Well, Google has finally made its March 2024 core update and spam update, and it is changing how SEO works yet again. From the first look, it is another season of spring cleaning. Sounds interesting and scary at the same time, doesn’t it?
We are sure you are wondering what is going to happen with this update. If you’re concerned about what it means for your website, we’ve got you covered.
Here you have all the key points about the updates and what they mean for you.
What’s the Deal with Google’s Latest Update?
So, what exactly is a core update anyway, and why should you care? Google has a big responsibility as the biggest search engine. After all, everybody’s using it to search for answers to pretty much anything. That said, the internet is full of information – the good, the bad, and the ugly. While there’s plenty of helpful information online, not everything’s relevant.
With the core and spam update, Google is cleaning house. Their goal? Make sure the most helpful, relevant, and original content shows up on its search engine results pages (SERPs).
While all the irrelevant and useless content will not go away from the internet, it won’t show up on SERPs. Google plans to remove about 40% of poor-quality websites from its index. Any website that uses questionable strategies or violates Google’s guidelines can say goodbye to showing up on search results.
How fast are these changes happening?
Google’s Barry Schwartz said the updates are automated, and it’s already dropping sites from its searches these days. Google is not informing website owners about the positive or negative effects of the updates to their website. It is simply cleaning house.
Websites that survived the previous updates are also in trouble
Plenty of websites managed to survive the last purge by tricking Google’s algorithms. It seems they are not going to be so lucky this time. Now, even the sneakiest ones are facing the wrath of the E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness) rating. It’s a better way for Google to analyze whether websites are actually useful and helpful. If they are not, the websites are getting delisted.
Are Websites Using AI Content Safe?
If you’re using AI to pump out content for your website, you should really rethink your strategy. Google is getting better and better at tracking AI-generated content and immediately taking action against websites using it.
While AI-generated content can be great, most of it does not offer a lot of value. Plenty of it is not original, relevant, or offers in-depth value. Some of it is downright inaccurate. Google SEO update wants people using its platform to find trustworthy resources with high-quality content that is genuine. This means the update will also target poor-quality human-written content as well.
How Should You Protect Your Website After The Google SEO Update?
Google’s main goal is to offer the best user experience. If you think your website does that, it’s still a good idea to review and reevaluate everything, just to be on the safe side. Here’s a quick look at tips to remember.
Quality over quantity always wins
First, focus on following Google’s E-E-A-T guidelines. Instead of trying to simply populate your website with a ton of content, make sure it’s original, offers in-depth value, and unique insights from real experts.
Make sure you offer a great user experience
Remember: Google’s first priority is to ensure a great user experience. For you, it means making sure people have a great time visiting your site. From offering useful and original content to great loading speed, try to get everything in order.
Keep checking and updating your website
Web development and SEO trends keep changing. Make it a habit to update your website to match them regularly. This way, you can keep your website relevant, continue offering a great user experience, and improve your SERP rankings.
As a publisher: What do you need to do?
If you’re a website owner or a publisher wondering where to start, know that Refinery89 is a Google Certified Publisher Partner. Get in touch with us because we can tell you exactly what to do!
