Succeeding in digital marketing means staying ahead of new developments and changes, including the updates Google makes to its algorithm. If you ride the wave and adapt to the new developments, Google algorithm updates can enhance your visibility, organic search traffic, conversions and return on investment (ROI). If you don’t stay ahead of the curve, they can do the opposite.
The main purpose of Google’s algorithm updates is to improve user experience and help web users find what they’re looking for faster and more efficiently.
How often does Google update its algorithm? While major overhauls like Google’s 2024 Core Update are big news and make significant impacts, Google actually updates its algorithm daily. It’s just that most updates aren’t significant enough to announce to the public. Google has made major updates to its algorithm many times over the years, and its core updates involve prioritising helpful, informative content and cracking down on the spammy type.
If you’re concerned about the impact Google’s latest update may have on your business, Anchor Digital can help. If your clicks and conversions have taken a hit, we’ll show you how to recover from a Google algorithm update and chart your course back to success. While having a great website is essential, there’s a lot more involved in achieving top rankings on search engines than that.
The Importance of Google Algorithm Updates
While there are 5.9 million Google searches per minute, most users never make it past page one of the results. Ranking on the first page of search engine results is crucial to being found.
Web users are looking for the most helpful, most accurate information, and Google’s job is to provide it to them. The primary goal of Google’s algorithm updates is to improve the relevance of the results for its users and the quality of experience. It’s important to make regular updates to your website to ensure you continue to provide what Google considers the best results.
Google’s algorithm determines how high you appear on a search engine results page (SERP). This is crucial to achieve if you want to make sales, see your business grow, and use the internet to your advantage. You need to pay attention to it.
Fortunately you don’t have to go as far as tracking every Google change on a daily basis—an impossible task at the best of times. But at the very least, you do have to factor Google’s major algorithm updates into your strategy.
What Google Updates Usually Entail
Google considers more than 200 ranking factors when deciding how to rank your content. Quality content is always the most prominent. Google wants to show its users information that’s well-written, well-researched, informative, and relevant to their needs. Speed, reliability, and user-friendliness are other major ranking factors.
Google updates are usually designed to reward websites with high-quality content and punish those with thin, spammy or duplicated content. Bad practices like keyword stuffing and manipulative link techniques are also routinely punished. All Google algorithm updates change the way Google’s algorithm works and how it weighs different website factors, but each has its own unique set of goals as well. The Google Medic Update of 2018 steered search results more towards E-A-T (Expertise, Authority, Trustworthiness) principles, while the Helpful Content Update of 2022 focused on demonstrated expertise and first-hand knowledge of the subject matter.
The Impact Google Algorithm Updates Can Have On SERPs
While most changes Google makes to its algorithm slip by unnoticed, occasionally, Google makes a major enough update that it can change how high your website ranks in search engines.
Some common effects that Google algorithm updates can have on SERPs include:
Ranking changes
Websites might see their positions drop for certain keywords.
Penalties for non-compliance
Websites that violate Google’s guidelines can find themselves penalised, which leads to a significant drop of rankings in itself.
Local impact
Local search rankings can change, affecting a business’s visibility in location-based search results.
How to Stay Ahead of Google Algorithm Updates
While you can’t predict or control changes to Google’s algorithm, you can still adjust your strategy so your brand stays on top.
Follow the right SEO experts
There are a lot of self-professed SEO experts out there, but not all of them dispense equally valid advice. Some may offer you a quick fix, but not the concrete advice you actually need for long-term results. For best results, look for SEO experts and agencies with proven track records of results.
Use tracking tools
You can track and respond to Google updates using tools like SEMrush, Accuranker and MozCast.
Measure your data
If you’ve been consistently optimising your website and you still see a decline in traffic, that’s a clear sign of a recent Google update. Once you’ve measured your data and assessed how much of a hit your ranking has taken, you know what you need to work on.
Produce quality content
Good, helpful, reliable content is still Google’s number one ranking factor and can help your business withstand disruptions to the algorithm. If you write content to meet the needs of human readers, the bots will be satisfied as a result. Make sure you focus on your niche and draw upon your real-world authority and expertise.
Use an SEO agency
Even if you haven’t weathered a Google algorithm update before, an SEO agency certainly has. They can get you back on track so you can focus on running your business.
How to Adjust If Things Go Awry
In the aftermath of a major update, it’s important to check your analytics and see if the changes have affected your rankings. If you’ve noticed a drop in where you sit in the search engine results, don’t panic. With the right strategy, you can regain your position and stay ahead of further algorithm updates in the future.
Once you’ve gathered up your data, take some time to absorb the news. Read the blogs, listen to the SEO experts and clarify what the changes mean for your brand. Once you’ve gathered all the pieces of the puzzle, it’s time to adapt your approach.
Stay Ahead of Google’s Algorithm Updates with Anchor
As a full-service creative marketing agency, Anchor Digital can keep you one step ahead of anything Google’s updates may throw at you.
With SEO focused on humans instead of just machines, we ensure your website and other channels are aligned with the goals of your business. Our PPC management services help you get the most out of your pay-per-click strategy, with a focus on the key platforms of Google Ads, Facebook PPC, LinkedIn and Bing Ads. Our content marketing services provide helpful, informative content aimed at meeting the needs of human readers. We can also help you craft a content marketing plan that leads to engagements, conversions and sales.
To achieve greater Google ranking success and design a solid marketing strategy that can withstand any Google algorithm change, contact the Anchor team.
