What is a core update?

A core update is a broad change to the ranking systems Google uses to order search results. Google releases core updates several times a year and announces them. They do not target one specific mistake: Google reassesses the relevance and quality of pages, so many websites move up or down.

Why is a core update important?

Visible impact: your organic traffic can rise or fall noticeably after an update.
Not a punishment: a drop does not mean you did something wrong, other pages may simply be rated better.
Recovery takes time: according to Google, improvements may only show their full effect at the next core update.

Examples of a core update

An online store loses positions while a competitor with richer product information climbs.
A consultancy with many outdated, thin blog posts drops for its main keywords.
A knowledge site with in-depth, up-to-date articles gains traffic.

How do you handle a core update?

Wait until the rollout has finished, then compare the periods before and after in Google Search Console. Do not change everything at once, but improve the pages that dropped: make them more complete, more current and more trustworthy. Want help with that analysis? See our SEO approach.

Core update