Corrr Google, that’s a big update.

It’s that time again. 😬 Google has announced its first core update of 2024 (rather originally called the March 2024 Core Update) and it looks like it’s going to be a biggy.

Core updates can strike fear in the heart of even the most seasoned SEOer, as the effects can be sudden, severe and often not immediately obvious in cause. However, if your site is in good shape, with plenty of genuinely useful, engaging content and following best practice, it doesn’t have to be that way.

It appears that websites heavily relying on AI-generated content are being hit HARD. Hard, as in, being completely wiped off the surface of the earth. Not surprising to be honest, as we all like content that is authentic, unique, and useful right? And AI doesn’t hit all three of those points just yet.

So, what’s the focus for this one?

Well, it’s something all of us can get behind; reducing low-quality ‘spammy’ and ‘unhelpful’ content. The main aim of the update is to reduce these kinds of content by 40%, which is a pretty bold claim from Google.

What are Google’s key areas of focus to tackle this issue?

• Spammy content – Content which doesn’t help people but is there to purely to manipulate rankings
• Expired domain abuse – Expired domains are purchased and repurposed with the primary intention of boosting search ranking of low-quality or unoriginal content
• Site reputation abuse – When third-party pages are published with little or no first-party oversight or involvement, where the purpose is to manipulate Search rankings by taking advantage of the first-party site’s ranking signal.

So the good news is this core update is most likely to affect websites where there is intentional bad practice, rather than inadvertent. That said, sometimes they can have significant negative effects even where it’s not obviously justified.

Happily, we’ve safely guided our clients through many a core update and helped them recover when they’ve been adversely affected. For instance, ellaOne who were hit by the Medic Google Algorithm Update. We jumped into action, and you can find out what we did in the case study in the comments.

Any concerns about this upcoming core update? Get in touch and we can make a plan together.