Google might have rolled out another unconfirmed update to its search algorithm. The fluctuations from this update is so extreme that several SERP tracking tools displayed figures they had never shown before.
Several SEOs and site owners reported a 70 – 80% drop in Google traffic. Some sites even disappeared from SERPs entirely. Other webmasters pointed out a massive drop in traffic from the US, UK, Canada, and Australia.
What Are People Saying?
On Twitter, Barry Schwartz shared charts showing traffic fluctuations detected by several SERP tracking tools. These fluctuations started to peak on July 14th, 2023, and continued to remain highly volatile in the following days.
Some Google search rank tracking tools are still pretty heated while others seem to be calming a bit – original story at https://t.co/eZdrZ6lWk9 pic.twitter.com/qpErKG1kWy
— Barry Schwartz (@rustybrick) July 20, 2023
In a series of tweets, Glenn Gabe reported that several sites previously ranked at the first position for several competitive keywords had fallen further down the page. He added that many unconfirmed updates we have experienced over the past few months could hint at a planned core update from Google.
And here are some more examples (this time using Semrush versus Sistrix). I'm seeing these changes across tools. I wonder if Google is having trouble with how the next HCU is interacting w/the reviews update? i.e. dueling machine learning algos… Something big is coming… pic.twitter.com/O4us8XbrOu
— Glenn Gabe (@glenngabe) July 16, 2023
A commenter suggested that a core Google update may be in the works. That may be true, considering John Mueller, in an unrelated tweet, said Google would release an update this summer.
I'm sure we'll have some. Cue the countdown music.
— I am John (@JohnMu) July 19, 2023
What’s Next – Dealing With This Update
As with most unconfirmed updates, it is hard to understand what is happening. The purpose of this update and how it relates to past or upcoming summer updates remains unclear.
In the meantime, you should monitor your site with Rank Math’s Analytics. If you notice a drop in your traffic, you should begin taking steps to recover from it. You can refer to the below video for tips for recovering from a Google update.
