If you own a website or are involved in search engine optimisation, you’ve probably heard about the March 2023 Google core update. This major algorithmic change has already caused significant disruption to many websites’ search rankings and traffic, and it’s a sign of more updates to come. But don’t panic! In this complete guide, we’ll help you survive and thrive after the March 2023 Google core update. We’ll cover everything from understanding the update’s impact on your current SEO efforts to implementing best practices for creating high-quality content, optimising your site structure, improving user experience, building links, and much more.
So sit back, relax and let us guide you through this challenging but ultimately rewarding process of navigating Google’s ever-changing algorithms.
What is a Google Core Update and Why Does it Matter
The March 2023 Google Core Update is a highly anticipated event in the world of search engine optimisation (SEO). But what exactly is a core update and why does it matter?
Simply put, a core update is a change to Google’s search ranking algorithm. These updates are designed to improve the quality and relevance of its search results for users. Every year, Google rolls out several core updates that can have a significant impact on website rankings, traffic, and conversions.
If your website isn’t aligned with Google’s quality standards or user expectations, you may experience a drop in rankings after a core update. Conversely, if your website meets or exceeds these standards, you may see an increase in rankings.
It’s important to note that Google does not announce specific changes made by each core update. However, they provide general guidance on how to align your website with their standards if you’re negatively affected by an update.
In order to prepare for the March 2023 Google Core Update or any other future updates, it’s important to focus on creating high-quality content that aligns with user intent and adheres to webmaster guidelines. This includes prioritising user experience, producing original and relevant content, building page authority through link building and social media engagement, mobile responsiveness and site structure optimisation.
By following these best practices for SEO and staying up-to-date on algorithmic changes through web analytics tracking and industry news sources, you’ll be better equipped to survive and thrive after the March 2023 Google Core Update.
How to Check if Your Website Was Hit by the March 2023 Google Core Update
The March 2023 Google core update is one of the biggest Google algorithm updates in recent years, and it’s important to know if your website has been affected. Fortunately, there is a simple way to check if your site was hit by the update using Google Search Console.
First, you need to verify your website ownership in Google Search Console. Once you’ve done that, you can access the Performance report. This report shows you how many clicks and impressions your website received from Google search over time, as well as the average position and click-through rate for different queries.
To see if your website was hit by the March 2023 Google core update, filter the report by date range and compare the data before and after the update. For example, you can compare the data from March 1 to March 14 (before the update) with the data from March 15 to March 28 (during the update).
Look for any significant drops or increases in clicks, impressions, position or click-through rate during this period. If you notice any changes that correspond with when the update was rolled out, it’s likely that your site has been affected.
To get more insight into which specific queries or pages were affected, you can analyse specific details in Search Console such as country or search appearance. It’s also important to monitor other metrics like bounce rate and time on page as these may show issues with user experience or content quality that could have contributed to a drop in rankings.
Remember – don’t panic if you notice some changes in your analytics! Algorithmic changes happen frequently and are a normal part of SEO. What matters most is what actions you take next to recover and improve your rankings.
What to do if Your Website Was Negatively Affected by the Update
If you’ve noticed a decline in your website’s rankings and traffic after the March 2023 Google core update, don’t panic. There are steps you can take to recover and improve your site’s performance.
Firstly, it’s essential to review Google’s quality guidelines and ensure your website meets them. Your content needs to be original, useful, trustworthy, and engaging for your target audience. Revise or remove any low-quality content that doesn’t add value.
Next, conduct a technical audit to fix any issues that impact usability, speed, security, mobile-friendliness, or crawlability. You can use tools like Google PageSpeed Insights, Google Mobile-Friendly Test, Google Safe Browsing Test and Google Search Console Coverage report to identify and address these problems.
Analysing your competitors’ websites can also help identify areas where they outperform you in content quality, relevance, authority, user experience and optimisation. Use tools like SEMrush or Moz for competitive analysis and find improvement opportunities.
Besides addressing the technical aspects of your site and improving content quality – continuously creating fresh content is crucial. Keep producing valuable content that addresses your audience’s questions and problems while focusing on user intent keywords. Utilize tools like AnswerThePublic or BuzzSumo for popular topic ideas with high search volume.
Remember to stay up-to-date with algorithmic changes by monitoring web analytics data regularly. Keep experimentation with social media engagement techniques along with building brand reputation providing expert advice will go a long way in establishing E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authority, Trustworthiness). Avoid spam tactics such as duplicate content or black hat SEO methods that lead to penalties from search engines.
By following these steps logically one at a time, you can recover from the March 2023 Google core update by regaining trust signals from Google ensuring the best User Experience for all visitors along with better SERP rankings.
How to Prepare for Future Core Updates
Preparing for Google’s core updates can be daunting, but there are steps you can take to ensure your website maintains or improves its rankings. The first step is to stay informed about Google’s algorithm changes by following their official channels, including the Google Search Central blog and Twitter account.
Next, focus on creating high-quality, valuable content that meets user search intent. Use tools like Google Search Console, Google Analytics, and Google Keyword Planner to understand your audience’s needs and create content that answers their questions and solves their problems. Frase is a tool which can help speed up this process with built in SEO and AI-writing tools. Frase can help spot content gaps and speed up the process of writing high quality SEO optimised content. Check out my review of Frase to see if it is a tool that would help you.
Besides content creation, optimise your website for technical aspects such as speed, security, mobile-friendliness, and crawlability. Use tools like Google PageSpeed Insights, Google Mobile-Friendly Test, Google Safe Browsing Test, and the Google Search Console Coverage report to identify any issues and make necessary improvements.
Improving your site’s authority and trustworthiness can also help with future core updates. Earning links from reputable sources can enhance your site’s credibility in the eyes of both users and search engines. Use tools like SEMrush, Moz, Ahrefs, and Ubersuggest to find link opportunities and monitor your backlink profile regularly.
Finally, regularly monitor your website’s rankings and traffic using tools like the Google Search Console or Rank Tracker. Be prepared to make adjustments if necessary based on performance metrics. Monitoring web analytics data will alert you about any drops in organic search traffic that may signal a penalty or other ranking factors at play.
By following these best practices for SEO with future core updates in mind, you’ll be better positioned to maintain or improve your website’s rankings on SERPs.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the March 2023 Google Core Update has brought some significant changes to the world of SEO and website ranking. However, if you take the steps to optimise your website for Google’s algorithm, you can survive and even thrive in this unfamiliar landscape. By focusing on key factors such as user experience, content quality, mobile responsiveness, and E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authority, Trustworthiness), you can improve your website’s ranking and drive more organic traffic to your site. Staying up-to-date with algorithmic changes and following best practices for link building and keyword optimisation can help you stay ahead of the game. Remember to prioritise quality over quantity and always keep your audience in mind when creating content – by doing so, you’ll be well-equipped to navigate the ever-changing world of SEO.
