Hold onto your hats! Google turned up the updated dial in 2023—four times the excitement of 2022. March, August, October, and November were buzzing with core updates.
Let’s talk March 2023—a wild ride that began on March 15, lasted 13 days, and wrapped up the show on March 28. Buckle up for the future of search!
In 2023, Google rolled out nine confirmed algorithmic updates and introduced a groundbreaking AI search engine known as the Search Generative Experience.
Google Core Updates
Google experienced a remarkable four core updates in 2023, a significant increase from the two in 2022. These updates occurred in March, August, October, and November.
- March 15, 2023, Core Update
Speaking of the March 2023 core update, the rollout commenced on March 15, concluding its 13-day journey on March 28. Interestingly, data from various providers suggests a volatility level similar to previous core updates.
Site owners were advised to concentrate on developing high-quality and high-value webpages featuring helpful content, positive user experiences, and robust E-E-A-T signals (experience, expertise, authority, and trustworthiness).
- August 22, 2023, Broad Core Update
The Google core update for August 2023 began its rollout on August 22, lasting 16 days and concluding on September 7. Despite expectations, data providers noted lower volatility, resulting in a more subdued impact compared to prior updates.
- October 4, 2023, Broad Core Update
The release date for the October 2023 Core Update was October 5, 2023, with the broad core update rollout concluding on October 19, 2023. Similar to previous core algorithm updates, the intention is to enhance the systems responsible for evaluating content comprehensively.
- November 2, 2023, Broad Core Update
According to Barry Schwartz’s post on X, the November 2023 Broad Core Update was rolled out by Google on November 2, 2023. This substantial core algorithm modification aimed to enhance the delivery of valuable and reliable search results for users, potentially impacting overall site traffic.
It was advised to wait until the update concluded before evaluating any potential impacts. Historically, these updates completed their full rollout over two weeks.
The Transition from “Product Reviews Update” to “Reviews Update”
Google rebranded the Product Reviews Update to the Reviews Update, expanding its focus beyond product reviews.
Three reviews updates occurred this year. Google stated that the November 2023 Reviews update is the final one of its kind to be officially confirmed in the future.
- February 21, 2023 Product Reviews Update
Google’s Feb 2023 Product Reviews Update enhances product review quality in search results. Released on Feb 21, 2023, at 5 PM ET, it improves system understanding, boosts review quality, rewards in-depth content, and promotes uniqueness.
- April 12, 2023 Reviews Update
April 2023 brought Google’s Reviews Update, analyzing review-like content. Launched on April 12, 2023, it was completed in 13 days.
The update now includes “Experience” in Double-E-A-T, considering phrases like “in my experience” as authority signals to Google.
- November 8, 2023 Reviews Update
Google’s November 8, 2023, reviews system update concluded its 29-day rollout on December 7, marking the last confirmed review system update.
It underscores the impact on search rankings and consumer trust, with site-wide evaluations for those primarily focused on reviews and page-level assessments for secondary review-centric sites.
Helpful Content Update in the September 2023
The helpful content update from Google in September 2023 was initiated on Sept. 14, wrapping up its 14-day rollout by Sept. 28.
Although the year saw only one such update, its significance remains a hot topic among SEOs. The impact appears more pronounced within the SEO industry niche, particularly on sites crafted for search engine rankings, rather than those considering a broader perspective.
The objective of the update was to enhance search result quality by favouring websites with valuable and informative content. It cautioned against actions like fabricating content freshness, lending domain authority externally, and publishing irrelevant material.
With implications for all languages, the update may lead to ranking variations. Throughout 2023, Google revised documentation, emphasizing user experience, and in April, incorporated a section into helpful content guidelines, highlighting the overall page experience’s impact on site ranking.
AI-Generated Content Rules
In the recent helpful content update, Google seems less stringent on AI-generated content, prioritizing “original, helpful content created for people.” While this shift suggests a more lenient approach, caution is advised, as content must still be original.
Third-Party Content Warning
Hosting third-party content for higher ranking may backfire. The latest update cautions that misaligned content can impact the host site’s overall ranking. Google recommends preventing indexing of such third-party content to mitigate risks
October 4, 2023, Spam Update
On October 4, 2023, Google initiated a spam update, spanning 15 days and 12 hours until its completion on October 20, 2023.
This update aims to enhance the spam detection system, curbing spam results. Its focus includes cloaking, hacked, auto-generated, and scraped spam across languages like Turkish, Vietnamese, Indonesian, Hindi, Chinese, and more.
Additionally, it targets thin, copied, misleading, and overly promotional content. Google employs a blend of algorithms and various ranking factors to present search engine results pages (SERPs) based on relevance.
Other Algorithm Updates & Changes
- Topic Authority System
In May, Google introduced a system to enhance the visibility of news content, emphasizing topic authority. While not a new algorithm, Google had not disclosed this system previously.
This isn’t a recent development. Danny Sullivan, Google’s Search Liaison, clarified on Twitter that the discussed ranking system is not a new launch but has been in use for several years.
He mentioned, “To add a bit more, this isn’t a new system that’s just launched. We’ve used it for several years. Our post today is part of our regular efforts to share more about how ranking works.”
- Personalized Google Search
Apart from the helpful content update, On December 6, 2023, Google introduced an innovative personal search experience featuring a follow button and personalized ranking.
The follow button enables users to subscribe to topics of interest, leading to the display of relevant content in search results. Updates will be delivered in users’ home feeds and upon revisiting a search.
- Local Ranking Algorithm
November witnessed Google refining its local ranking algorithm, emphasizing strengthening the “openness signal” for non-navigational queries.
This adjustment increases the likelihood of businesses that are currently open to appearing higher in search results for such queries.
According to Google’s Search Liaison, Danny Sullivan said on X, the inclusion of “openness” in local ranking systems has been a longstanding practice. The recent algorithm update is a proactive step aimed at delivering users more precise and up-to-date information.
- Discover-related Traffic
Google addressed a bug on November 1, 2023, that impacted the application of its October 2023 core update to Discover.
The problem arose during the rollout of the core update on October 5, 2023, and was resolved on October 31, 2023.
According to Google Search Liason on X, the bug led to a notable decline in Discover traffic for certain websites. With the bug now fixed, some sites may observe a resurgence in Discover-related traffic.
- Language Matching System
In September, Google enhanced its language matching system to align search results with user language preferences better. Google highlighted ongoing efforts to improve language matching systems for more precise search results, ensuring flexibility for multilingual searchers.
Although Google discontinued several ranking systems’ help documentation, it clarified that while page experience isn’t a ranking system, it remains a significant signal.
- Search Quality Raters Guidelines
On November 16, Google updated its search quality raters guidelines, placing greater emphasis on user intent and the alignment of search results with user expectations.
- Ranking Page Update
In March, Google relaunched its ranking updates page, aiming for enhanced tracking capabilities.
In December, Google introduced a fresh “ranking” section to its Search Status dashboard.
The ranking segment, which was recently incorporated, encompassed both current and historical Google algorithm updates. This feature allowed users to track alterations in Google Search specifically associated with ranking, extending beyond crawling, indexing, or serving.
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