Here’s the latest on Google’s widespread algorithm update
We are now learning more about Google’s September 2022 core update, and the typical volatility in web traffic that accompanies the platform’s major updates has already begun. Since Google announced the update on September 12, 2022, some sites have reported 20–60% dips in traffic. The announcement came on the heels of Google’s helpful content update, which was completed on September 9, 2022, and a fourth product reviews update that was completed in August 2022.
\u201c@rustybrick About 20% decrease in traffic based on what I think we should be seeing today. Although we did gain about 20% after the helpful content update, so we're just back to where we were a month ago. \ud83e\udee4\u201d— Barry Schwartz (@Barry Schwartz) 1663014828
While the details surrounding core updates are mostly a mystery, SEO expert Barry Schwartz was able to put together key points about what he knows so far about the September 2022 core update on Search Engine Roundtable:
- Name: Google September 2022 Broad Core Update
- Launched: September 12, 2022 at around 11:25 p.m. ET.
- Rollout: It will take about one to two weeks to roll out.
- Targets: It looks at all types of content.
- Penalty: It is not a penalty, it promotes or rewards great web pages.
- Global: This is a global update impacting all regions, in all languages.
- Impact: Google would not say what percentage of queries or searches were impacted by this update, but so far this seems to be a typical core update that reaches wide and the impact is fast.
- Discover: Core updates impact Google Discover and other features, also feature snippets and more.
- Recover: If you were hit by this, then you will need to look at your content and see if you can do better with Google's core update advice.
- Refreshes: Google will do periodic refreshes to this algorithm but may not communicate those updates in the future.
Click here to learn more about the September 2022 core update, including what you can do to make sure your site is ready for any swings in traffic.
Google Purposefully Does Not Overlap Algorithm Updates
The recent back-to-back updates launched by Google were surprising even to SEO experts who monitor the search engine’s every move. Some even speculated that the September 2022 core update was released to bolster the recently completed helpful content update. This is problematic because when multiple updates are rolled out in a short period of time, it can be difficult for site owners to distinguish which update caused dips in their traffic.
However, Google’s Search Liaison Danny Sullivan addressed the issue on Twitter. He said the recent, frequent updates from Google are not coincidental, but actually strategically separated on purpose to better help creators understand any impact.
\u201c@dr_pete I get some folks are trying to read more into things that aren\u2019t there, and that\u2019s always going to be a fact of SEO life. But if the point was to purposely confuse or whatever, we could roll multiple update on the very same day. We\u2019ve worked to do the opposite\u2026\u201d— Dr. Pete Meyers (@Dr. Pete Meyers) 1663000031
So while you may never see algorithm updates overlap, they may still appear in clusters. This is especially true since Google also said this year that they have become more transparent about algorithm updates.
Never Worry About Google’s Never-Ending Updates
You can expect another major update from Google in the coming weeks. If you’re a site owner, a content creator, or anything in between, you likely don’t have time to monitor and manage every update from Google, and you shouldn’t let them impact your workflow.
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