This article focuses on the Google core update and how it has affected the web. Most people do not realize the small and incremental changes that Google makes to the search engine known around the world. In fact, if you were to compare the web platform of today with that of ten years ago, the differences would jump out at you.
Multiple times per year, a Google core update is released. They include robust changes to the search engine and its interaction with websites. This article will analyze how this update affects SEO practices, the use of ads in Google, and Google blogging.
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Google Core Update
Several times a year, Google makes widespread significant changes to its search algorithms and systems. These updates are called “Core Updates.”
This is Google’s second core update of the year. However, this update is being regarded as far more robust and impactful.
Getting found on Google is business survival 101. As almost anyone knows, Google dominates the world of search. Websites, in turn, have optimized their content and web presence to get the best viewership and engagement through Google searches. Therefore, it’s no surprise that an update to the core of Google’s search algorithm will throw off the web.
To learn more of the basics of getting found on Google, see this article How Do I Get Found on Google? which explains all the ways one can optimize their content for results online.
Web bloggers and other search engine professionals have realized that this core update is very large. It has caused a great deal of fluctuation in site rankings, search results, and content analysis.
Google Core updates are not targeted to specific websites. In fact, the Google Webmasters Central Blog says, “There’s nothing in a core update that targets specific pages or sites. Instead, the changes are about improving how our systems assess content overall.” Google core updates are simply to account for the new material being added every single day to the web.
Core Web Vitals
Google’s web vitals are an array of metrics that determine the user experience. The web vitals that are focused on are loading, visual stability, and interactivity. These vitals will change over time due to what is accurately determining the user experience.
What you should know about these vitals is how they rank websites. Relevancy is most important. Moreover, a focus on meaningful and engaging material is key. This content will land your website at a higher rank within Google’s algorithm due to the positive user experience.
E-A-T
E-A-T stands for Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness. This (E-A-T) is a measurement that can help a website’s Google rankings. In an effort to get the highest quality results for each search, Google is calculating websites’ E-A-T ranking. This subject can be confusing, and for the purpose of this article, for more details about E-A-T and its importance within Google’s search algorithm, see this article E-A-T and SEO.
E-A-T has been a bit controversial over the years, with some saying it is not a trustworthy metric or search engine optimizer. However, Google confirmed that E-A-T is relevant, saying, “assessing your own content in terms of E-A-T criteria may help align it conceptually with the different signals that our automated systems use to rank content” on the Google Webmasters Central blog.
So now it becomes even more important to implement rater guidelines. Conducting a reform of a website’s content can go a long way to improve results for each page. Additionally, since it is rather new to consider the E-A-T of a site, a website audit may be necessary.
Website audits are extremely helpful in determining a user’s experience with the site. This is exactly what Google’s E-A-T measurements are looking for. To learn more about Website audits, visit this article, Website Audits, which explains the benefits and services of a website audit. It is always a good idea to consider a professional-grade website audit.
In addition to website audits, it is encouraged to get third-party eyes on your website that can offer feedback. This could be trusted professionals or just a random person. All perspectives are helpful in deciding what is good for engagement and what is holding a site back.
SEO Value in Google Update
Search engine optimization is going to change with the Google core update inevitably. With each update, changes made to the entire web have ripple effects that change what is being brought to the top of each search.
When we think of SEO, most people are familiar with keywords and HTML text. These are all aspects of onsite SEO. While the Google core update will have an effect on onsite SEO, there will also be a big change to offsite SEO. For those who are not familiar with the difference between these two terms, the following article What are the differences between on-site SEO and off-site SEO? has a massive amount of information on the specifics that separate the two terms.
In general, SERP (search engine result pages) will change and disrupt the amount of times sites appear for searches. In addition, the relevancy of each website will disrupt the ranking of websites and where they land with every search.
With time, sites will adapt and become consistent with their results for both on-site SEO and off-site SEO.
SERP Results
Search engine results pages will shift with this update. Google is making it important for websites to have high-quality and easy-to-read content. This may mean that relevant material is landing better in Google’s search algorithm. Sometimes smaller articles with short responses to the question asked in Google are more impactful than long articles. Google is looking at the measurement of engagement, clicks to links on a page, and scrolling depth along with many other indicators.
Ads in Google
Ads in Google are something many website owners and designers have experience with. Google ads are going to change with this update as well. It can be expected that sites normally displaying ads in Google will not have their regular interest and engagement during the adjustment to the Google core update.
Google ads can be tricky. While they are extremely effective and offer a field of opportunity to segment, their use of them can depend on a variety of factors. To understand Google as an advertising platform covering Google Adwords, strategy, data utilization, and mobile interface, along with much more, check out this article, Google Ads.
Changes in SERP results will affect the consistency in which certain Google ads would appear for every search. Additionally, banner ads and other on-site ads found through Google searches will either increase or decrease in viewership with the attention to E-A-T and the Google algorithm’s attention to relevancy.
Each website that relies heavily on advertising as revenue and that provides a consistent audience for ad buyers will see a difference in their audience base reliability, resulting in potentially less opportunity for the amount of
While little to no data is provided on how this recent core update is affecting advertisements in Google, it will undoubtedly have an effect.
Google ads’ effectiveness will always be dependent on many factors. Learning about these different variables can help you decide what is working and what isn’t. The article Are My Google Ads Working? Key Ways to Measure Your ROI helps explain why your ads in Google are working and why they might not be working.
Blogging in Google
Several blogs about Google, such as Searchmetrics.com, are talking about the recent Google core update and have made several conclusions about what the update will affect the most. It is important to know that with most Google core updates, regular trends shift around. However, it is becoming clear that this Google core update is particularly significant in its changes to the search engine.
Each blog is showing a large difference in Google’s rankings. What is interesting about this update is that it seems to be affecting health sites during our current Covid19 pandemic. In addition, many early predictions are showing that this update is altering the ranking for the YMYL (Your Money Your Life) category.
Google categorizes YMYL sites as sites that contain content affecting health, happiness, safety, or financial stability. There are some blogs about Google that suggest this is a result of the increased importance of E-A-T.
Ultimately the best thing to do if your website is being affected by the Google core update is to wait and see how performance levels itself out. In the meantime, study the pages that are soaring under the new updates. See what they are doing to get this response.
To learn more about the updates and how they affect Google each time around, read the SEO Glossary. Here you can understand the entirety of SEO extensions. The glossary will explain each and every aspect that contributes to a site’s performance. It can also give insight into potential reasons why a specific part of a site is not performing.
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