Read the post
I’ve seen it happen more than once. You wake up, check your analytics, and suddenly half your traffic is gone. No warning, no penalty message. Just a massive drop. That’s often the wake-up call that a Google Core Update has rolled out.
If your rankings rise or fall during a core update, it means Google is reassessing your content’s quality and relevance.
That’s not personal. It’s about aligning results with Google’s goal: surfacing the most helpful, reliable content for users.
And that brings us to something every serious SEO needs to understand—Google’s quality standards are evolving. If you want to stay visible, you need to meet that bar. In this guide, I’ll show you exactly how.
What Are Google Core Updates?
Google Core Updates are broad recalibrations of how Google assesses content quality, relevance, and usefulness across the entire search index.
When a Google Core Update rolls out, it’s not targeting your site. It’s reevaluating everything. That’s the key to understanding what makes these updates different from most other algorithm changes.
A Broad Reassessment of Search Quality
Google describes core updates as a way to ensure it’s showing the best possible results for any given query. That means the entire ranking system is being fine-tuned.
These updates don’t fix specific bugs or demote isolated spam tactics. Instead, they look at how all ranking signals are weighted and how well content serves searcher needs.
A core update is like a restaurant critic rewriting their “Top 20” list after trying new places and revisiting old ones. Maybe your restaurant didn’t get worse, but a few new spots earned better reviews. That shift alone could knock you down the list.
The same thing happens with websites.
You might have had a solid page on a topic for years, but if someone publishes a deeper, clearer, more helpful version, Google may start ranking that page above yours.
That doesn’t mean you’re penalized. It means the competition got stronger, and Google’s scoring system changed to reflect what users want now.
Moz put it clearly...
Core updates introduce significant changes to the Google codebase.
These are big algorithmic shifts, and the impact can be seen across industries—from ecommerce to education to news.
What Core Updates Are Not
A lot of confusion still lingers around what core updates actually do. So let’s clear the air.
- They are not penalties. Google isn’t manually punishing your site. Drops are algorithmic reshuffles, not punitive actions.
- They don’t target specific industries. Just because many health or finance sites dropped during a particular update doesn’t mean they were singled out. That’s a correlation, not a rule.
- There are no quick fixes. You can’t reverse a core update hit by tweaking a few meta tags. It takes a holistic improvement in content quality, trust, and relevance.
This is why understanding core updates isn’t about chasing the algorithm. It’s about building content that consistently meets Google's evolving expectations, AND stays aligned with what people are really searching for.
Core Updates vs. Other Algorithm Changes
Not every Google update shakes up the SERPs the way a core update does. That’s because core updates aren’t just targeting one issue or spam signal. They recalibrate Google’s entire ranking system.
To really understand the scope of core updates, it helps to see how they stack up against other types of algorithm changes.
As you can see, each of these updates serves a specific purpose.
- Spam Updates, for instance, go after black-hat techniques like cloaking or link schemes.
- Product Reviews Updates reward high-quality, in-depth reviews and suppress thin affiliate-style content.
- Helpful Content Updates aim to identify whether your content was written for users or just for search engines.
What sets core updates apart is the scale. They affect all topics, all query types, and every niche. Whether you run a recipe blog or a B2B SaaS site, you’re on the table when Google runs a core update.
That means core updates aren’t something you can “opt out of.” If you publish content on the web, you’re part of the ecosystem that gets reevaluated.
That’s why the only sustainable path is to create content that consistently demonstrates quality, relevance, and trust. When the next update hits, your site will be in a stronger position because of it.
How and When Google Releases Core Updates
Google doesn’t operate on a fixed calendar when it comes to core updates, but there is a general rhythm. In most years, you can expect two to four major updates. Each one gets named based on the month and year it rolls out—like the March 2025 Core Update or August 2024 Core Update.
These rollouts usually last 1 to 2 weeks. During that time, rankings can fluctuate daily. Some days you may see dramatic gains or losses. Then things stabilize. That’s why it’s critical not to panic or start making major changes until the rollout is complete.
