Google’s September 2022 Core Update Was Swift but Less Impactful Than Previous Updates
On September 12, Google began rolling out its second broad core algorithm update of the year – the September 2022 core update. Several days into this update, Google decided to roll out another algorithm update before the first one was complete – the September 2022 product reviews update.
We felt it was timely to look at the impact of the September 2022 core update, as the product reviews update is now in progress. It’s important to note that the September 2022 core update hasn’t finished rolling out yet.
Data Providers on the September 2022 Core Update
So far, data from several providers shows a consensus. Both Semrush and RankRanger indicate that the September 2022 core update was quick but not as impactful as the previous May 2022 core update, which was both fast and significant.
Semrush: Semrush data indicated that the update hit quickly after its announcement. According to its volatility tracker, volatility spiked on September 12, continued through the 13th, and started to drop on the 14th.
Mordy Oberstein, Semrush Communication Advisor, noted, "This update was far weaker overall than the May update, which was weaker than the November update." He presented a chart comparing the updates.
With the September 2022 core update, Semrush observed a 53% drop in rank volatility compared to the May 2022 Core Update. In contrast, the November 2021 Core Update showed a 19% higher rank volatility than the May 2022 Core Update, indicating a trend of diminishing impact.
A detailed chart by niche highlights these differences, showing that the September update was noticeably weaker than the May update.
During this update, about 15% of the top twenty results consisted of URLs not previously ranked in the top twenty. In comparison, the May 2022 Core Update had over 17% and the November 2021 Core Update had over 16%.
RankRanger: RankRanger’s analysis echoed Semrush’s findings, seeing high levels of fluctuations following the update. Their tool also detected the spike on September 13th. A comparison of rank volatility between the September and May updates showed slightly less volatility in the top 3, top 5, and top 10 positions in the September update.
A month-by-month average position change in Google Search revealed a similar trend, and a detailed comparison between the two updates showed the September update to be slightly less volatile.
RankRanger further analyzed volatility by niche, providing valuable insights into each vertical.
Moz: Moz’s data, known as Mozcast, also showed a spike on September 13th. Dr. Pete Myers from Moz mentioned, "There was moderately high volatility the first couple of days, but much like the helpful content update, no clear peak and the volatility is barely above 30-day averages right now."
SISTRIX: SISTRIX provided data on the top 20 winners and losers for the September 2022 core update, focusing on U.S.-based sites.
More on the May 2022 Core Update
The SEO Community: The September 2022 core update was significant but not as impactful as the May 2022 core update. Early community reactions and charts, along with social shares from SEOs, showed varying impacts, with both winners and losers emerging from this update.
What to Do If You Are Hit: Google has previously given advice on how to respond if negatively impacted by a core update. There are no specific actions to recover, and a negative impact might not mean anything is wrong with the pages. Google suggests considering a list of questions if your site is hit. Some recovery may be seen between updates, but significant changes typically happen after another core update.
Why We Care
Isolating actions to reverse an algorithmic hit from a Google core update is challenging. These updates are broad and cover a variety of quality issues. The data and experience show that looking at the overall quality of your site is crucial. If hit, step back and take a wider view to see how you can improve your website overall.
We hope your company and clients fared well with this update.
More on Google Updates
For more information, you can refer to Search Engine Land’s Google Algorithm Updates history.
