From October 5 through October 19, 2023, Google rolled out its third Core Update of the year. It had the greatest impact over the weekend of October 14 and 15. Independent tools such as SEMrush detected shifts in the SERPs at various times.
Just as in March and August, Google itself did not provide any details about the October 2023 Core Update. It is therefore unclear what changes the search engine has made and what you should pay attention to going forward. Specialized websites don’t get much further than advising to “continue focusing on helpful content and user experience.”
SERP Volatility During and After the October 2023 Core Update
The immediate impact of the October 2023 Core Update was significant. Because they were ranked differently, some websites lost 30 to 60% of their traffic. This, too, is reminiscent of previous Core Updates, during which little information was provided and there was a lot of “SERP volatility.” Google itself recommends sticking to “best practices.” In short: SEO efforts continue to pay off in the long run.
Along with the October 2023 Core Update, Google rolled out a spam update from October 4 through October 20. According to a spokesperson for the search engine, it was not possible to separate the two. “But for anyone trying to understand the changes, it’s pretty simple. If you’re not spamming and you see changes, it’s probably the Core Update. If you are spamming and you see changes, it’s probably the spam update.”
Tip
Have you been affected by the October 2023 Core Update? Have an SEO expert take a look at your search results. Contact us so we can work together to get your SEO back on track.
