On March 12, Google released an update to its algorithms that significantly impacted numerous sites across the web. Many, but not all, of the sites that saw improvements or losses had previously been affected by updates on August 1, 2018 (Medic) or September 27, 2018. Some sites experiencing notable changes were medical-related, but this was not an update solely targeting medical sites. This change influenced many sites considered to be YMYL (Your Money or Your Life) sites.
In this article, we will share some recovery stories, both full and partial, along with insights on the types of quality changes each site has made.
It is important to note that we cannot say with certainty whether these changes were the primary reason these sites saw improvements. However, many sites we monitor that made changes based on clues found in Google’s Quality Raters’ Guidelines witnessed some traffic gains from Google in conjunction with this update.
### Why pay attention to the ‘Quality Raters’ Guidelines?
The QRG is a textbook or guide to help Google’s team of Quality Raters assess websites. These raters assist Google engineers, who design their algorithms, in determining whether the algorithms are achieving their desired outcomes.
Google’s VP of Search, Ben Gomes, stated that while Google’s algorithms do not completely reflect the QRG, if something is in these guidelines, the engineers want to measure it algorithmically. He said, “They don’t tell you how the algorithm is ranking results, but they fundamentally show what the algorithm should do.”
With this knowledge, we have been assessing sites according to the Quality Raters’ Guidelines for a couple of years now.
A full discussion on the QRG is beyond the scope of this article. In the following examples, we will show you changes implemented based on the QRG, hoping you can make improvements on your site as well.
### Case #1: Nutrition Site
This site was among many nutrition sites that saw significant drops with the August 1 update. After reviewing the site, we made several recommendations:
#### Include more E-A-T related info on the home page and about page
The QRG informs raters that it is essential to easily determine the “beneficial purpose” of a page. This particular site added content above the fold to help users understand what they would learn from browsing the site and why this site should be trusted above others. They highlighted their experience and were transparent about site monetization to build trust.
The site already had authoritative authors, but they worked to demonstrate that authority more strongly on the site by writing detailed author bios.
#### Added clear information on terms and conditions
The QRG instruct raters to find information on payment, exchanges, and returns. It’s also important to have clear contact information, as its absence can be viewed as a sign of low quality.
#### Improved their review profile online
The QRG instructs raters to find as much review information as possible about a YMYL business. This site found many reviews for their service and products were negative. They responded to those reviews and encouraged satisfied users to review them online, improving their overall review profile.
#### Adding appropriate references and keeping content up to date
It is crucial for medical sites to support every claim with scientifically referenced data and to ensure content does not contradict the scientific consensus. Fact-checking every claim and keeping content up-to-date contributed greatly to this site’s recent improvements.
The result of all this work was a partial recovery on September 27, 2018, and what appears to be an almost full recovery on March 12.
### Case #2: Small E-commerce Site
This site, not medical in nature but a YMYL site, had not seen hits with previous core quality updates. Following the March Core Quality update, they saw a dramatic increase in traffic.
#### Added E-A-T related information to the home page and about page
The site added a paragraph on why they should be considered experts in their field to inspire user trust and improved the content on their About page to list the business’ accomplishments and accolades.
#### Improved product pages
They worked hard to write unique product descriptions and included other helpful features like guides, video instructions, and FAQs about each product. They also reduced the number of indexed pages by eliminating thin content.
### Case #3: Medical Practitioner Site
This site, helping people with pain issues, was hit hard on August 1, 2018, but is now making a full recovery.
#### Greatly improved author E-A-T
The site improved the display of E-A-T on-site and off-site. Onsite improvements included detailed author bylines and author pages listing credentials. Off-site improvements involved using HARO to get authors quoted in authoritative spaces.
#### Better use of scientific references
The site made good use of scientific references throughout their content, contributing to a significant improvement in traffic following the March 12 Core update.
### Case #4: Large Informational Site
This site, an authority in its space, consulted on making E-A-T related improvements and saw significant traffic growth after the March Core update.
#### Improved author E-A-T on-site
The author, previously working anonymously, now showcases his degrees, scientific writings, and awards on the About Page and has set up an author page on Google Scholar.
## Conclusion
If your site was impacted by the August 1, September 27, or March 12 updates, consider implementing the following actions:
– Read the entire QRG.
– Display your expertise, authoritativeness, and trust on your site.
– Find ways to get people in authoritative places talking about you.
– Stop chasing old SEO tricks that no longer work.
– Don’t ignore technical issues.
– Evaluate your link profile and address any low-quality links.
– Compare your site’s value to competitors.
There will likely be more changes to Google’s attempts to algorithmically assess quality. If your traffic dropped on March 12, providing unique value is key to recovery. For those seeing improvements, continue striving to be the most valuable site of its kind.
