What do They Mean for Brands and Marketers? At first glance, this appears to give very little away. The update was described as a “broad core” change and the later advice to webmasters was to “create great content”. As noted in the introduction to this article, Google’s aim is to reward sites that provide useful, relevant content, rather than punishing sites that do not do so. Google never wanted to spend valuable engineering resources creating punitive updates, but some elements of the SEO industry necessitated the action. The net result may be the same in some instances (if some sites are rewarded, others need to drop in the rankings), but the objective is significantly different. E-E-A-T In recent years, Google has tried to help site owners understand this concept by emphasizing the Google E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness) framework, particularly in its core updates. Google’s broad core updates reward websites that demonstrate strong E-E-A-T signals. For instance, sites that provide clear author information, cite reputable sources, and offer real-world expertise are more likely to rank well. Experience was added in late 2022, expanding Google’s focus to consider whether the content creator has first-hand experience with the topic.
This shift especially benefits industries where
Personal insight matters, like product reviews or health advice. Expertise and Authoritativeness relate to the creator’s credentials and the authoritativeness of the site or content itself. Google wants to ensure that content comes from individuals or organizations with recognized expertise in the field, particularly for YMYL (Your Money or Your Life) topics, such as health and finance. It also checks whether the website or Angola Email List 276670 Contact Leads page is a recognized authority or go-to source for the topic. Trustworthiness is a key measure of whether the site is safe, accurate, and credible. This is particularly important for sites offering advice, news, or transactional content. Quality raters look at the creator, content, and website to assess trustworthiness. May 2020 core update Launch: May 2020 Impact: The May 2020 update was particularly impactful due to the timing, coming in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. It led to major shifts across sectors, with health, travel, and ecommerce sites being the most affected. Some reports indicated that sites with outdated or misleading content saw significant drops in traffic and rankings.
Marketers needed to pay attention to content freshness
What it meant for marketers: and relevance, particularly in industries affected by the pandemic. The update highlighted the importance of providing up-to-date information, especially for industries like news, health, and ecommerce, where consumer behavior and needs were rapidly changing. Semrush chart showing distribution of categories June and July 2021 core updates Launch: June 2021 and July 2021 Impact: These updates were closely related to Google’s Page Experience Update, which introduced Core Web Vitals as ranking factors. These metrics, which include page load time, interactivity, and visual stability, were designed to improve user experience across mobile and desktop devices. What it meant for marketers: Marketers needed to focus on technical SEO and website performance. Improving Core Web Vitals became essential for maintaining rankings. Businesses had to invest in improving page speed, reducing layout shifts, and ensuring a seamless experience across devices. It also reinforced the need to optimize for mobile as more users shifted to mobile browsing. March 2023 core update Launch: March 2023 Impact: