What You Need to Know About Google’s August 2024 Core Update

Google August core update focuses on improving the responsiveness of the algorithms to improvements that previous penalized websites make. The August 2024 update, which was wrapped up on September 3rd affects both websites that had been hit by previous updates and new ones.  In this article, we explore the update process and its impacts on websites.

When was the Google August 2024 Update Rolled Out

Google’s August 2024 core update started on August 15, 2024. It took 19 days and was wrapped on September 3, 2024. Like the other updates before, this one causes a lot of ranking movements among websites and changes to the overall Google Search Results.

Since the rollout, SEO professionals, content creators, and website owners have been scrutinizing their Search Consoles to examine sites’ performance.

 

Why is the Google August Core Update So Important?

The August 2024 update was not like any other normal core update. It took into account the feedback that Google had collected since the September 2023 helpful content update. With the 2023 Core Update seemingly having a negative impact on independent and small published, August’s aimed to rectify that. It mainly focused on these key areas:

1. Genuine Content

The August core update aims to show users genuinely useful content. This is content that provides high-quality and accurate information. By focusing on genuine content, the recent updates want to reduce the visibility of content created just for ranking on search results.

2. Supporting Creators

One of the areas that Google has tried to address is the growing concern from content creators and key stakeholders like SEO services about ranking other content. By supporting creators, the core update aims to preserve the authenticity of valuable content.

3. User Experience

Another emphasis forming the basis of the August core update is the need to reflect positive changes by websites. This will help to recognize changes in the search experience by users of such websites. Creators with good user experience with factors like web design, mobile usability, fast page load times, and easy site navigation also benefit from the update.

4. Quality Commitment

The August update strengthens Google’s commitment to displaying content that is genuinely helpful to users. With the increased emphasis on quality over content, content solely designed to rank in search is negatively affected.

5. E-E-A-T

With the recent update, there is a clear emphasis on Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness (E-E-A-T). Therefore, websites that show these qualities in their content will benefit from the update.

What to Do if Your Website Drops in Rank After the Core Update

The 2024 Google August core update affects websites differently. If your website has been negatively affected by this or previous core updates, Google provides a few recommendations centered on valuable SEO content:

1. A drop in ranking does not necessarily mean you need to take specific steps for recovery. It could just be temporary as the changes caused by the update will take time to be applied across Google’s vast index.

2. You may need to wait for future core updates to recover your position. Google states that this could provide faster and better chances for recovery.

3. Self-assess your content if you believe the 2024 Core Update has affected your website. Google has provided a series of questions that you can use to assess your website, including issues to do with the originality, completeness, and helpfulness of the content.

How to Keep Your Website Relevant for Google Core Updates

There are several actions you can take to stay relevant and ready for upcoming core updates. The most important is to stay informed by checking when Google will roll out the next core update. They usually announce it on Twitter or Webmaster Central Blog. This will help you stay updated on what to expect and how the changes might affect your website.

Focusing on your content can help to make it evergreen. Google Core updates aim to improve the quality of search results. This means that it will prioritize high-quality, genuine, and valuable content over content designed just for ranking.

This also means that you should avoid bad SEO practices such as buying links and keyword stuffing. These will likely lead to penalties in the upcoming core updates.

Conclusion

The 2024 Google August Core Update will enhance user search experience, which means only high-quality and genuine content will rank higher. Original, useful, and well-researched content will be highlighted over the one designed just to rank higher.

While understanding these changes may seem complicated, working with an SEO expert can help in gaining a deeper understanding. Nvent Marketing Company offers search engine optimization services, helping websites rank higher and remain relevant even in the wake of recent updates.