Google releases several broad core algorithm updates each year. Unlike targeted spam updates, core updates reassess how Google evaluates content quality and relevance across the entire search index. Sites can see significant ranking changes, positive or negative, without making any changes themselves.
This guide explains what core updates actually do, how to determine if you’ve been affected, and what meaningful recovery looks like.
What Core Updates Actually Are
Core updates are improvements to Google’s overall ranking systems. Google describes them as updates to how the search engine assesses content, similar to how a “best movies” list might be re-evaluated as new movies release and perspectives change.
What Core Updates Target
Core updates don’t target specific sites or specific SEO tactics. Instead, they adjust how Google:
- Weighs various quality signals
- Understands content relevance to queries
- Assesses expertise and trustworthiness
- Evaluates user satisfaction signals
A page ranking well before a core update might drop not because it got worse, but because Google’s assessment of quality shifted and other content now appears relatively better.
Update Frequency and Duration
Core updates typically roll out over 1-2 weeks. During rollout, rankings may fluctuate significantly before stabilizing. Google usually announces core updates through its Search Status Dashboard and social channels.
Recent pattern: Google has released 3-4 core updates annually, though frequency varies. Major updates often follow months of smaller, unannounced changes that prepare for broader adjustments.
| Update Phase | Duration | What Happens |
|---|---|---|
| Initial rollout | 1-3 days | Major ranking shifts begin |
| Active rollout | 1-2 weeks | Continued fluctuation |
| Stabilization | Days after completion | Rankings settle |
| Post-update adjustments | Ongoing | Minor refinements |
Determining If You’ve Been Affected
Not every ranking change correlates with core updates. Systematic analysis determines whether you’re actually affected.
Timing Correlation
First, match your traffic changes to update timing:
- Check Google Search Status Dashboard for confirmed update dates
- Compare your traffic data in Google Analytics or Search Console
- Look for significant changes within the rollout window
If your traffic dropped two weeks before the announced update, the update isn’t the cause.
Scope Assessment
Core update impacts typically share characteristics:
Broad query impact: Multiple keywords affected, not just one or two
Category-wide changes: Related topics moving together
Sustained change: Not temporary fluctuation that reverses in days
If only a single page or keyword changed while everything else remained stable, the cause is likely something other than a core update.
Competitor Analysis
During core updates, ranking changes are relative. If you dropped, someone else rose.
Analyze:
- Who now ranks where you previously ranked?
- What do their pages offer that yours might lack?
- Are there patterns in what type of content gained or lost?
Sometimes core updates don’t indicate problems with your content but rather improvements in competitor content that previously underperformed.
Why Sites Get Negatively Affected
Core update impacts usually reflect systemic content or quality issues rather than technical problems or penalties.
Content Quality Gaps
Common quality issues core updates expose:
Thin content: Pages that cover topics superficially without providing genuine value
Outdated information: Content that was accurate when published but no longer reflects current reality
Missing expertise signals: Content on important topics without demonstrated author expertise or experience
Redundant content: Multiple pages covering similar topics without unique value in each
A Nashville law firm with brief, generic pages about various legal topics might lose rankings to competitors with comprehensive, expert-written guides.
E-E-A-T Deficiencies
Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness signals matter more for some topics than others, but core updates have consistently reinforced their importance.
Deficiencies include:
- Anonymous or unattributed content
- Missing author credentials or bios
- Lack of cited sources or references
- No clear organizational expertise in the topic area
- Missing or inadequate about pages and contact information
User Experience Issues
Core updates may incorporate evolving user experience standards:
- Intrusive interstitials (especially on mobile)
- Difficult navigation
- Poor mobile functionality
- Slow page loads
- Confusing or deceptive design patterns
These issues compound content quality concerns.
Content-Traffic Mismatch
Sites sometimes rank for topics tangentially related to their core expertise. Core updates can correct these mismatches:
- A cooking blog ranking for nutrition science queries
- A product review site ranking for informational queries wanting objective research
- A local business ranking for national informational queries
If your content doesn’t match what users actually need for the queries you rank for, core updates may realign those rankings.
Analyzing Your Losses
When negatively affected, systematic analysis guides recovery effort.
Query Category Analysis
Group your lost queries by:
Topic area: Are losses concentrated in specific subject areas?
Intent type: Did informational, commercial, or transactional queries drop differently?
Competition level: Did highly competitive or less competitive queries move differently?
Content type: Did specific content formats (blog posts, product pages, guides) perform differently?
Patterns reveal what Google’s reassessment targeted.
Page-Level Assessment
For significantly affected pages:
Content audit: Read your content critically. Is it actually the best answer for the queries it targeted?
Comparison audit: Read what now ranks where you ranked. What do they provide that you don’t?
