Google Broad Core Updates @ Rank Math

May 6, 2022 Unconfirmed

Unconfirmed Google Search Algorithm Update (6th-8th May 2022)

Google might have been possibly rolling out a new search ranking update causing significant spikes in web traffic. The update might have begun affecting many on 6th May, causing a significant drop in traffic for many regions.

Later, there was a surge in web traffic on the 8th of May, which happens to be Mother’s Day. While Google has not officially confirmed this issue, we can expect some time for the search movements to get settled.

April 20, 2022 Unconfirmed

Unconfirmed Search Ranking Algorithm Update (Apr 2022)

Google seems to be rolling out another major search ranking algorithm update as several SERP tracking tools have reported massive fluctuations on April 20th and 21st, 2022. The SERP fluctuations are also recognized by several webmasters and SEO experts.

Although the update seems to be big, Google has not announced rolling out any search updates during this timeframe.

March 23, 2022 Confirmed

March 2022 Product Reviews Update

Google has started rolling out yet another product reviews update on March 23, 2022, and it will take a few weeks to fully roll out. The update is meant to enhance Google’s ability to identify high-quality product reviews.

This is the first product reviews update of this calendar year, and Google has shared the criteria they use to evaluate product reviews with this update.

March 4, 2022 Unconfirmed

Peak SERP Volatility in March 2022

SERP Tracking tools have picked up strong fluctuations on March 4, 2022. The volatility on search results peaked on March 4 but started to settle down in the following days.

While Google has not announced any update, it is interesting to note this unconfirmed update has occurred only a day after the page experience update for desktop has finished rolling out.

February 22, 2022 Confirmed

Page Experience Update for Desktop

Google has begun rolling out the page experience update for desktop on Feb 22, 2022 (Twosday). The update will roll out slowly over the next several weeks and is expected to be completed by the end of March 2022.

Similar to the page experience report for mobile, Google had launched a dedicated report for desktop pages earlier in the Search Console report, so webmasters could understand how well their site has fared in the eyes of Google.

February 8, 2022 Confirmed

Google Enhances DMCA Update

Google has shared information on the demotion signal developed to enhance the DMCA update (also known as Pirate update). Any website demoted by this update, on average, loses 89% of the search traffic.

Google’s DMCA update was originally launched in the year 2012 and was further updated in the year 2014. Since then, this is the first time, Google has advised regarding DMCA update.

December 1, 2021 Confirmed

December 2021 Product Reviews Update

Google has announced the rollout of a new product reviews update on December 1, 2021. The update is now rolling out only for English language pages and will take about three weeks to roll out completely.

This is the second product reviews update this calendar year, and expected to make changes to how your product reviews rank in search results. In case if you were hit by the previous update, any improvements made to improve the overall quality of your reviews are likely to be rewarded in search rankings.

November 30, 2021 Confirmed

November 2021 Local Search Update

Google announced the completion of their November 2021 local search update rollout. The update started rolling out on November 30th and ran till December 8th. Several SEOs have noticed these fluctuations in local search results during this time period.

This update is global and involves the rebalancing of various factors that Google considers when generating local search results.

November 17, 2021 Confirmed

November 2021 Core Update

Google announced rolling out a new core update on November 17, 2021, and the update is likely to take two more weeks to complete. Several webmasters and SEOs are concerned with the timing of this update as the holiday season is just around the corner.

As it goes with any core update, the update is more general and would reassess how your website’s content has performed since the last update. With that said, SERP fluctuations are expected during the rollout of this update.

November 3, 2021 Confirmed

November Anti-Spam Update

Google has rolled out an anti-spam update on November 3, 2021, and the update will be fully rolled-out within a week. While the exact details of the update are not disclosed yet, webmasters are encouraged to follow the best search practices.

This update is a part of Google’s continuing measures to eliminate spam from search results. And it’s worth noting that we’ve already seen three spam updates this calendar year (Link spam update, Anti-Spam Update I, and Anti-Spam Update II).

October 2, 2021 Unconfirmed

Peak SERP Volatility in October 2021

SERP Tracking tools have picked up strong fluctuations in search results, as high as seen around during core updates. The volatility was seen on October 2nd & 3rd (varied across different regions and timezones) but was prominently seen across all the regions on October 3, 2021.

This could be likely a change made by Google that has triggered the SERP tools, but the traffic and rankings might not have been impacted at the same level.

September 17, 2021 Confirmed

Google Title Rewrite Update

Google has made a tweak on August 17th or 18th that has resulted in a complete rewrite of the titles. While it was common to see Google making minor changes to the title, the complete title rewrites didn’t go well with the SEO community.

Exactly after a month, on September 17, 2021, Google has further refined its title system, based on the feedback from the community.

September 8, 2021 Unconfirmed

Possible Long Volatile Search Ranking Update (Sep 2021)

SERP Tracking tools are off the chart for over a week-long — signs of a possible search ranking update. The SERP volatility started on September 8, 2021, and carried on till September 15, 2021, which goes for over a week.

