Sean Walsh
Sean is a Director at Intelligency heading up our digital marketing and client services operations. Sean has 15+ years experiencing working both in-house and agency with brands including Lloyds, Alstom, Hitachi, Lufthansa, Viaplay, DFDS Seaways and Mercedes-Benz.
Google has recently rolled out its August 2024 core update, and if you’re noticing significant changes in how your website performs, you’re not alone. Many website owners have reported major fluctuations in their traffic and search rankings. To make sense of this, let’s break it down in a way that’s easy to understand, even if SEO isn’t your area of expertise.
What’s a Google Core Update?
Google regularly updates how its search engine ranks websites. These updates aim to improve the quality of search results, making sure users find content that is genuinely useful. Core updates, like the one in August 2024, are broad changes to the way Google evaluates websites. This can cause noticeable shifts in how sites appear in search results.
Why was this update so volatile?
According to data experts, the August 2024 update was particularly volatile, meaning it caused larger-than-usual ranking changes for many websites. This update kicked off on August 15 and wrapped up on September 3, but the effects were felt early and intensely.
Some sites saw a sudden drop in traffic, while others experienced a surge. Why? This update came with a few unique challenges:
- Ranking Bug: During the first few days of the update, a ranking bug caused some unusual behaviour in the search results. The bug was fixed, but it made the early days of the update hard to analyze. Some sites saw their rankings change dramatically, only for things to settle once the bug was resolved.
- High Volatility: Data providers like Similarweb and Semrush reported spikes in ranking fluctuations, some of the biggest seen since 2021. This means many sites moved up or down in search results more than usual. Industries like retail saw significant changes in their top search positions, while the health industry experienced more stability.
- Unresolved Issues from Previous Updates: Sites that were impacted by earlier updates, such as the September 2023 “helpful content” update, didn’t always recover fully. Although there were small improvements for some, most of these sites didn’t see enough of a rebound to make a difference.
What was Google’s goal?
Google aims to improve its ability to surface high-quality, useful content. In this update, Google specifically mentioned a focus on giving more visibility to smaller, independent sites that produce original content. If your website is focused on providing genuine value to readers—rather than just trying to rank high in search results—this update was meant to benefit you.
What should you do if your site was hit?
If you noticed a drop in your site’s performance after the August update, it can feel frustrating. Unfortunately, Google doesn’t offer a quick fix for these changes. But they do provide some general advice:
- Create Helpful Content: Google emphasizes that you should write content for people, not just for search engines. If you’re focused on providing valuable information that addresses users’ needs, you’re on the right path.
- Don’t Panic: It’s important to understand that drops in traffic can happen with core updates. While some sites may experience declines, others might see improvements in the future.
- Follow Google’s Guidance: Google has a page with tips on what to do if your site is impacted by an update. It’s a good idea to review that guidance and see if there’s room for improvement in your site’s content.
Conclusion
Google’s August 2024 core update was one of the most volatile in recent years, leaving many website owners feeling the effects. While it’s unsettling to see major changes in your site’s traffic or rankings, it’s important to focus on creating high-quality content that serves your audience. Google continues to refine its search algorithms, and future updates may offer an opportunity to recover or improve.
In the meantime, keep an eye on your site’s performance, review Google’s guidelines, and ensure your content is designed to help your visitors, not just to chase rankings.
