Google updates are a nightmare for many marketers, but they should not be. If they spend time researching what Google is trying to do with its updates, they will understand that Google updates benefit their brand. Here you will see an overview of Google updates, including tops to help you recover if your site got hit by a core update.

What is a Google Algorithm Update?

An algorithm update is a change in how Google ranks sites on the SERPs. As a result, users will get different site lists when they type something on the Google Search bar. The way sites get listed on factors like user experience, page loading speed, and link building. Some major algorithm updates include the Panda Update (2011), the Hummingbird Update (2013), RankBrain Update (2015), and BERT Update (2019). The best Indian SEO company in your city can fix your site issues. 

Types of Google Updates

Google’s algorithm changes can be put under two categories:

●     Minor updates: They happen almost daily to improve the search experience.

●     Broad core updates: Google announces major updates every year to target a specific problem. It could be punishing black hat techniques or rewarding local content. But these are changes to the main algorithm itself.

An algorithm update can benefit sites both positively and negatively. Some brands will find that their sites experienced a dip in rankings or traffic. On the other hand, the algorithm changes could promote sites working hard to serve their customers. Work with the best Indian SEO company in your city to increase web traffic.

Why Does Google Change Its Algorithm Often?

Google wants to make websites accessible to people from all backgrounds. Anyone can publish their posts and share them with their audience. But since there is so much misinformation around, Google prioritises sites from experts and professionals. They make sure that the information transmitted online is factual and accurate. Get the e-commerce SEO services of a company to craft copy that converts.

Another reason Google makes changes to the algorithm is to prevent spammers and hackers from exploiting the loopholes in the algorithm. They want to punish objectionable content such as the list given below. Get the ecommerce seo agency to make sure your site is safe from spammers.

● Terrorist content

● Sites featuring violence to animals and humans

● Medically and scientifically inaccurate information

● Content dealing with drugs, weapons, and illicit materials

● Websites indulging in fraud and deceitful trade practices

Google has repeatedly claimed that there is nothing brands can do to protect their site from losing the ranks. It has further asked site owners to give a better user experience and not worry about algorithm changes. There is indeed nothing you can do to make your site immune to algorithm changes. But if you see a loss of traffic and revenue, there are some ways to recover. It is a slow process, but it is worth the effort.

Tips to Recover from Core Update Effects:

Give it some time:

The first thing you must do to recover lost traffic is to wait for some time. Google updates could take a couple of weeks to roll out for all sites. So, you will see a reversal of fortunes for a temporary period. Some sites could see a dip in rankings until the rollout is complete. The situation is only temporary, and the lost benefits will return after a few weeks. But if you make significant changes to your site defensively against the algorithm, you could damage the rankings. So, give it more time to see if your site is affected by the core updates.

Understand the purpose of the update:

Google announces core updates frequently, targeting one aspect of its algorithm. The company has spoken multiple times about why it makes frequent changes. But there is one area that every update focuses on. Some updates focus on checking spam, and others promote sites optimised for mobile users. You need to know what Google is trying to do with the update. When you understand that, you will discover ways to recover lost results.

Analyse data:

You have to analyse site performance to find what part of the site got affected. There are paid tools like Ahrefs or Semrush to help you out. You can also use free tools like Google Analytics and Google Search Console to analyse site performance. When looking at different metrics, try to identify patterns. It will help you locate which aspect of your site needs a fix. 

There are several ways you can analyse data starting from overall website traffic. You can also look at the device-wise traffic metrics. If you analyse individual pages, you can identify the cause of the algorithm change. Some types will be drawing the most traffic to your page. There will be other pages that do not contribute much to the overall traffic. You can mark these pages so that you can later work on them. It is also possible to identify traffic from different sources like PPC, SEO, and email campaigns.

Fix low-quality pages:

Google indexes all pages on the site, and if some pages have thin content, it can significantly affect your site. These are broken pages, intrusive ads, or excessive images lacking relevant content. It is necessary to fix these pages to protect them from a core update. If the content on these sites has a lot of links and receives a lot of traffic, you can redirect them to related pages. Alternatively, you can improve existing content by adding what they lack. If you still want to keep them, use a no-index tag to prevent Google from indexing those pages. The last option is to delete those pages entirely.

Follow EAT guidelines:

If you want to protect your site, follow the EAT guidelines. EAT stands for Expertise, Authority, and Trustworthiness. 

Google wants to see your expertise in the industry. You must prove that the ideas you share are correct by pointing to your experience in the industry. The content must be original and well-researched. You can also interview other subject matter experts, as their expertise will help your brand.

It takes time to build authority, and it is especially difficult for a small business. However, small brands should create high-quality posts that cover topics in depth. Focus on writing to solve problems significant players in the industry have. If they find your content helpful, they can link to your site. It is how you can build authority.

Finally, your site should be trustworthy and credible. Update your contact information and let people contact you. You also have to fix site issues and display security badges. If people see that your site is well-encrypted, they will trust you. In addition, focus on building your brand to build trust in your customers.