I’ve learned this the hard way. Early in my SEO career, I would react too fast. Rewrite content. Pull pages. Clean internal links. But the dust would settle and I’d realize the algorithm had corrected itself. Now, I wait. I monitor. I take notes. Only after the rollout finishes do I start a formal audit.
Google helps with that timing. Their Search Status Dashboard publicly tracks the start and end of each core update.
You can also follow Google Search Liaison on X (formerly Twitter) for rollout announcements. They’ll usually post when an update begins and when it’s finished.
That window is your observation period. Treat it like a doctor would after prescribing a new treatment. Don’t start another diagnosis until you’ve seen how the first one plays out.
Timing also matters for your response strategy. If you make meaningful content improvements today, you may not see a bounce-back until the next core update runs its course. That’s just how Google’s re-evaluation cycle works. Patience, paired with smart adjustments, is what pays off.
What Happens to Rankings During a Core Update?
If your rankings take a hit during a core update, it’s not because Google penalized you. That’s one of the biggest misunderstandings I see. Core updates are about reassessment, not punishment.
Google’s restaurant analogy says it best. Imagine a “Top 20 Restaurants” list in a city. A new list comes out, and your favorite spot dropped to number 12. That doesn’t mean it suddenly got worse. Maybe a few new places opened, or old ones improved their service. The entire list shifted because new data came in.
That’s exactly how core updates work. Google is constantly refining how it understands relevance, quality, and intent. A page that ranked well last month might now be seen as less helpful for a specific query. Not because the page changed, but because Google’s interpretation evolved.
Real-World Impact
In practice, this means volatility. You’ll see pages jump up, fall down, and sometimes bounce back within the same rollout window.
One month, user-generated content might rise. The next, it could decline. Forums, reviews, brand sites, niche blogs—they’re all affected based on how their content matches evolving user needs.
Entire industries can feel the shift. I’ve worked with ecommerce brands that gained visibility simply because their product descriptions were clearer and more helpful than the competition.
I’ve also seen content sites lose rankings because their articles started drifting away from what users actually wanted.
And here’s something I always tell clients: a drop doesn’t mean your content is bad. It might just mean someone else is doing a better job of meeting the search intent today.
That’s why you need to evaluate rankings with clarity. Is your content outdated? Does it still satisfy the searcher’s goal? Or has Google simply found something better?
When the answer is the latter, the path forward is not panic. It’s improvement. Realignment. A fresh look at how your page serves the person behind the query.
How Google Evaluates Content in Core Updates: The Role of E-E-A-T
If you’ve been hit by a core update, chances are Google’s algorithms re-evaluated your content through the lens of E-E-A-T. That stands for Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trust. It’s not just an acronym. It’s a framework for how Google decides what content deserves to rank.
I’ve audited dozens of sites post-update. The difference between those that recover and those that don’t usually comes down to how well they demonstrate these four traits. Let’s break them down.
What Is E-E-A-T?
Experience
Google wants to see proof that the person creating the content has lived what they’re talking about. That could be a firsthand product review, a case study, or an article that includes personal observations. If you’re reviewing a SaaS tool, show that you’ve actually used it. Screenshots, workflows, even frustrations—they all build trust.
Expertise
This is about skill and knowledge. If your content tackles a complex or sensitive topic, it needs to be written or reviewed by someone qualified. That doesn’t always mean a PhD. It could be a mechanic writing about brake repair or a financial planner discussing retirement strategies. The point is, the writer knows their stuff.
Authoritativeness
This one is earned over time. Do others in your industry refer to your content? Do you get backlinks from respected sources? Do you rank for terms that matter in your niche? Authority is built through consistent quality, not volume.
Trust
This is the cornerstone. Google has said that trust is the most important component of E-E-A-T. Trust comes from transparency, accuracy, and ethical practices. Pages that hide authorship or make exaggerated claims tend to underperform. Pages that clearly show who’s behind the content, cite real sources, and provide a good user experience tend to win.
