Google Launches August 2024 Core Update: Another Major Core Update

Google has started rolling out its August 2024 core update. This is the second core update launched by Google in 2024, the March 2024 core update being the first one. The August core update is aimed at promoting independent websites and publishers having good quality content and demoting websites with low-value SEO-first content.

This update is based on the feedback that Google has heard in the past few months. Small and independent publishers who were negatively impacted by the September 2023 helpful content update and March 2024 core might benefit from this new update that Google is currently rolling out.

What is the Google Core Update of August 2024?

Google’s August update focuses on prioritizing websites with high-quality content that is genuinely created to help the searchers. Websites and publishers that create content just to perform well on search engines might be demoted. The update considers the feedback received from independent publishers and website owners over the past few months.

The aim is to connect searchers with high-quality websites having helpful content, including small websites and independent publishers, which seemed to be negatively affected by the past core updates. The Google August update will also take into account the improvements made by websites and publishers so that the best can be offered to the users. Therefore, sites that have made improvements based on the past Google updates launched in 2023 and 2024 may be promoted.

Google has updated the Core Update Guidance 

Google has also updated its help page about the core updates. The page will now have more detailed and in-depth guidance for those who may be affected by the core updates.

What To Do if Your Website is Hit by Google’s August Core Update?

Google has provided some tips to consider if your site is hit by this Google update. However, there is not anything really new in this advice. Here’s what you can do:

• As per Google, a drop in rankings might not necessarily mean that there is something wrong with your pages. There is no specific action that you are required to take.
• There is a list of questions that Google has provided in the past. You can go through those questions in case your website is hit by the August core update.
• Google also stated that there might be some recovery in between these updates, but the major changes will be reflected after the next core update.
• Focus on creating reliable, helpful, and people-first content rather than just publishing content to rank well on SERPs.

Bottom Line

Many websites were hit by the September 2023 helpful content update and have not seen recoveries yet. Many of these were small websites and independent publishers who have been expecting recoveries after every core update since then. These small and independent sites may benefit from this August 2024 core update. However, Google says that the major impacts will be seen after the rollout of the next core update.

Till then, our SEO experts recommend website publishers focus on creating high-quality and reliable content. SEO is important, but content that is just created for SEO purposes without adding any value to the readers will most likely be pushed down.

If you have any further queries, you can connect with our experts!