Google Core Update August 2023 [Observation & Recovery Tips]

This page is all about Google Core Algorithm Updates.

In this, we are covering:

• Latest and past Google core updates details
• Impact on our website rankings 
• Global impact around SERP
• Proven recovery & website optimization tips
• And more…

This page would be SUPER HELPFUL for SEO experts, bloggers, and website owners who rely on Google organic search traffic.

Google Core Recent Updates Roundup: What’s Changed and When:

Google Core Algorithm Update August 2023 Details

On August 22nd, 2023, Google, the search giant, announced yet another significant update to its core algorithm. This announcement marked the launch of the August 2023 Core Update, aimed at enhancing search result quality and relevance.

This is going to be the 2nd core update of the year 2023. The first one was released in March. 

We can track the live algorithm on Google official ranking updates page.

Recap: Google’s August 2023 Core Update

As search algorithms continue to evolve, it’s essential for website owners, businesses, and SEO professionals to keep track of major updates. The Google August 2023 Core Update is no exception.

Here are the Crucial Takeaways from the Google August 2023 Core Update [So Far]

Start Date: Google initiated the August 2023 core update on August 22nd. The announcement was first made on the Google search central Twitter handle. It would take upto 2 weeks to fully roll out.

Expired Date: Not disclosed yet.

Coverage: Global (Content, Website, Blogs, and Images)

Why the Aug Core Update?: Google wants to show better search results to users. This update helps in showing more accurate and useful information. It is as simple as that.

Impact on Websites: Core updates don’t aim at penalizing specific sites, but they can shift page visibility. Previously lower-ranked pages might rise, while once rewarded ones could fall in rankings.

What to Do: If your website’s ranking goes down, it’s not a big problem. You can improve your content to make it better.

How to Recover: To recover from a drop in ranking, Google advised us to focus on improving your content. Check what users are searching for and make your content more helpful. Fixing technical issues hardly matters.

Recovery Time: Several months

Guidelines: Same as it was declared for the previous March 2023 Core update.

Aug Core Update: Monitoring Daily Changes in SERP Rankings

It has been a week since Google August Core Update 2023 launched. We will expect a one more week run-up. Google never disclosed the exact changes in its core updates.

To discover what exactly is going on we have to depend on the observation made by SEO experts worldwide.

Semrush Sensor Discoveries:

High or Very High score in the Semrush sensor indicates a high fluctuation is ongoing in SERP rankings. Semrush Sensor helps us to check Google search volatility happening during a period of time.

Typically, fluctuations in rankings begin 1-2 weeks before the launch of core updates. This time the August 2023 core update followed a similar pattern.

“Significant changes in rankings across all categories have been consistently observed by the Semrush Sensor since the start of August, and this trend is continuing.” Similar to previous core updates, the August 2023 core update followed a similar pattern

The August core update 2023 has completed one week and Semrush Sensor has given an 8.5 [Very High] score to SERP volatility for the last 30 days:

Words of SEO Experts on August Google Core 2023:

SEO expert Barry Schwartz discussed the update on X and mentioned slight changes in search results, sharing more about the core update.

In relation to these changes, SEOs have started seeing differences in their website traffic. Some have noticed positive changes in their search rankings.

Impact On Our Website

It’s going positive so far.

Our website’s average rankings have seen a [20.11%] improvement since the launch of the August 2023 core update.

In the first week of August 2023 Google core update, we have seen a 15% growth in website traffic.

The third positive thing we have noticed is related to featured snippets. Now Google is showing star ratings in SERP for most of our website posts. Thumbs UP!

Two Big Reasons Why Our Site Rewarded by Google in this Core Update:

#1. We have been tracking our keyword rankings DAILY. When you track your keyword positions, you will instantly know if there’s any drop in those keyword rankings. That’s how you can work on those posts if needed. We’re using Semrush for all kinds of SEO tasks, including keyword position tracking. You can use other tools as well to check your Google keyword rankings.

#2. We’ve been dedicated to staying updated with SEO trends and consistently enhancing our strategy. Over the past months, our primary focus has been on upholding EEAT standards, frequently updating our existing content, and continuously refining our content to align with Google’s product review and helpful content updates.