E-E-A-T in Practice
Here’s how I apply E-E-A-T during content audits or site overhauls:
- Add author bios with relevant credentials or experience
- Reference original research or real-world examples, not just summaries of what others wrote
- Make sure About and Contact pages are clear and easy to find
- Link out to trusted sources to back up your claims
- Ensure your site design builds trust—no intrusive ads, no broken elements
According to Google’s Search Quality Rater Guidelines, “Pages with High E-E-A-T are trustworthy or very trustworthy.” That’s the bar you want to hit.
In March 2024, Google doubled down. That update deindexed hundreds of sites, many of which had low E-E-A-T scores and relied heavily on AI-generated content. Tools can assist, but if you’re publishing content with no human oversight or firsthand knowledge, you’re asking for trouble.
Marie Haynes has been tracking this closely. Her analysis showed that sites with strong E-E-A-T signals were far more likely to recover or grow after updates. Especially in YMYL niches—health, finance, law—your site will not compete unless you can show real authority and trustworthiness.
And remember, E-E-A-T is not a checklist. It’s a lens. When Google evaluates your content during a core update, it’s asking: “Is this genuinely helpful, and can the reader trust it?”
If the answer is no, rankings drop. If the answer is yes, that’s how you win.
The Importance of Intent and Relevance
It doesn’t matter how good your content is if it no longer matches what users actually want. That’s why search intent is one of the most important pieces of Google’s ranking puzzle—and it’s a major factor during core updates.
Google’s understanding of language and user behavior evolves constantly. Each core update reflects that evolution. I’ve seen this play out firsthand: content that once ranked at the top can suddenly slide, not because it got worse, but because the intent behind the query shifted.
When Intent Changes, Rankings Follow
Take the keyword “Barbie.” A few years ago, that search would show results about the doll’s history, collector editions, or related toys. But once the Barbie movie exploded in popularity, Google adjusted. Now, those same searches are more likely to surface movie trailers, reviews, and cast interviews.
The same thing can happen to your content. Maybe you wrote a great guide to “remote team management” in 2020. But now, in 2025, people searching that phrase might be looking for AI tools, hybrid workflows, or employee monitoring solutions. If your content doesn’t speak to the new need, it might drop—no matter how good it was two years ago.
What to Do When Intent Shifts
When rankings drop after a core update, always ask: “Has the intent behind this keyword changed?” If so, you have two options.
- Update the page to better serve the new user intent. This could mean changing the format, updating examples, or shifting the focus altogether.
- Create new content that targets the new intent while preserving the old page for legacy traffic.
Intent shifts aren’t a failure. They’re a signal. They show you what users want right now, not what they used to want. And Google is getting sharper at picking up on that.
The goal is simple: make sure your content still answers the question behind the query. Because relevance is not static. It evolves. Your content should too.
Site Trustworthiness, Authority, and Long-Term Signals
Google isn’t just looking at your latest blog post. It’s looking at your site as a whole. During core updates, the algorithm doesn’t isolate pages in a vacuum. It takes a long view—assessing your track record, content quality, and trustworthiness across the board.
This is where long-term signals come into play. I’ve worked on sites that had a few standout articles but a ton of thin or outdated content dragging everything down. In those cases, it wasn’t just about improving a single page. It was about cleaning house.
The Compound Value of Trust
Trust isn’t built in a week. It’s earned through consistent quality, clarity, and care. Here’s what that looks like in practice:
- A solid backlink profile from reputable, relevant sources
- Helpful content that gets updated and improved regularly
- A user experience that’s intuitive on both desktop and mobile
- Technical stability—fast load times, secure browsing, clean navigation
- Engagement signals that show people actually spend time on your site
Google’s systems may not rely on one single trust metric, but together, these signals paint a picture. And when core updates roll out, that picture gets reassessed.
