch-up if you try to counter the effects of an update and decipher its new guidelines after it’s happened.
Instead, you should be prepared for when the algorithm update rolls out, and you do this by having a strong website.
When Google sees that users find your page beneficial (i.e. high click-through rate, low bounce rate, long on-page time, etc.) then the search engine will reward you by displaying your site on the SERPs.
After all, Google wants to properly address queries with the appropriate results, so when your content is relevant, everybody wins.
This is why instead of search engine optimization, we like to think of SEO as search experience optimization.
When you demonstrate your relevance and authority, and give users a positive experience, you establish a sound foundation for when a new algorithm update rolls out.
A site with a strong user experience prioritizes three things: Usability, Relevance, and Authority.
Before you can create awesome content, it’s crucial to have a solid website and structure. This aligns with step one of our URA approach: Usability.
Usability means having a site that loads quickly, is secure, and all around functions properly. It also means having an intuitive site layout that makes it easy to find content.
Consider your site taxonomy — you don’t want your users to get lost or not be able to locate what it is they're searching for.
Essentially, usability is crossing the T’s and dotting the I’s of your technical SEO. It’s common for technical SEO problems to arise, but any potential issues have a solution, too.
Having a solid foundation is the first step in preparing yourself for when those Google algorithms roll around, but this time, you’ll be ready!
The second step in our URA framework is relevancy. To prove value to the end user and demonstrate your user-centric thinking to Google, you need to answer the query appropriately.
Search engines have become smarter over the years (thanks to those core algorithm updates!) so answering a query in the right ways also means addressing the right user intent.
The length of your content doesn’t have to be extremely long, you just have to provide the correct information.
Don’t think you need to stuff a page full of text to make it better — sometimes shorter is better! But, don’t get too carried away by having a page with not enough content. Thin content is an issue for Google.
When you provide the correct answer, you demonstrate that you have the end user’s satisfaction in mind, and your site should further establish itself as relevant.
Writing SEO content doesn’t have to be a challenge. Follow our guide to writing authoritative SEO content.
In their Webmaster Central Blog, Google proposes a variety of questions to ask yourself about your content. Here are a few key questions to ask yourself that pertain to relevancy:
The last step for preparing yourself for the algorithm is to demonstrate your authority of the topic at hand. A great way to do this is by using topic clusters to cover a topic from multiple angles.
If your website is about insurance, for example, you can have a blog post about car insurance, renter’s, health, policy prices, etc. Simply put: this shows the end users that you know your stuff!
Freshen up your content with images, statistics, and infographics that further demonstrate your knowledge and make your content more engaging.
When you have content ready to go live, give the byline (if applicable) to someone who is an expert on that subject.
An important blog post that explains company security measures looks better when it comes from a C-Suite member rather than a standard employee, for example.
When you create authoritative content, other websites will be more likely to link to your site. Building backlinks is a great way to demonstrate your authority.
Again, consider some of the following self-assessment questions that Google proposes:
When you optimize for the end user and build a reputation as being a trustworthy, reputable resource, you set yourself up for long-term success.
Even though algorithm updates are inevitable, they shouldn’t control your SEO strategy. Instead, give the user the information that they want in the most authoritative way possible. (You can also A/B test to see which elements work the best.)
When you have a strong website and even stronger content, you will be as best prepared for when those algorithm updates come around.
TIP: If your rankings do take a hit from an algorithm update, be mindful that these effects can take a few weeks to sort themselves out. In the meantime, reference this article to see what steps you can take: Notice a Significant Loss in Rankings? Here's How to Analyze.
Editor's Note: This piece was originally published on June 2, 2020 and has been updated for recency, accuracy, and comprehensiveness.