The Google May 2020 core update that began rolling out on Monday, May 4, 2020, has now been completed. Google announced on Twitter, “the May 2020 Core Update rollout is complete” on Monday.
The announcement. Here is the tweet from Google at 12:37pm ET on Monday, May 18, 2020.
The May 2020 Core Update rollout is complete.
— Google SearchLiaison (@searchliaison) May 18, 2020
Two weeks. It took about two weeks to completely roll out. Google indicated the rollout of this core update would take about “one to two weeks to fully roll out.” This update began on May 4, 2020, at 3:50pm ET and fully rolled out by May 18, 2020, at 12:37pm ET.
This was a big update. Based on the data we obtained around this update, it was a significant one. We reviewed data from several companies that specialize in analyzing Google search-related information.
Review your analytics. Now is the time to check your analytics to see if this update impacted your site. By now, you likely would have noticed any negative or positive effects. But since the rollout is complete, you can safely analyze the full impact of this update on your site(s).
What to do if you are hit. Google has previously offered advice on what to consider if a core update negatively affects you. There aren’t specific actions to take to recover, and a negative rankings impact may not indicate that anything is wrong with your pages. However, Google has provided a list of questions to consider if your site is hit by a core update.
Why we care. It is often challenging to determine what steps to take to reverse any algorithmic impact on your site. Google core updates make this even more difficult. Experience and data have shown us that these core updates are broad, wide-reaching, and address numerous quality issues. The data reinforces this notion. If your site was hit by a core update, it is often recommended that you step back, take a broader view of your entire website, and identify areas for overall improvement.