One of the most overlooked factors? Low-quality sections of a site. Even if you have great cornerstone content, thin pages or legacy cruft can weigh down your overall domain authority. That’s why regular content audits matter.
What You Can Do
Here’s how I approach long-term trust improvements:
- Audit and prune outdated or underperforming content. If a page hasn’t brought value in years, either update it or remove it.
- Strengthen your About and Contact pages. Make it clear who you are, what you do, and how users can reach you.
- Improve UX metrics like bounce rate, time on site, and mobile usability. Even if these aren’t confirmed ranking factors, they reflect how helpful and trustworthy your content feels.
- Diversify your traffic sources. Sites that rely 100 percent on search are vulnerable. Building email lists, direct traffic, or social engagement helps create resilience.
Marie Haynes put it well: “Fixes may not help until the next core update reevaluates your site.” That’s the reality. Google may take time to reflect changes in your visibility. But if you focus on building long-term credibility, those changes will come.
Core updates reward consistency. If you’ve been doing the right things for a while, you’ll feel the lift. If not, now’s the time to start.
Historical Timeline of Major Core Updates (2011–2025)
Google’s algorithm has never stood still. Since 2011, the search landscape has been shaped by a series of foundational updates—each one adjusting how content is ranked, evaluated, or surfaced. These updates weren’t isolated events. They were part of a larger shift toward quality, relevance, and trust.
When I look back at the updates that had the biggest impact on client sites, I can see clear patterns. Each major update nudged the SEO field in a new direction. Understanding these milestones helps you see where Google has been, and more importantly, where it’s going.
Let’s break down what each of these meant for site owners.
Panda (2011): This was Google’s first big quality filter. It hit content farms hard and rewarded pages that actually offered value. It also introduced the idea that thin or duplicated content could drag down an entire site.
Penguin (2012): Penguin changed the link game. Sites built on link-buying or anchor text manipulation saw steep drops. Over time, Google integrated Penguin into its core algorithm, shifting from manual penalties to continuous link evaluations.
Medic (2018): This update hit the health space hard but had broader implications. It elevated content backed by expertise and authority, especially in YMYL niches. That was the moment E-A-T moved from theory to reality.
March 2024 Core Update: This was one of the most disruptive updates in recent memory. Google folded the Helpful Content signal into the core algorithm, leading to mass deindexing of low-quality or AI-driven pages. It reinforced that content created purely for ranking—without real value—would no longer survive.
March 2025 Core Update: This latest shift appears to be another refinement of content signals, especially around user-generated content and AI assistance. Reddit gained traction, while many forums declined. The message was clear: usefulness matters, no matter the format.
Each of these updates left a mark. If there’s one takeaway from this timeline, it’s that Google keeps pushing toward the same goal—surfacing content that’s helpful, trustworthy, and aligned with what people actually want.
How to Respond if You’re Hit by a Core Update
When your rankings drop after a core update, it’s natural to feel like something broke. But here’s the truth: core updates aren’t about fixing a bug or finding one quick solution. They’re about broad reassessments. That means your recovery starts with strategy, not panic.
The biggest mistake I see? Reacting too fast. People overhaul entire sites while the update is still rolling out. They delete content, change structures, even rebrand—all before understanding what actually changed.
Google’s own advice? Focus on long-term improvements in content quality, trust, and alignment with user needs. That’s what the algorithm is trying to surface.
Recovery Checklist
Use this list to guide your response:
❏ Wait for rollout to finish
Don’t make big changes mid-update. Let the dust settle before assessing impact.
❏ Audit for quality, UX, and E-E-A-T issues
Review your top-traffic pages. Are they comprehensive, helpful, and up to date?
❏ Update or remove underperforming pages
Thin content or outdated articles can pull down your overall site quality.
❏ Improve author transparency and citations
Add bios, credentials, and cite reputable sources. Make it clear who’s behind the content.
❏ Monitor intent alignment
Check if your content still matches what users expect from the keywords it targets.
