Google’s August 2024 core update has finished rolling out, according to a Google spokesperson. It began on August 15, 2024, and concluded 19 days later on September 3, 2024. This update caused significant ranking changes in Google Search results.
This update is not a typical core update. The August 2024 core update incorporated feedback that Google received following the September 2023 helpful content update, which negatively impacted many small and independent publishers.
Key observations: We noticed movement for some sites affected by the previous update. A recent poll suggested that the majority experienced negative impacts from the last core update:
- 44% said their Rankings/Traffic decreased (total votes 1,583)
- 27% said their Rankings/Traffic increased (total votes 993)
- 29% saw no change (total votes 1,038)
Overall, while there were some recoveries from the September 2023 update, these were mostly limited. Many sites did not see significant recovery, and some experienced further declines or remained unchanged.
Ranking bug: During the first four days of the August core update, there was a significant search ranking bug that was fixed afterward. Movements observed during those initial days should be disregarded. It’s better to compare rankings and traffic from this week onward with the weeks before the release of the August core update.
Google’s statements about the August core update: John Mueller, Search Advocate at Google, explained that the update aims to improve the quality of search results by prioritizing genuinely useful content over content made merely to perform well on Search. This update seeks to support small and independent publishers by considering feedback since the March 2024 core update.
- Mueller noted: “This latest update takes into account the feedback we’ve heard from some creators and others over the past few months. As always, we aim to connect people with a range of high-quality sites, including ‘small’ or ‘independent’ sites that are creating useful, original content on relevant searches. This is an area we’ll continue to address in future updates.”
This update intends to recognize site improvements, ensuring the best content surfaces on the web, according to Mueller.
Updated guidance: Google has made several updates to its help page regarding core updates, providing more in-depth guidance for those affected by an update.
Previous core updates: The March 2024 core update was the largest, starting on March 5 and concluding 45 days later on April 19. Here is a recent timeline:
- March 2024 core update: March 5 to April 19
- November 2023 core update: November 2 to November 28
- October 2023 core update: October 5 to October 19
- August 2023 core update: August 22 to September 7
- March 2023 core update: March 15 to March 28
- September 2022 broad core update: Finished on September 26
- May 2022 broad core update
- November 2021 core update
- July 2021 core update
- June 2021 core update: Slow rollout but significant
If you are impacted: Google has previously advised on steps to consider if negatively affected by a core update. Key points include:
- There are no specific actions to recover; a negative ranking may not indicate a problem with your pages.
- Consider a list of questions if your site is hit by a core update.
- You might see some recovery between core updates, but the most significant change will occur after another core update.
In short, focus on creating helpful content for users rather than just aiming to rank in search engines.
- Google advised: “There’s nothing new or special that creators need to do for this update as long as they’ve been making satisfying content meant for people. For those that might not be ranking as well, we strongly encourage reading our creating helpful, reliable, people-first content help page.”
Why it matters: You should already see the effects of this update on your website. If you noticed improvements, that’s great—if not, it may indicate more work is needed to make your site more useful and rank better in Google Search results.
Google releases core updates every few months, so continually improving your site and content is crucial. Future updates may benefit your site’s ranking and traffic, so always work on enhancements—not just for Google Search but for your website users as well.
Google mentioned that there won’t be a feedback form for this update.
