Get ready; Google has been rolling out its core updates. This 2023, there have been four core updates already - with the November 2023 core update as the latest.
But this post will discuss Google’s big release in September 2022.
As with all Google's core updates, the September update has shaken up SERPs in a big way. And that means businesses must always be prepared to make sure that your site won’t be negatively affected immensely. The SEOLeverage app allows you to check the impact of Google’s algorithm updates on your website.
Read on to learn more about:
- Facts about the Google September Core update
- How to monitor your rankings after Google’s algorithm updates
- How to prepare your sites for Google Core updates
Table of Contents
If you have been affected by the Google Core Update May 2022 we have an article with tips to recover traffic.
Google September 2022 Broad Core Update Quick Facts
Below are some quick facts about the Google core update for September 2022:
| Name | Google September 2022 Broad Core Update |
| Launched | Google's long-awaited "Core Update" rolled out on September 12, 2022, at around 11:25 pm ET. |
| Rollout | Google says it will take about one or two weeks for the update to be fully released. |
| Target | The Google core update will evaluate all content for "expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness." |
| Penalty | Google broad core update will not be a penalty but a promotion or reward for great web pages. |
| Global | The September 2022 global update will impact all regions and languages. |
| Effects | The exact percentage of queries or searches the update will affect is unknown. And so far, this update seems similar to previous ones in its reach and speed. |
| Discover | Google core updates impact features, including Google Discover, feature snippets, and more. |
| Recovery | Following Google's core update advice can help to improve your chances of recovery. |
| Refreshes | Google does periodic refreshes to its algorithm. But they may not communicate this core update in the future. |
Things to Expect With the Google September 2022 Core Update
Google's ranking algorithm is constantly evolving, so SEOs need to be on their toes. And so, here's what you can expect from the new core update:
- There will be ranking volatility. As with any algorithm update, there will be some changes in rankings. Some sites may see their positions improve, while others may drop in the standings. So, it's essential to keep an eye on your ranking release history page to see how this update affects your site.
- Relevant and authoritative content will rise to the top. As always, Google is looking for sites that provide relevant information on the topic. And you'll likely see a ranking boost if your site meets those criteria. But if you don't adhere to previous helpful content updates, you may see a drop in ranking.
- Search results will be more personalized. Google is constantly working on ways to personalize search results. And so, this trend will likely continue with the new core update. Likewise, you may see more relevant results for your queries based on what you are looking for.
- Improvements in quality. With any broad core algorithm update, there are advances in the quality of search results. Similarly, this update is no different. That said, you should see an overall improvement in the relevance and accuracy of results.
- Greater transparency. One notable change in the new update is the transparency from the search engine giant Google. In the past, Google has been secretive about how its ranking algorithms work. But starting in September, Google will provide information about its ranking algorithms.
5 Tips on How to Monitor Your Rankings with Google Core Updates
It's just been months since Google's previous updates, which include the September helpful content update and the latest November 2023 core update. But still, many site owners are trying to recover from the rankings drop they experienced. And with the next updates on Google's Helpful content system or review system on the horizon, it's more important to keep an eye on your rankings on search engines.
Below are five tips on how to monitor your rankings with Google's core update:
- Check your Google search console regularly. Google search console provides detailed information about your website's performance in Google search. Just so, if you see a sudden drop in your rankings, this is usually a sign that a core update is coming.
- Keep an eye on your organic traffic. Another good way to check your rankings is to keep an eye on your organic traffic levels. Also, a sudden drop in organic traffic could say that a Google algorithm change affects your site.
- Track your backlinks. Backlinks are a big factor in search ranking algorithms. So, when there's a sudden drop in the backlinks pointing to your site, Google devalues those links.
- Use Google Search Central. This new platform provides insights into how Google crawls and indexes websites. It also includes a ranking tracker to see how your website performs in Google searches.
- Keep an eye on social media and forums. People often take to social media to discuss changes they've seen in the SERPs after an update rolls out. And it can be a nice way to get early feedback about how the update has affected your site.
Use Google tracking tools to monitor your rankings and determine which areas could be improved to keep up with Google updates, like the September 2023 helpful content and the latest core updates.
5 Ways to Prepare for Google Core Updates
To prepare for Google updates, we recommend doing the following:
- Conduct a comprehensive audit of your website. Doing so will help you identify areas that need improvements, such as broken links.
- Make sure that your site is mobile-friendly. With more people using mobile devices, your site must be available on a small screen.
- Improve your site's loading speed. Google announced that page speed is one of the factors for search rankings. And so, it's essential to ensure that your site loads quickly. You can use tools like Google PageSpeed Insights to test your site's speed.
- Improve your content. Google wants to show users the best possible results. Given that, ensure that your blog post is well-written, informative, and adheres to Helpful Content System documentation. Steer away from search engine-first content or unhelpful content. But if you're unsure where to start, try using some of Google's suggested keyword prompts.
- Promote your content. As website owners, once you've created some great content, make sure that people can find it! Use social media and other channels to drive traffic to your site. Also, make sure that your content is shareable and easy to find.
Plus, you could use SEO Leverage to keep up with Google's algorithm. The app’s feature, "Update Impact Report," allows you to:
- Select the Google Update you want to analyze
- Check the pages and how they were affected— which pages went up and which went down in visibility?
- Check out the queries, for which queries did you get more, or less traffic after the update had finished rolling out?
By improving your website, you can ensure that you stand out from other sites and weather any storm that comes your way.