In the last few months, we’ve come across a number of algorithm updates, but this update seems unusually long, especially for an unconfirmed update. However, the intensity of this update is not as massive as compared to the core updates.

September 4, 2021 Unconfirmed

Unconfirmed Google Algorithm Update (Sep 4th, 2021)

SERP tracking tools have picked up strong signals of SERP fluctuations around September 4, 2021. Some movements in search results were also seen on Sep 3rd and 5th in certain regions, while the spike on Sep 4th was clear and widespread across all regions.

This update is different from the changes that Google announced earlier on September 3, 2021, for the Google News app — as with the current unconfirmed update, the fluctuations are seen widely across many niches, very likely a distinct update.

August 18, 2021 Unconfirmed

Unconfirmed Google Search Update (Mid-August 2021)

SERP tracking tools have picked up signals of SERP fluctuations starting on August 18, 2021. But a lot has happened on Google search around this time. The spike in SERP fluctuations could be due to the slow rollout of the link spam update or a bug discovered in the Top Stories carousel, or a tweak that Google has made to rewrite titles completely.

While the exact reason is not easy to conclude as Google has not announced any update on their part, the fluctuations are evident as some webmasters have even seen a spike in traffic and CTR.

August 14, 2021 Unconfirmed

Peak SERP Volatility in August 2021

SERP tracking tools and several webmasters have reported a spike in SERP volatility on August 14, 2021 — potential signs of a new search ranking update or perhaps could be the link spam update finally coming to an end.

We also saw a similar unconfirmed update on August 6, 2021, and it could be again related to the link spam update.

August 6, 2021 Unconfirmed

Possible Search Ranking Update (August 2021)

Automated SERP tracking tools have picked up signals of fluctuations, and it seems to be another possible search ranking update from Google. The high volatility started on August 6, 2021, and went on to settle down during the weekend.

Google has not confirmed any search ranking update on their part. But worth noting, the link spam update is still in the rollout and most likely could be the reason for the fluctuations.

July 26, 2021 Confirmed

Link Spam Update

Google has rolled out a new search update known as the link spam update. The update is focused on identifying and nullifying link spam more broadly across multiple languages.

The update has been rolled out on July 26th, 2021, and the rollout will be complete in two weeks. During this rollout, the sites involved in the link spam are expected to see significant changes.

July 9, 2021 Unconfirmed

Possible Local Ranking Update (July 2021)

While the July 2021 core update is still rolling out, there seems to be another possible local ranking update widely affecting local search results. The fluctuations in local search results are very much aligned with the July 2021 core update.

Local RankFlux has picked high volatility during this period across all industries, with peaks on July 3rd, 9th, and 10th. For hotels and B&Bs, the spike was seen on July 8th.

July 1, 2021 Confirmed

July 2021 Core Update

Google is releasing another broad core algorithm update today. The core update will be fully rolled out within a week or two. This broad core algorithm update will include the changes originally planned for the June 2021 core update but delayed due to internal limitations.

Like all the other core updates, these are global updates, not specific to any region, language, or category of websites and hence considered as broad core updates.

June 30, 2021 Unconfirmed

SERP Volatility on June 30th

High SERP volatility has recorded on June 30th, and several webmasters have reported mass fluctuations in search results. The last confirmed update from Google was the second part of the anti-spam update that was rolled out on June 28th.

Considering the proximity of the recent Google update and the SERP tools starting to pick up signals from June 28th with a spike on June 30th, these fluctuations are likely due to the delayed changes from the anti-spam update.

June 29, 2021 Confirmed

Anti-Spam Update II

Google’s Search Liaison confirmed the second part of the anti-spam update being rolled out today. The second part of the update will conclude the same day, similar to the first part rolled out last week.

Both the parts of the anti-spam update are global updates that targeted both web and image search results. The updates target mainly malicious websites that trick users into giving away their personal data or installing malware.

June 23, 2021 Confirmed

Anti-Spam Update

Google announces the release of their anti-spam update that is focused on fighting spam in search results. The changes in the SERP position are expected only on low-quality sites that trick users into providing personal information or installing malware.

Google has confirmed the first part of the update is being concluded on June 23, 2021. And the second part of the algorithm will follow next week.

June 16, 2021 Confirmed

Page Experience Update

The page experience update is now slowly rolling out and will be completed by the end of August 2021. This update is designed to highlight pages that offer great user experience, and page experience will remain one of the many factors that Google takes into account while ranking.

Since the update is being rolled out gradually, it is expected that websites would not see any drastic changes in traffic and will also allow Google to monitor any unexpected issues.

June 8, 2021 Unconfirmed

Potential Google Local Search Ranking Update June 2021

BrightLocal tracking tool shows high volatility in local search results, showing signs of a possible local search ranking update. Local RankFlux has reported high fluctuations on June 6th and 9th, while significant changes were seen on June 8th.

Google has not confirmed any local search ranking update. But worth noting, the June 2021 core update is still rolling out and perhaps could have been the reason for the fluctuations.

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