While a huge host of updates go unconfirmed by Google, the tech goliath publicly acknowledged nine algorithm updates in 2023 and 10 in 2022 and 2021.
These updates can significantly impact your rankings and visibility on Google both positively and negatively.
To recover from Google algorithm updates, there are several steps we here at SEO agency TRAFCK take to diagnose and make the necessary changes to recover.
How to recover from a Google algorithm update
Wait for the algorithm update to roll out
Google advise waiting until the update has rolled out, as rankings could return during that period. We often see a huge amount of volatility during the updates. You can see when an update is fully rolled out here.
Identify what the algorithm update is targeting
Google are notoriously opaque so getting to the bottom of what an algorithm update is targeting can be challenging.
However, recently Google have been giving website owners some context about what the update intends to target.
For example in 2024, Google rolled out a core update and spam update on March 5th, which aimed to reduce low-quality, unoriginal content in search results by 40% as well as crackdown on scaled content abuse, site reputation abuse, and expired domain abuse.
You can read more on the March 2024 Google Core update here.
Identify pages that have been impacted
Google advise comparing pages and queries from the last three or six months on Google Search Console to try and pinpoint exactly where you’ve lost rankings and visibility.
Review your content
With every update, Google prioritises helpful content.
Google’s Danny Sullivan said: “The most important key to success with Google Search is to have content that’s meant to please people, rather than to be whatever you might have heard that ‘Google wants’.
“For example, people sometimes write content longer than is helpful to their readers because they’ve heard somewhere that ‘Google wants’ long content.
“What Google wants is content that people will like, content that your own readers and visitors find helpful and satisfying.
“This is the foundation of your potential success with Google.
“Any question you have about making content for Google will come back to this principle. ‘Is this content that my visitors would find satisfying?’ If the answer is yes, then do that, because that’s what Google wants.”
TRAFCK advise reviewing all of the content on your website and making sure it’s up-to-date, tackles topics in-depth and is beneficial for the reader.
We recommend doubling down on improving your E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness) and the overall quality of your content.
The majority of websites that have been impacted by the most recent Google updates do have a content issue, which if rectified and acted upon, can be turned around with the correct strategy.
Increase the relevancy of our content
Google is doubling down on surfacing specialist websites for specialist queries.
For example, if you search on Google for ‘How to run a faster marathon’ you will be served with content from fitness and running publications or blogs as opposed to a publisher who writes content about an array of things.
If we rewind 5 years, we might have seen the Daily Mail appear for a query like this.
Build authority with links
One of the main ways Google knows your website is an authority in a specific industry is from backlinks.
To do this you need to:
1) Create valuable and relevant content that other websites would want to link to
2) Identify high-ranking pages in your industry and create even better content to attract backlinks
3) Internal links to your own website can also contribute to your backlink profile
4) Identify broken links on popular pages in your industry and offer your content as a replacement
5) Utilise social media platforms such as Quora, Reddit and LinkedIn to attract backlinks
Analyze competitors
Look at what your competitors are doing and make your content better.
Technical SEO improvements
Perform a technical SEO audit to identify any potential issues.
How long does recovering from a Google algorithm update take?
The recovery from a Google algorithm update can vary depending on the circumstances of the update and its impact on your website.
Ensuring your website adheres to Google’s Search Essentials and focusing on improving the quality of your content is crucial.
After fixing the reasons for your drop in rankings and visibility – which is difficult as Google doesn’t pinpoint the issues caused – it can take a few months to see an improvement.
Google’s John Mueller said: “It takes a lot of time for us [Google] to understand how a website fits in with regards to the rest of the Internet.
“And that’s something that can easily take a couple of months, a half a year, sometimes even longer than a half a year, for us to recognize significant changes in the site’s overall quality.
“Because we essentially watch out for how does this website fits in with the context of the overall web and that just takes a lot of time.”
TRAFCK’s team of SEO specialists have decades of experience in helping websites recover from Google algorithm updates. Contact us at hi@trafck.co.uk or reach us here.