Here’s What We Know So Far…
- It went live on June 3rd.
- It was a significant update.
- It has affected a large number of sites rankings.
- Sites with multiple listings on the same page may have seen a decrease in those listings but a strengthening of the remaining listings.
What Type of Sites Were Affected?
- Health Sites
- eCommerce Sites
- Cryptocurrency Sites
- News Sites
- Finance Sites
- Gambling Sites
- Travel Sites
What Does Google Say?
Google’s John Mueller was asked in a Webmaster Hangout what to do if a site is suffering a traffic loss due to the update. His answer provided insights into understanding what is happening.
He did not suggest fixing anything specific and the reason there’s nothing specific to fix is because a core update encompasses a broader range of factors.
“I think it’s a bit tricky to explain because we’re not focusing on something very specific where we’d say like for example when we rolled out the speed update.” – Google’s John Mueller.
The key take away here is don’t panic and make rash changes – keep following Google’s guidelines for quality content.
Here are the kinds of questions Google suggests you should ask yourself:
- Would you trust the information presented in this article?
- Is this article written by an expert or enthusiast who knows the topic well, or is it more shallow in nature?
- Does the site have duplicate, overlapping, or redundant articles on the same or similar topics with slightly different keyword variations?
- Would you be comfortable giving your credit card information to this site?
- Are the topics driven by genuine interests of readers of the site, or does the site generate content by attempting to guess what might rank well in search engines?
- Does the page provide substantial value when compared to other pages in search results?”
FAQs
What are Google’s guidelines for quality content?
Google’s guidelines for quality content include providing accurate and trustworthy information, demonstrating expertise, avoiding duplicate or redundant articles, and delivering substantial value to users compared to other search results.
What should website owners do if their site is affected by a Google update?
Suppose a website is affected by the update. In that case, website owners should continue following Google’s guidelines for quality content, avoid making rash changes, and focus on providing valuable and relevant content to improve their rankings over time.
