What’s the Google Core Update?

What’s the Google Core Update?

What’s the Google Core Update?

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Unlike other well-known past Google updates from the past like Penguin and Panda which targeted things more specifically such as back links and the quality of content, the most recent Google Core Update has presented more subtle changes to the algorithm.

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What’s the Google Core Update, the one from June 2019?

A New Precedent for Google Core Updates

This latest Google Core Update (called the “June 2019 Core Update”) hit for the first time on June 2, 2019.

Note that this was the 2nd Google Core Update of 2019

In March 2019, the first Google Core Update of 2019 (called the “Google March 2019 Core Update”) affected search queries that could be represented by the acronym E.A.T.

These all pertained to the topics: Expertise, Authoritative, and Trust.

March Google Core Update

The end result was that many websites related to the health sector fell among the biggest winners and losers.   

However, the latest Google Core Update is different.

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Unlike all Core updates in the past, the latest “June 2019 Core Update” is ground-breaking. For the first time in the history of Google it has set a new precedent by making a public announcement in advance that there would be a major change to the core algorithm.

With all past updates, people would discover that something was not quite right when noticing their rankings on Google, and then either complain or ask a boatload of questions. Communication lines would get jammed.  Only in response to this massive public upheaval would Google finally later admit to the update after the fact.

Pre-announcement of the Google Core Update

Other than Google’s pre-announcement on Twitter of the algorithm change, many questions still remain. A plethora of online communities seek answers.

Our worldwide community of online marketers currently falls under this category.

Based on the comments I’ve already received, I know for a fact that this latest Google Core Update has caused quite a concern within my international online community of marketers and webmasters.

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What makes the Google Core Updates different?

What Makes Core Updates Different?

There have been several other “core” updates by Google in the past 2 years (like this prior most recent one in March 2019), and they all tend to make an impact on the ranking of websites in many different ways.

Where Core Updates differ from other Google updates is these generally do not have a specific focus on any kind of particular search query or website qualities.  Such a core update also occurred in January 2016.

What’s the Google Core Update and how it affects us

What’s the Google Core Update: How It Affects Us?

A detailed analysis indicates the following general trends and the direction that Google is now taking with their latest “June 2019 Core Update.”

1. Video Carousels Have Increased

In a prior Google update of June of 2018, video carousels led the way. And this certainly impacted the layout of Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs), not only the way our website content is evaluated by Google.

There was a huge roll-out of video carousels for a large number of searches. This change produced a change in the SERPs that saw a 25% uptick in YouTube’s visibility in only one week.

Now we are seeing something very familiar to last year with this latest June 2019 Core Update – there has been a jump in video carousels for 62% of all desktop searches.

2. Low Quality News Sites are Being Targeted by Google

News provider sites have been negatively impacted by the latest Google Core update.

It would appear that Google is raising the quality bar with News topics; low value content for news topics are getting hammered in the rankings. Naturally, when there are “losers” who get penalized, conversely there will be “winners” who will get rewarded.

A perfect example of this is that CBS.com was dealt a tumbling loss in the SERPs, while Newsweek.com was rewarded with hefty gains. A strong indication of this is the SEO Visibility Chart.

Small Niche Sites are Being Targeted Negatively

If a niche site is offering low-quality content, more than ever Google now appears to be penalizing them. Content that used to rank on Page 1 no longer is anywhere to be found. Ouch!

3. Larger Sites are Being Boosted

The Trusted Aggregator larger sites with a solid reputation for producing high quality content are being boosted by the latest Google Core Update. For example, Yelp.com and Yellow Pages.com are rising.

As small business owners, niche website owners, webmasters, and entrepreneurs this latest Google Core Update is certainly making it harder and harder for us to be competitive.

From what I am seeing at a personal level, the Make Money Online niche (MMO) is also suffering in the rankings. I am producing high quality content with excellent low competition keyword in this niche, and I cannot get ranked on Google Page 1.

Yet I am frequently getting ranked on Page 1 in Bing and Yahoo.

What's surprising about the Google Core Update

What’s Surprising About this Google Core Update?

What is different and surprising about this latest Google Core Update?

In the past, it was unthinkable for Google to pre-announce that an alteration to the core algorithm change was coming. Until now, any changes to the core algorithm have always been announced only after the change had gone live.

That all changed with this latest Google Core Update.

When the news first broke on Twitter in June 2019, Google not only revealed to all webmasters around the world of the upcoming date of the update, they already had the update named.

Google Analytics

The amorphous Core Algorithm Update that was announced to go into effect on June 3rd, was officially named “June 2019 Core Update.” The Google Search Liaison Twitter channel also published this information.

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The major representative of the Google Search Liaison account Danny Sullivan had an explanation.  He said this is a first step toward a complete change. From now on, Google wants to be more pro-active in the future by letting people know in advance. They were tired of being asked a plethora of questions after people found out after the update.

Here is Danny Sullivan’s own words on Twitter:

"Nothing special or particular "big." It's the usual type of core updates that we regularly do. We just wanted to be more proactive. Rather than people scratching their heads after-the-fact and asking "hmm?," we thought it would be good to just let folks know before it rolled out.”

How Do we deal witht the Google Core Update?

What’s the Google Core Update: How Do We Deal with It? 

Google has admitted in the past that there aren’t any specific errors that webmasters can correct to recover lost rankings after a Core Update.

Instead what Google recommends to webmasters is to offer their viewers the highest quality content. They urge that this is the best way to improve rankings.

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According to Google, the first step and the key to achieving this is to study the Google Search Quality Rater Guidelines.

This is a document that is designed to help high quality raters comprehend, in reasonable detail, how to classify and evaluate content.

If webmasters can better understand what the requirements are for content to be considered high-quality, and how Google evaluates different kinds of content, and then they will be better placed to react if they find themselves losing rankings and traffic in the wake of a Google Update.

To countless community members around the world however, this is a task easier recited than achieved.

What’s the Google Core Update, my Conclusion

Conclusion: My Proprietary 6 R's

In reaction to a Google Core update, I have discovered the best way to deal with the changes is by following My Proprietary 6 R’s:

  • Realize how to classify and evaluate content by studying the Google Search Quality Rater Guidelines.
  • Research, study, and follow other successful sites that are not getting hurt in the rankings due to the Core Update
  • Replicate and implement exactly what they are doing
  • Re-evaluate and update our own content based on what they are doing
  • Recheck our Google Analytics after one week for the new results
  • Rinse and repeat

Follow my proprietary 6 R’s method, and soon there will never be a Core Update that will set you back.

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Soon you will hardly be concerned over “What’s the Google Core Update.”

Thank You for reading, and please feel free to leave any comments below.

About the Author

KAJU is the band leader and founding member of OFF THE HOOK, one of the premiere dance party bands in the New York Tri-State Area. After contracting a mysterious hand disorder, Kaju now writes to help other musicians and artists deal with disabilities. Currently he is a Full-time Affiliate Marketer and 1-on-1 mentor at Wealthy Affiliate, a community that can help anyone start an online business without prior experience. This is where he teaches others how to make a great passive income. Read more about his story here!

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