Important Reminder: If your website’s traffic has gone down after this core update, you can find helpful recovery tips in the later section of this article. [These SEO tips come from our 10+ years of SEO experience.]

Future Prediction & What Next

For us SEO professionals, it’s important to be patient and flexible until the core update fully rolls out. Quick solutions might help for a little while, but true success comes from always improving our content, following E-A-T rules, Helpful content rules, and making the user experience better.

Seems to me, Google is looking forward to constantly improving its product review, helpful content, and link spam algorithm updates. We can expect at least one more product review update this year.

The Future SEO next big thing is Google Generative AI. This trend will greatly impact the SEO industry.

Tips to Recover a Website Hit by Google Core Algorithm Updates

Getting hit in a core update generally indicates if a website ranks above yours, it likely has superior content quality and relevance. 

Websites with low rankings that match user queries well might experience a ranking rise, leading other sites to drop in rankings. Most of the time, This could be the PRIMARY reason for a drop in organic SEO traffic.

Core updates, typically lasting 14 days, bring significant ranking shifts. If traffic remains low two weeks after these updates, your site might be impacted.

However, don’t worry. If you follow the right checklist, there’s a high chance that you’ll start seeing positive results within a few months.

How to Optimize Websites for Google Broad Core Updates?

1.) Follow Google Advise:

In the official core updates page, Google clearly instructed website owners that pages that have been impacted during the core update need to be assessed for the Google helpful content quality questions.

Simply, Compare your content with Google’s provided questions on their help page. This analysis reveals where your content may lack in addressing users’ queries. Utilize these insights to prioritize content improvements that align with searchers’ needs.

2.) Follow Core Updates Recovery Checklist

Over the past two years, we’ve significantly evolved our SEO approach. The Google EEAT update, also known as the Google Helpful update, brought about a complete transformation. Nonetheless, we’ve established a reliable formula.

There’s a reason our website always gets rewarded by Google core updates. It’s simple, We follow everything Google suggests in our content.

Here’s a simple PROVEN checklist that works to improve rankings during Google core updates.

Evaluate Content Quality:

• Review your website’s content for relevance and quality.
• Ensure your content provides value and answers users’ questions comprehensively.

Regular Content Updates:

• Keep your content up-to-date with the latest information.
• Revise and refresh existing content to maintain its relevance.

Focus on Users:

• Prioritize creating content for users, not just search engines.
• Focus on delivering helpful, informative, and engaging content.

Assess E-A-T Factors:

• Evaluate your content’s Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness (E-A-T).
• Showcase your expertise, authority, and credibility within your niche.

Improve User Experience (UX):

• Enhance the overall user experience of your website.
• Optimize for fast loading times, mobile responsiveness, and easy navigation.

Keyword Relevance:

• Do proper keyword research
• Align your content with relevant keywords and search intent.
• Avoid keyword stuffing and maintain a natural keyword integration.

Avoid Thin Content:

• Remove or improve thin, low-quality content on your website.
• Focus on creating in-depth, valuable content that satisfies user queries.

Quality Over Quantity:

• Prioritize quality content creation over churning out numerous posts.
• Concentrate on in-depth articles that offer thorough insights.

Content Originality:

• Ensure your content is original and not duplicated from other sources.
• Avoid duplicate content issues that can affect rankings.

Content Structure:

• Organize your content with clear headings, subheadings, and bullet points.
• Improve readability and user engagement.

Internal & External Links:

• Include relevant internal links to other pages on your website.
• Incorporate high-quality, authoritative external links to support your content.

Social Signals:

• Promote your content on social media platforms.
• Encourage shares, likes, and engagement to enhance your content’s visibility.

Backlinks Audit:

• Conduct a comprehensive audit of your website’s backlinks.
• Evaluate the quality and relevance of backlinks directed to your site.
• Disavow or remove any backlinks that are of low quality or irrelevant to your content.

Technical SEO Audit:

• Conduct a technical SEO audit to identify and fix any issues.
• Ensure proper indexing, crawlability, and site structure.

Page Speed Optimization:

• Optimize images, minimize code, and leverage browser caching.
• Improve page loading speed for better user experience.

Monitor Performance:

Patience and Persistence:

• Understand that recovery from core updates takes time.
• Continuously work on improving content and user experience.

Read Next:

FAQ: Google Core Updates