These steps aren’t about chasing Google’s latest preference. They’re about making your site more useful, trustworthy, and aligned with what searchers need.
A Word of Realism
Not every drop is recoverable. Sometimes the problem isn’t content quality—it’s intent. If Google decides that a different kind of result better satisfies a query, your page might fall even if it’s well written. That’s not something you can fix. But you can adapt.
I’ve seen sites recover by pivoting to better serve the new intent. I’ve also seen them grow by focusing on different, more relevant keywords. The point is to understand what changed, then respond with clarity—not guesswork.
This isn’t a penalty. It’s a recalibration. And that’s an opportunity, if you treat it the right way.
What the Experts are Saying About Core Updates
When a core update hits, the most valuable thing you can do is look at what worked for others. Not quick fixes. Not speculation. Actual recovery stories backed by audits, testing, and a deep understanding of how Google’s ranking systems evolve.
Here are three experts I’ve followed closely for years. Each brings a different angle to core updates, and each has helped site owners turn losses into long-term gains.
Marie Haynes: Recovery Through E-E-A-T Alignment
Marie has been one of the loudest voices on the importance of E-E-A-T. Her audits often focus less on technical tweaks and more on trust, transparency, and helpfulness.
In one post-update case, her team helped a financial site that had lost visibility rebuild credibility by:
- Adding author bios with real-world credentials
- Cleaning up thin content and improving topical depth
- Earning fresh backlinks from relevant finance sources
- Making the About page more transparent and complete
The result? Rankings started to recover with the next core update. The message was clear: E-E-A-T isn’t a theory. It’s a path to trust, and trust is what Google rewards.
Glenn Gabe: Differentiating Quality vs. Relevance Drops
Glenn’s strength is in diagnosing why a site dropped. Was it because the content quality fell short, or because Google changed how it interprets intent?
He shares a great example of a site that lost traffic on high-volume queries after an update—but those visitors had never really engaged with the content. The site was ranking for keywords that didn’t align with its true focus.
Instead of trying to “win back” those queries, they pivoted toward topics where they were a natural fit. Traffic returned. So did conversions.
Glenn’s insight: If you lost rankings due to intent shifts, don’t chase ghosts. Refocus your content on where you’re genuinely the best answer.
Lily Ray: Watching the Forum and UGC Volatility
Lily has closely tracked how Google treats user-generated content and forums across core updates. In 2023, she noted a surge in visibility for sites like Reddit. But by March 2025, many forums had lost ground.
Her takeaway? Google is still fine-tuning how much to trust UGC. Sites that curated and moderated UGC well performed better than those flooded with low-quality threads.
She also emphasizes originality. In her analysis, thin affiliate content and generic AI summaries got hit the hardest. The winners? Sites that offered real insight, personal perspective, or exclusive data.
Lily’s advice: You can’t fake depth. Google is rewarding sites that genuinely help people—not those that just aggregate information.
These expert case studies don’t offer silver bullets. But they do show patterns. Quality. Clarity. Focus. Those are the recovery pillars that last beyond any single update.
Core Updates as a Call to Quality
Every core update is Google asking the same question: Are you genuinely helping users, or just trying to game the system?
If you’re focused on shortcuts, you’ll get caught in the cycle—ranking jumps, ranking drops, endless scrambling. But if your content is people-first, grounded in real expertise, and aligned with evolving search intent, core updates become less scary and more predictable.
I’ve worked with sites that used updates as a wake-up call. They audited their content, cleaned up outdated pages, tightened their focus, and improved transparency. Over time, they didn’t just recover—they grew stronger with each update.
That’s the shift I want you to make. Don’t treat core updates as crises. Treat them as checkpoints. They’re opportunities to ask hard questions about your site and your content.
If you haven’t already, start a content audit today. Use Google’s E-E-A-T and Helpful Content guidelines as your lens. Identify what’s working, what’s dragging you down, and what needs to evolve.
Because long-term, sustainable SEO isn’t about chasing the algorithm. It’s about serving the people behind the search.