User testing: Can a real user quickly find value in your content?
Honest assessment beats defensive rationalization. If your content truly provided superior value, the update likely wouldn’t have affected it.
Site-Wide Review
Core updates can apply site-wide quality assessments. Even if individual pages are strong, site-wide issues drag everything down:
- Significant portions of low-quality content
- Technical issues affecting crawling or indexing
- Trust issues (missing contact info, unclear ownership)
- Heavy ad loads degrading user experience
Improving one page may not recover rankings if site-wide quality signals remain problematic.
Recovery Strategies
Recovery from core update impacts requires genuine improvement, not tactical tricks.
Content Improvement
Address content gaps identified in your analysis:
Deepen thin content: Add genuine value, not word count padding. Cover aspects competitors address that you don’t.
Update outdated content: Review and refresh content that no longer reflects current information.
Add expertise signals: Include author bios, credentials, and demonstrations of relevant experience.
Improve comprehensiveness: Ensure content fully addresses user needs rather than partially covering topics.
Content Pruning
Sometimes the answer is less content, not more:
- Remove or consolidate redundant pages competing for similar queries
- Noindex or remove content that no longer provides value
- Combine thin pages into comprehensive resources
Pruning improves average content quality, which may lift site-wide assessments.
Structural Improvements
Address site-level issues:
About and contact pages: Clear organizational identity and contact information
Author pages: Dedicated profiles for content creators with credentials
Trust signals: Privacy policy, terms, editorial standards documentation
Technical health: Core Web Vitals, mobile usability, security
What Doesn’t Work
Certain approaches don’t address core update concerns:
Adding more content without quality improvement: Quantity doesn’t compensate for quality issues
Superficial freshness updates: Changing publication dates without meaningful content improvement
More links to problematic content: Links don’t fix content quality issues
Technical fixes for content problems: Page speed improvements don’t address thin content
Waiting without changes: Core update impacts rarely reverse without improvement
Timeline Expectations
Recovery from core update impacts takes time, often significant time.
The Update Cycle
Sites negatively affected by core updates often don’t see recovery until subsequent core updates. Google reassesses content quality during these updates, so improvements made between updates may not reflect in rankings until the next update processes.
This means:
- Make improvements promptly after identifying issues
- Wait for the next core update to see full effect
- Don’t expect immediate ranking restoration
Gradual vs. Sudden Recovery
Recovery patterns vary:
Gradual improvement: As content improves and Google recrawls, some ranking restoration may occur between updates
Update-driven recovery: Major recovery jumps often coincide with subsequent core updates
Partial recovery: Some rankings may return while others don’t, depending on competitive landscape changes
Realistic Expectations
Full recovery isn’t guaranteed. The competitive landscape changes:
- Competitors may have also improved
- New competitors may have entered
- User expectations may have evolved
- The queries themselves may have changed in intent
Aim for sustainable improvement in content quality and traffic, not necessarily restoration of specific previous rankings.
Prevention and Resilience
Sites that weather core updates well share common characteristics.
Quality Margin
Content significantly better than alternatives has buffer against core update impacts. When you’re barely competitive, small algorithm adjustments push you out. When you’re clearly superior, adjustments rarely dislodge you.
Build margin through:
- Original research and data competitors lack
- Deeper expertise and experience demonstration
- Better user experience and engagement
- Comprehensive coverage beyond minimum requirements
Continuous Improvement
Sites that continuously improve content avoid quality decay that core updates expose:
- Regular content audits and updates
- Ongoing competitive analysis
- User feedback integration
- Fresh content in active topic areas
Treating content as a living asset rather than a one-time creation maintains quality over time.
Diversified Authority
Authority signals across multiple dimensions provide resilience:
- Quality backlinks from relevant sources
- Strong brand recognition and branded search
- Social proof and industry recognition
- Positive user engagement metrics
Single-dimension authority (strong links but weak brand, or vice versa) creates vulnerability.
When You’ve Gained from Core Updates
Not all core update impacts are negative. If you’ve gained rankings, understand why:
- What did your content provide that losers lacked?
- Were your E-E-A-T signals stronger?
- Did your user experience outperform?
- Is your gain sustainable or circumstantial?
Understanding gains helps maintain them and replicate success across other content.
Resources
- Google Search Status Dashboard: https://status.search.google.com/
- Google Core Update Documentation: https://developers.google.com/search/updates/core-updates
- Search Quality Evaluator Guidelines: https://guidelines.raterhub.com/
- Creating Helpful Content: https://developers.google.com/search/docs/fundamentals/creating-helpful-content
Core update recovery guidance evolves as Google’s quality assessment systems evolve. Cross-reference multiple sources and prioritize Google’s official documentation when available.