Barely a month after the October 2023 Core Update, Google is implementing another major change to its algorithms starting in early November. This is already the third core update in just 10 weeks. By comparison, there were four core updates in 2019—for the entire year.
The previous core update also coincided with a spam update. And in September, there was also the Helpful Content Update. So why is it still important to keep track of core updates? Because rises or drops in search rankings are due to two factors: changes to your website or changes to the algorithms. Mark the core updates on your timeline; they can serve as an indicator of fluctuations in traffic.
“We try to separate major updates so that website owners can better identify where any changes are coming from,” Google says. “But because we have so many updates in total, this isn’t always possible. Furthermore, we don’t want to block an update once it’s been approved, since it will improve the search function.”
November 2023 Core Update and the Battle for Helpful Content
In recent years, we’ve seen more updates, with an extreme spike right now. The rise of AI plays a part in this. Nowadays, anyone can create content in the blink of an eye. As a result, the amount of lower-quality content online is on the rise. To counter this, we’d like to share our insights on helpful content, E-E-A-T, and AI copywriting.
So it makes sense that, according to Google, there’s a “high” chance that there’s nothing that can be done for those who focus on creating useful, reliable, and user-centric content yet still see a drop in rankings and traffic. The search engine once again highlights its guidelines regarding Core Updates. The previous ones were the March 2023 Core Update, the August 2023 Core Update, and the October 2023 Core Update.
Tip
Are your visitor numbers taking a nosedive in November 2023? 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.
