Ranking is Experiencing an Ongoing Issue: Insights into the August 2024 Core Update
The world of search engine optimisation (SEO) is constantly evolving, with Google at the forefront of algorithmic updates. One such recent development is the August 2024 Core Update, which has caused noticeable changes in website rankings. Many website owners are grappling with ongoing issues related to their ranking, leaving them uncertain about how to adapt. This article aims to delve into the specifics of why rankings may be unstable, what the core update entails, and how to recover from any negative impacts.
What is a Google Core Update?
A Google Core Update is a comprehensive overhaul to how the search engine evaluates and ranks web pages. Unlike minor updates or changes targeting specific aspects of SEO (like mobile usability or link quality), core updates affect a wide range of factors related to content, relevance, and user experience.
Main Characteristics of Core Updates:
- They are global and affect websites across all industries and sectors.
- They usually occur several times a year, each time refining Google’s ability to rank
pages. - Core updates are often broad, meaning they address multiple areas simultaneously.
Websites might notice fluctuations in their rankings immediately after a core update, whether they are positive or negative. The intent is not to penalise specific websites but to improve the overall quality and relevance of search results.
Key Changes in the August 2024 Core Update
The August 2024 Core Update continues Google’s mission of refining its ability to deliver highly relevant, trustworthy content to users. Several significant changes have been implemented, which are now influencing the search landscape:
Emphasis on User Experience
Google has increased its emphasis on user experience, factoring in aspects like page load speed, mobile responsiveness, and overall site navigation. Websites that do not offer a smooth, seamless user experience may find themselves slipping down the rankings.
Quality Content Prioritisation
Google has tightened its focus on high-quality, in-depth content. Thin, keyword-stuffed content is being increasingly penalised, while pages that offer well-researched, insightful, and helpful information are being rewarded.
E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness)
This is a factor that has been around for some time, but this update made it even more of a ranking factor in August 2024. What Google wants to see now is content from actual experts, with sources to back up their points, and which can be trusted to add value to the users.
More Understanding of Search Intent
Google’s algorithm has become increasingly adept at deciphering user intent. That means a website that better matches what the user is looking for-even if exact keyword matching doesn’t take place-will yield higher results.
Why Your Website Ranking is Fluctuating
You’ve gone through a core update, so you should continue to experience ranking issues, at least for a number of weeks after it was released. You are noticing some rank volatility, and several causes could contribute to this:
Google is Refining the Algorithm
One should also remember that, in the aftermath of a core update, changes usually continue to be crafted by Google for several weeks. In that case, the rankings continue to fluctuate while the algorithm goes on learning and adaptation to new patterns and changes in the way users are behaving.
Ever Quality Reassessment
In this update, Google reassesses the quality of content that is available on the internet. Poor quality, outdated, or irrelevant content on a website will be demoted, while those websites which would stand to the new standards will be ranking upward.
User Experience Matters More
Webs abysmal in user experience, such as loading slowly, poor mobile usability, or hard-to-navigate designs, may suffer from ranking drops. Google was pushed to enable a more complete effort toward a better user experience, and this is vital to rank.
How It Affects Different Sites
There were numerous variations in the way that many sites were affected by the August 2024 Core Update, each for reasons such as the quality of the content, backlink profile, and technical SEO setup.
Winners: Content-Rich Websites
Those sites that have focused on creating good, researched, and updated content usually emerge as winners from the update. These are blogs, informative sites, and authoritative news platforms that put the user’s needs first.
Losers: Low Quality or Thin Content Sites
On the other hand, the worst hit are websites with thin content or pages that don’t provide much user value. A lot of the worst hits include e-commerce sites with very minimal descriptions, low-content blogs, and affiliate sites surviving just on keyword stuffing without adding any real value. These have considerably dropped in their rankings.
Diagnosing If Your Site Has Been Affected
If you think that the update hurt your website, go ahead and diagnose your issue using the following steps:
Analyze Your Analytics
Look at Google Analytics for your organic traffic during the period after the core update. The sharp drop in organic traffic is a good indicator that your site could be affected.
Check Google Search Console
Go to Google Search Console and look at your performance report. Has your average ranking position for significant keywords fallen? Is the number of impressions and clicks you receive falling?
Competitor Analysis
If you notice your competitors suddenly leapfrog your site in ranking, then they will have taken advantage of changes Google has made. Revisit their content and strategies and start to point out what they do differently.
Recovering After Rankings Dropped
If you concluded that your website was hit by the August 2024 Core update, there’s no need to panic. Recovering is possible; it just requires some strategic adjustments.
Improve Content Quality
Google’s focus is now squarely on high-quality, relevant content. Review your existing
content to ensure it is up-to-date, in-depth, and genuinely helpful. Consider removing thin
content or combining it into more comprehensive pieces.
Optimise for User Experience
Make sure your website is user-friendly. This includes:
- Improving page load times.
- Ensuring your site is mobile-friendly.
- Making navigation intuitive.
Strengthen Your E-E-A-T
Enhance the Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness of your
content. Include author bios, reference authoritative sources, and ensure your website
presents itself as a trusted source of information.
Reassess Your Backlink Strategy
Quality backlinks are more important than ever. Conduct a backlink audit to remove
spammy links and focus on acquiring backlinks from high-authority, relevant websites.
SEO Best Practices Moving Forward
Moving forward, these SEO practices will help future-proof your website from the impact of
Google’s core updates:
Create High-Quality Content
Focus on providing value to your audience. Conduct thorough research, write in-depth
articles, and ensure your content answers users’ questions effectively.
Focus on Technical SEO
Ensure your website is technically sound. This includes fast loading times, proper indexing,
optimized mobile usability, and secure HTTPS protocol.
Build Authoritative Backlinks
Acquire backlinks from reputable and relevant websites. Avoid low-quality link schemes, as
Google’s algorithm continues to favor natural, high-quality link-building efforts.
Stay Updated on Algorithm Changes
Keep an eye on future algorithm updates by following official Google announcements and
participating in SEO communities. Staying informed allows you to quickly adapt your
strategies as needed.
FAQ’s
Q1. What is an August 2024 Core Update?
A: August 2024 Core Update, a broad algorithm update by Google, changes the quality of search results. Quality content, user experience, and trust factors.
Q2. Is it possible to recover from a ranking drop?
A: Yes, recovery is possible only through best practices: through better content quality, user experience enhancement, and ensuring your website follows all guidelines by Google on E-E-A-T.
Q3. How many days does it usually take for the ranking to get normalized following the core update?
A: This usually takes weeks after the core update for the rank to catch up with stability. During this period, fluctuation is so common when Google is tweaking its algorithm.
Q4. Should I Remove the Low-Performing Content?
A: In cases of thin or obsolete content, removal or a revision that adds value to users is useful.
Conclusion
The Core Update of August 2024 cemented Google’s commitment to returning high-quality, relevant, and user-friendly content within its results. Sites which meet these markers are expected to gain better rankings; sites that don’t will have to seriously adjust. Some ways the owner of a website (Muzmil Hussain) can work through such changes and recover from the fluctuations in ranking successfully are focusing on quality content, user experience, and trustworthiness.