Google’s August 2024 core update has finished rolling out, the company confirmed. The update began on August 15, 2024, and concluded 19 days later on September 3, 2024. This latest update caused significant shifts in search rankings and altered the overall landscape of Google Search results.

“Not Just Another Core Update”

This update stands out from typical core updates. The August 2024 core update incorporated feedback from the September 2023 helpful content update, which had a negative impact on many small and independent publishers. Google aimed to address these concerns with the recent changes.

Impact on Websites

Some websites that were negatively affected by the September 2023 update saw changes during this rollout, although the improvements were not widespread. As seen by a recent poll done by searchengineland, over 43% reported a decline in traffic and rankings, and only 27% saw any increase in traffic or rankings. There were around 30% who didn’t experience any change.

Initial Ranking Bug

After the update, initially, there was a ranking bug that caused unusual fluctuations in results. But it was resolved within the first week itself. To accurately assess the change, we advise website owners to keep track of rankings and traffic since the update and compare with at least 3-4 weeks of data before the update. Some owners have seen a recovery in the third and fourth weeks, but overall, the trend has been mostly negative.

Google’s Perspective on the Update

John Mueller explained that the August 2024 core update was part of ongoing efforts to enhance search quality by promoting content that users find genuinely useful and demoting content that appears designed solely for search performance.

“This update continues our work to improve the quality of our search results by showcasing content that people find genuinely useful,” Mueller said. “We’re also focused on elevating small and independent publishers who are producing original, relevant content.”

The update also aims to better recognize improvements made by websites so that the best content continues to surface in search results.

Updated Guidance for Webmasters

Google has updated its help page with additional guidance for sites affected by core updates. The company emphasizes the importance of creating content for users, not just for search engines, as the key to recovery.

What to Do If You’re Affected

If your website experienced a drop in rankings following Google’s August 2024 core update, you’re not alone. Many businesses and publishers have felt the impact of these changes.

Google’s advice? 

Keep producing content that is genuinely helpful, reliable, and focused on your audience. While some recovery might occur between updates, meaningful improvements often come with future core updates.

Why It Matters

By now, you should have a sense of how this update has affected your website. If you’ve seen improvements, that’s a positive sign. If not, there may be more work to do to ensure your site is deemed helpful enough to rank well in Google’s search results.

Google regularly rolls out core updates, so it’s essential to keep improving your site’s content—not just for search engines but for your users as well. At Primotech, we understand how challenging it can be to keep up with Google’s ever-evolving algorithms.

Here’s how we can help you turn these challenges into opportunities:

Content Strategy Review

Google has made it clear: content is king. But not just any content—your website needs to offer value to users, not just appeal to search engines. Our expert SEO team at Primotech specializes in crafting content that resonates with your audience while aligning with Google’s latest guidelines. We can do an in-depth content analysis to audit your website content and provide recommendations to ensure it meets the highest standards of quality and relevance.

SEO Optimization

A drop in rankings doesn’t always mean your content is the issue. It could be related to website optimization, UI, and even UX, which does not complement the great content on your site. Our SEO experts will work with you to refine your on-page and off-page SEO strategies, helping your site regain its visibility and rank higher in search results within three months.

Comprehensive Analytics and Monitoring

It is imperative to understand what impact an update has made and how your site is responding. We do in-depth analysis, offer advanced analytics reports, and provide you with a monitoring dashboard to help you keep track of your website’s performance, identify areas for improvement, and measure the impact of any changes. This data-driven approach ensures that your site is always on the right path to recovery.

Content Development and Refresh

One of the core reasons for the drop in the ranking we are seeing is due to outdated content or less frequently updated value-driven content on the site. While it is imperative to just add blogs and article posts as new content, with this core update, we strongly recommend building value-driven landing pages on the site and even refreshing the existing landing pages with updated trends, keywords, and value-driven content. Our team is adept at creating content that not only attracts visitors but also keeps them coming back.

Future-Proofing Your Website

Google’s updates are unpredictable, but your website doesn’t have to suffer every time. We’ll help you build a robust strategy that not only addresses current issues but also prepares your site for future changes. By focusing on user experience, relevance, and quality, we can ensure that your site remains competitive in the long run– Please feel free to reach out us for a recovery plan.