John Mueller from Google responded to a query regarding the status of the March Core Update and whether it’s advisable to commence corrective measures in response to the update.
The individual posing the question sought clarification on the completion status of the core update, citing a significant 60% decline in traffic. They were holding off on remedial actions until the update concluded to enhance their site’s ranking once more.
“People advised me against making drastic changes to my blogs while the core update was ongoing. Unfortunately, I’ve experienced a significant loss, about 60% of my traffic, and now I’m determined to restore these numbers.
Do you have any tips for me? It appears that my pages, including (purchased) backlinks, have been most adversely affected!”
The guidance provided to the Redditor, advising them to wait until after an update is completed before attempting fixes, is generally sound advice, albeit with exceptions.
The March 2024 Core Algorithm Update
Core algorithm updates consist of modifications across the entirety of search algorithms used by Google. In this framework, the ranking aspect constitutes a fundamental component known as Google’s Core Algorithm. This ranking system comprises numerous interconnected elements responsible for interpreting search queries and webpages, assigning weight to various factors based on context and query intent, assessing relevance, quality, and page experience, among other considerations.
Additionally, there exist spam-detection mechanisms such as RankBrain within the core algorithm’s framework, contributing to its multifaceted nature. The complexity of the March 2024 Core Update may account for its prolonged duration.
John Mueller acknowledged the ongoing status of the March Core Update, clarifying:
“No, it’s not complete. It’ll be labeled complete when it’s finished rolling out.”
Is it Wise to Delay Fixes Until the Update Concludes?
Mueller proceeds to tackle the aspect of the inquiry concerning whether it’s prudent for the individual to postpone site fixes until the update reaches completion.
His response was as follows:
“Regardless, if you have noticed things that are worth improving on your site, I’d go ahead and get things done. The idea is not to make changes just for search engines, right? Your users will be happy if you can make things better even if search engines haven’t updated their view of your site yet.”
John Mueller’s valid point emphasizes that any time is opportune for addressing discovered shortcomings following a website self-assessment.
It’s important to note that rankings often fluctuate throughout algorithm updates. It’s not uncommon for drastic ranking changes to reverse by the time an update concludes. Therefore, intervening to “fix” issues before the update concludes risks altering elements that may not require correction.
Nevertheless, in this specific scenario, John Mueller’s advice to proceed with fixing identified issues is entirely warranted, especially since the Redditor mentioned paid links, a probable contributor to their declining rankings.
However, if paid links or aggressive link-building practices like guest posts with keyword-rich anchor texts aren’t part of your strategy, it may be prudent to await further developments.
Google’s documentation highlights the complexity of this particular update and indicates that fluctuations may persist, suggesting that sites experiencing ranking losses may eventually recover.
“As this is a complex update, the rollout may take up to a month. It’s likely there will be more fluctuations in rankings than with a regular core update, as different systems get fully updated and reinforce each other.”
Mueller’s subsequent guidance underscores the importance of directing efforts toward optimizing websites for people rather than solely for search engines. His emphasis lies in encouraging optimization for “users,” indicating a focus on enhancing the experience for site visitors.
Google’s Advice For Websites Affected By Helpful Content Update
The remainder of Mueller’s response entails:
“Also, while I don’t know your site, one thing you can do regardless of anything is to work out how you can grow alternate sources of traffic, so that when search engines revamp their opinion of your site, you’ll have less strong fluctuations (make things more independent of search engines).
And, once you go down this path, you’ll probably also notice that you focus more on building out value for users (because you want them to come & visit & recommend on their own) – which is ultimately what search engines want too.”
Mueller’s response holds significant value because aligning with the practice of optimizing for people coincides with Google’s criteria for ranking websites.
Optimizing for people transcends mere catchphrases like “make your site awesome” or “content is king.” It represents a tangible strategy for creating and refining websites with formidable ranking potential.
The recent U.S. government anti-trust lawsuit against Google underscored the significance of the Navboost signal, which tracks user interaction signals, as a potent ranking factor. Google’s responsiveness to user interaction signals emphasizes the importance of creating websites that elicit positive responses, as outlined in the Navboost Patent.
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