Google Search Algorithm Updates in 2023: Here is All You Must Know

Google released ten search algorithm updates both in 2021 and 2022. But as of now, the total number of confirmed Google algorithm updates in 2023 is only nine. Therefore, if Google doesn’t come up with one new update this week, the number of search ranking updates this year will be less than that in the last two years. Although there are several unconfirmed ones, only 9 confirmed search ranking updates and a new AI search engine (SGE) have been launched by Google in 2023 so far.

9 Google Algorithm Updates in 2023

In 2023, Google released a total of nine updates, including 4 core updates, 3 review updates, a helpful content update, and a spam update. For your better understanding, we have listed all Google search ranking updates of 2023 along with their rolling dates in the following table: 

Name of the Update	When Was It Rolled Out?
Product Reviews Update	February 21 - March 7, 2023
March Core Update	March 15 - March 28, 2023
April Reviews Update	April 12 - April 25, 2023
August Core Update	August 22 - September 7, 2023
Helpful Content Update	September 14 - September 28, 2023
Spam Update	October 4 - October 20, 2023
October Core Update	October 5 - October 19, 2023
November Core Update	November 2 - November 28, 2023
November Reviews Update	November 8 - December 7, 2023

As can be seen in the above table, there was a gap of four months between April and August 2023 when no confirmed Google updates were released. People have been linking this with the holiday shopping season. But Google’s Search Liaison, Danny Sullivan, says that they keep doing updates throughout the year and release them once they are ready. This seems to be a much clearer explanation. 

Four Google Core Updates Released in 2023

Google released a total of four core updates in 2023, compared to only two core updates in 2022. These updates were released in March, August, October, and November of 2023. Let us quickly have a look at when these updates were released, their volatility, and what they are all about:

1. Google’s March Core Update 2023: This update started rolling out on March 15 and took thirteen days to roll out completely. This update focused on improving the quality of Google search results by prioritizing websites that offer better user experience. As per some data providers, the volatility was similar to that of the previous core updates.

2. Google’s August Core Update 2023: The August 2022 Core Update of Google started rolling out on August 22 and took sixteen days to complete. This update focused on improving the relevance of search engine results by prioritizing web pages that contain relevant and high-quality content. The volatility was less than usual or we can say it was less than the previous updates.

3. Google’s October Core Update 2023: Google’s October 2023 Core Update started rolling out on October 5 and took fourteen days to roll out completely. This update focused on downgrading low-quality websites while promoting high-quality ones. The volatility was quite difficult to measure in this case as the update overlapped with the Google Spam update.

4. Google’s November Core Update 2023: The November 2023 Core Update of Google started rolling out on November 2 and took twenty-six days to complete. It marked the second major update of the year. As per Google, this update was targeted on a different core system. As per data providers, the volatility was higher than the October spam update, but even this update overlapped with the November reviews update.

Google’s Product Reviews and Reviews Updates

Google also released three reviews updates in 2023, including the February 2023 product reviews update, April 2023 reviews update, and November 2023 reviews update. Let us explore these further:

1. February 2023 Product Reviews Update: This update started on February 21 and took fourteen days to roll out completely. The volatility shows that this update was more significant than the previous reviews updates. After this update, it was named reviews update.

2. April 2023 Review Update: This update started rolling out on April 12 and took thirteen days to complete. Along with the product reviews, this update included other types of review content, such as destinations, media, businesses, etc. The volatility was quite widespread as the update included different categories of review content.

3. November 2023 Review Update: This update started rolling out on November 8 and took twenty-nine days to roll out completely. Like the previous update, it also included different categories of review content. The volatility couldn’t be measured as the update overlapped with the November core update.

Google’s September 2023 Helpful Content Update

The 2023 helpful content update of Google started on September 14 and took another 14 days to roll out completely. It was one of the most important updates of the year. With this update, Google emphasized prioritizing content that is actually written with experience and expertise rather than content that is just written to manipulate search engines. The volatility was big, especially if you see it from the SEO point of view.

Google’s 2023 Spam Update

October 2023 Google Spam Update started on October 4 and took fifteen days to complete. With this update, Google aimed to reduce the visibility of spam content in search results. This update overlapped with the October core update and hence measuring the volatility was quite difficult. 

Final Thoughts

Google has been releasing continuous updates to improve its users’ experiences. While core updates of 2023 were majorly aimed at prioritizing websites with high-quality content, review updates focused on different categories of review content, and a spam update was launched to make spam content less visible in search results. However, the total number of updates in 2023 is less than that in the last two years. 

But we are still in the last week of 2023 and Google may come up with another update this week. We at MadHawks try to keep our users updated with the latest news and updates in the digital marketing industry. For any further information or updates, stay tuned!

FAQs

1. Why did Google push so many of these updates in 2023?

Ans. Google keeps doing updates every year to improve user experiences and releases them as soon as they are ready. The company has not just released so many updates only in 2023, but also did the same in previous years as well. 

2. How many Google updates in 2023?

Ans. Google has released a total of 9 confirmed updates so far in 2023.

3. Is Google Core Update important?

Ans. Yes, Google core updates are important as these are designed to improve the quality and relevance of Google search results. 

 

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