The Google core update for September 2022 is leaving many business owners, marketing managers, and search engine optimization (SEO) specialists scrambling to understand how their websites might be impacted.
What is a Broad Core Update?
A broad core update is when Google changes algorithms that impact how websites rank on the search engine. These updates can be minor or major but typically result in a shift of rankings for multiple websites. Google releases broad core updates around two to four times per year, so it’s an integral part of keeping up with the latest SEO trends.
Google Algorithm Update September 2022 Facts
Name: Google September 2022 Broad Core Update
Launched: September 12, 2022
Rollout: Approximately one to two weeks will be spent rolling out this update globally.
- This is not an update designed to penalize websites. It is intended to reward great webpages and those sites that provide an excellent user experience with even more digital visibility.
- This update impacts the entire globe and is not limited to any languages.
- This also impacts Google Discover and other Google products.
- There will be periodic refreshes to the update throughout September and October, meaning that some sites may see their ranking improve or decline as this progresses.
What Does This Mean For My Content?
Your website is in danger if you have not updated your content or if you have not been active in a while. This also means that any low-quality content can hurt your website’s ranking. If it has been a while since you updated your website, now is the time to do so. This update is designed to improve the quality of search results, so make sure your website is up to par.
How Can I Pivot to The New Update?
If you see a drop in traffic, it is vital to take a step back and analyze your website.
Some immediate changes you can make are:
- Remove low-quality content characterized by thin, keyword-stuffed, or duplicative content that adds little value to the user experience.
- A helpful content update to your website with new original content and a plan to ensure consistent updates happen in the future.
- Monitor your website’s performance closely and make changes as needed.
- Don’t be afraid to seek help from an SEO professional if you need assistance to make improvements faster than you can on your own.
Following these steps to ensure your content is written for humans and not just the search engines will safeguard you from future algorithm updates in addition to the current Google Broad core update.
3 Steps on How to Prepare For Google Algorithm Update
- Educate: Understand what has changed and why.
- Analyze: Review your data to identify potential areas of impact.
- Adapt: Make changes to your website and digital marketing strategy as needed.
What to Do If Your Keyword Rankings Drop
There is no need to panic if you see a drop in your keyword rankings. It is important to remember that this update is designed to improve the quality of search results, not penalize websites. Any reduction in ranking indicates that other websites have made changes that make them a better match for the user’s query. Critically assess all of the keywords you have lost ranking for. Indications they are no longer valuable to your website could be:
- The keyword no longer receives any search traffic.
- The keyword is not relevant to your business goals.
- The keyword is not relevant or as optimized to your website’s content as it should be.
To resolve, consider the following:
- Update your website’s content to match the user’s query better.
- Reassess your business goals to see if the keyword is still valuable.
- Optimize your website’s content for the keyword by adding or improving upon relevant keyword placements such as in the title, metadata, throughout the body copy, and image tags.
If you need help with any of these steps, don’t hesitate to contact the experts at Zero Gravity Marketing, who can help you make people-first content and any other necessary changes to improve your website’s ranking.
