Google rolled out a two-part core algorithm update in June & July 2021. This update affected Google’s search algorithm and for some businesses, it meant changes to search engine rankings. Google pretty rarely reveals what’s involved in a core update but we know that major changes happen to the indexing and ranking processes. Below, we’re discussing what you should know about Google’s recent algorithm update and what it might mean for you.

Key Highlights of Google’s Core Update

• The rollout began in June and July of 2021
  • June core update began on June 2nd
  • June core update ended on June 12th
  • July core update began on July 1st
  • July core update ended on July 12th
• This update isn’t specific to any region, language or website category
• Updates are intended to help Google improve its content assessment and search engine rankings
• After the update, some rankings may have moved up or down in search rankings

Reasons Behind the Update

It’s common knowledge among those in the internet marketing world that Google rewards businesses with the best SEO practices. As a search engine, Google gives the best rankings to websites that are accessible, user friendly,  feature authoritative, well-written content, and are adding actual value to a visitor’s search inquiry. For some businesses, following these best practices to achieve high Google rankings goes unnoticed, and improving this process is the top reason Google has released this core update. With this update, Google is hopeful that it will be better able to assess the quality of website content and determine which websites can provide the best answers to user queries.

What You May Be Seeing as a Website Administrator

If you’re a web administrator or owner of a website, you may have noticed some changes in your organic rankings. For those who’ve experienced a decline in rankings, it’s important to remember this doesn’t necessarily mean there’s something wrong with your SEO practices, it means that Google has found a website that provides a better answer to user queries than yours. So instead of overhauling your entire SEO strategy, it’s best to do your research and minor tweaks as necessary.

Where to Start if You Need to Improve Your Search Engine Ranking

In the first days of any of Google’s core updates, the best thing any website owner can do is sit back and watch their rankings for the first two weeks. Initially, algorithm trackers tend to show extreme changes while updates roll out; rankings can fluctuate over the first couple of weeks until the updates have finished rolling out and algorithm trackers have started to settle.

Once the first couple of weeks have passed, it’s typically safe to start analyzing the impact of Google’s core updates. If your ranking has dropped, the best place to start is by exploring the websites that are ranking highest in your category and determining why those have overtaken or ranked higher than your own. Things to look for include:

• Location-specific SEO content and keywords
• Better keywords and effective keyword incorporation
• Clear answers to typical “People Also Ask” questions
• Keywords in title tags
• Accessibility
• Consistent content updates
• Social media presence
• Responsive mobile design
• Graphics, audio and other media
• Links from high-quality, authoritative websites

If you happen to be lacking in one or more of these areas, especially when compared with higher-ranking websites, take time to research how you can improve it and get to work on it straight away. That might mean producing regular content to keep a steady flow of fresh content on your website, increasing your presence on social media, enhancing your user experience, optimizing your on-page & off-page strategy, or acquiring more quality backlinks.