Google Core Updates :What You Need to Know
What are Google Core Updates
Google core updates are broad, significant changes to Google search algorithm designed to improve the relevance and quality of search results impacting SEO and website rankings. They occur a few times a year and don’t target specific sites but rather assess content quality holistically. Google Core Updates :What You Need to Know
Purpose – To improve the quality and relevance of search results by rewarding helpful content and downgrading shallow or manipulative content.
Frequency – They happen several times a year usually every (2,3) months.
Scope – Core updates are broad affecting a large number of indexed web pages and not specific sites or industries.
Impact – They can significantly affect search engine optimization (SEO) for Google potentially impacting rankings and traffic.
Examples – Google has released core updates in March 2024 August 2024 November 2024 December 2024 and March 2025.
March 2025 Core Update – The March 2025 core update started on March 13 2025 and completed on March 27 2025.
March 2024 Core Update – The March 2024 core update focused on removing low – quality content and content that existed primarily to manipulate search results. Google Core Updates :What You Need to Know
What to do if you are negatively impacted by a core update
Don’t panic – Core updates are broad changes, and a negative impact may not necessarily mean something is wrong with your pages. Google Core Updates :What You Need to Know
Analyze the impact – Assess your organic traffic keyword performance, and technical SEO.
Review content quality – Evaluate the overall quality of your content and ensure it is helpful and relevant.
Consider competitive analysis – Analyze what your competitors are doing and how they are performing after the update.
Improve your website – Focus on improving user experience content quality and technical SEO.
Google Advice – Google advises focusing on improving content quality and user experience. Google Core Updates :What You Need to Know
As of March 31st 2025 Google has completed its March 2025 core update rollout, which focused on refining core ranking systems to improve search results by reducing low-quality and unoriginal content. Google Core Updates :What You Need to Know
Here a more detailed breakdown
March 2025 Core Update
9This update which started on March 13th and concluded on March 27th aimed to enhance search result quality by focusing on identifying and reducing unhelpful unoriginal or low-quality content. Google Core Updates :What You Need to Know
Google goal was to ensure that search results prioritize helpful and high – quality websites rather than those created primarily to match specific search queries.
The update refined core ranking systems to better understand if webpages are unhelpful have a poor user experience or feel like they were created for search engines instead of people.
Google expects that this update along with previous efforts will collectively reduce low – quality unoriginal content in search results. Google Core Updates :What You Need to Know
Other Notable Updates
Helpful Content Update (2022) – This update which began in 2022 focused on reducing unhelpful and unoriginal content on Search and keeping it at very low levels. Google Core Updates :What You Need to Know
Spam Updates – Google also implements spam updates to address spam content and improve search results.
Other Updates – Google continues to make updates to its search algorithm to improve user experience and provide more relevant results. Google Core Updates :What You Need to Know
Where to Find More Information
You can find more details on Google core updates and spam updates on the Google for Developers website.
Search Engine Land also provides a comprehensive history of Google algorithm updates.
Google Search core updates and your website
Several times a year Google makes significant broad changes to our search algorithms and systems. We refer to these as core updates and we give notice when they happen on our list of Google Search ranking updates.
In general most sites don’t need to worry about core updates and may not even realize one has happened. However if you have questions about a change in traffic that correlates with a core update this page is for you. It explains more about how core updates work and what you can do to assess and perhaps improve your content. Google Core Updates :What You Need to Know
How core updates work
Core updates are designed to ensure that overall we’re delivering on our mission to present helpful and reliable results for searchers. These changes are broad in nature and don’t target specific sites or individual web pages. As content on the web changes we assess and update our systems to keep pace as a whole.
One way to think about a core update is to imagine that a friend asked you for your top food recommendations. While you do have a list of your 20 favorite restaurants things have changed since you initially wrote it in 2019. Some new restaurants that didn’t exist before are now candidates for your list. You might reassess some restaurants and realize they move to a higher spot on the list given how many consistently positive experiences you had there or to account for your friend’s preference for dog-friendly restaurants. The list will change and restaurants that move down aren’t necessarily bad there are just other restaurants that make your top 20. Google Core Updates :What You Need to Know
Check if there a traffic drop in Search Console
If you’re seeing a drop in position and suspect it might correlate with the timing of a core update, use Search Console to determine whether you need to make a change. Google Core Updates :What You Need to Know8
Confirm that the core update has finished rolling out – Check the Search Status Dashboard and take note of the start and end date of the core update.
Compare the right dates – We recommend waiting at least a full week after a core update completes before analyzing your site in Search Console. After a week, try comparing this week with a week before the core update started rolling out this way you’ll be able to better pinpoint what exactly has changed.
Review your top pages and queries – Assess how they were ranking before and after the (core update) is the drop small or large?
Small drop in position (dropping from position 2 to 4) – There’s no need to take drastic action (in fact we recommend avoiding making changes to content that’s already performing well).
Large drop in position (dropping from position 4 to 29) – Do a deeper assessment.
Analyze different search types separately – This can help you understand whether the drop you’ve seen happened in Web Search Google Images Video mode or the News tab. Google Core Updates :What You Need to Know
Assessing a large drop in position
If you’re seeing a sustained large drop in position for your site as a whole read through the self-assessment to check if your site overall (not just individual pages) is delivering content that’s helpful reliable and people first. Specifically we recommend keeping the following in mind. Google Core Updates :What You Need to Know
Take a close look at your site as a whole and try to be objective. You might also ask others you trust (that are unaffiliated with your site) to do an assessment using the questions.
Evaluate the pages that were most impacted. Look closely at these to understand how these pages may perform against the self – assessment questions. For example there may be other pages on the web that are doing a better job of helping the searcher. Google Core Updates :What You Need to Know
Things to keep in mind when making changes
Avoid doing (quick fix) changes – “like removing some page element because you heard it was bad for SEO”. Instead focus on making changes that make sense for your users and are sustainable in the long term.
Consider how you can improve your content in meaningful ways – For example it could be that rewriting or restructuring your content makes it easier for your audience to read and navigate the page.
Deleting content is a last resort – and only to be considered if you think the content can’t be salvaged. In fact if you’re considering deleting entire sections of your site that’s likely a sign those sections were created for search engines first, and not people. If that’s the case for your site then deleting the unhelpful content can help the good content on your site perform better.
How long does it take to see an effect in Search results
If you’ve made improvements it may take time to see an effect in Search results some changes can take effect in a few days but it could take several months for our systems to learn and confirm that the site as a whole is now producing helpful reliable people -first content in the long term. If it’s been a few months and you still haven’t seen any effect that could mean waiting until the next core update. Google Core Updates :What You Need to Know+
Google Core Updates What You Need to Know
Google periodically releases core updates to improve search results. These updates are broad and don’t target specific sites. If your site experiences a traffic drop, here’s what to do. Google Core Updates :What You Need to Know
Checking for Traffic Drops
Use Search Console – Compare rankings before and after the update.
Wait a Week – Let the update fully roll out before analyzing.
Assess the Impact
Small drop (e.g. position 2 → 4) No major changes needed.
Large drop (e.g. position 4 → 29) Conduct a deeper review.
Assessing a Large Drop
Evaluate if your site provides helpful reliable people-first content.
Compare impacted pages with competitors’ content.
Best Practices for Improvement
Avoid quick fixes – Focus on meaningful long-term changes.
Enhance content – Improve clarity structure and usefulness.
Delete only when necessary – If content is low-quality and unsalvageable.
Recovery Time
Changes may take days to months to reflect in Search results.
Some improvements might not show until the next core update.
Stay focused on high-quality content and your site will naturally improve over time.