March 2024 Google’s Core Update
Google completed its major March 2024 core update on April 19, a week before announcing it to the public. Many in the SEO community had been speculating for days about when the impactful update would conclude.
Timeline and Status of the Google March 2024 Core Update
Initially announced on March 5, the core algorithm update was concluded on April 19, spanning a total of 45 days. In contrast to routine core refreshes, Google particularly emphasized its complexity. Google’s documentation includes the following statement:
“Given the complexity of this update, its distribution may take up to a month. Compared to a regular core update where different systems are fully updated and aligned, there may be more fluctuations in rankings.”
The tremors were palpable, and data confirmed reports from industry observers that some websites experienced over a 60% loss in organic search traffic. Another consequence of the waves was the removal of hundreds of sites from the index, alleged to violate Google’s guidelines.
Identification of Manipulative Links
In its official guide, Google emphasized its scrutiny of how susceptible backlinks are to spam and manipulation:
Creating “low-value content” solely to inflate rankings and generating manipulative links to gain rank.
The “reuse” of expired domains with different content to influence search visibility.
Google’s Search Advocate, John Mueller, advised publishers against making sudden changes while the core update was ongoing.
However, he suggested that sites could proactively address unnatural issues like artificial links.
Mueller stated on Reddit: “If you’ve noticed things that need improvement on your site, don’t hesitate to address them. Isn’t the goal to make changes for search engines? Even if search engines haven’t updated their view of your site yet, your users will appreciate it. That’s more than enough.”
“Any link aimed at manipulating rankings in Google Search results may be considered spammy. This includes any behavior that manipulates links to your site or outgoing links from your site.”
Emphasis on Link Quality
The core update introduces notable changes in how Google ranks websites, seemingly diminishing the importance of backlinks in determining a website’s ranking.
Contrary to defining links as “an important factor” in determining relevance, Google’s updated spam policies removed the “significant” designation and referred to links as “a factor.”
This change appears to align with statements from Google’s Gary Illyes that links are not among the top three ranking signals.
Instead, Google is now placing more emphasis on just one aspect: quality, trustworthiness, and original content.
As a result, the importance of long-term campaigns supporting low-quality backlink acquisition and keyword optimizations has been diminished.
After the update was completed, SEO experts and publishers have already begun optimizing their strategies and websites to align with Google’s new perspective on ranking.
Core Update Feedback
Google also opened a ranking feedback form regarding this core update. By using this form until May 31, you can provide feedback on any issues noticed after the core update.
They emphasize that the feedback provided won’t be used to make changes for specific queries or websites, but it can inform general improvements for future updates.
Google has also updated its help document on “Troubleshooting drops in Google Search traffic,” which will help people understand ranking changes post-core update.
Conclusion
Following the update, how should websites be adjusted to align with Google’s new ranking criteria? In summary, websites should do the following after the Google March 2024 Core Update:
- Enhance the quality, trustworthiness, and depth of website content.
- Prioritize relevant, high-quality links over acquiring as many links as possible.
- Address spam-like SEO tactics on your site.
- Carefully review your SEO strategies and ensure they comply with Google’s new rules.
By working with an expert SEO agency, you can stay informed about Google’s latest updates and develop a new, more efficient strategy accordingly.
Author: Hakan Karaman
