Google’s core updates, including the November Core Update, send ripples through the digital world. These updates are broad changes to Google’s algorithms designed to improve how search results are ranked and returned to users. While the specifics of each update are elusive and rarely disclosed in detail, they often emphasize improving the quality of search results by rewarding valuable, relevant content. Understanding the potential impact of this update is mission-critical to maintaining strong performance in search rankings.
One goal of Google core updates is to improve the searcher’s user experience by updating how Google evaluates content quality and relevance. Websites that produce real, useful, well-researched, and original content are typically rewarded with higher rankings. This core update also aligns with Google’s focus on E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authority, and Trustworthiness), which remains central for determining content quality in recent years. If your site has been impacted, it’s not about fixing one specific issue but taking a holistic approach to improving content, user experience, and technical performance.
Sites that are lacking a robust architecture and are not properly optimized are in Google’s crosshairs. Slow websites with, broken links, or user experience issues will undoubtedly be impacted. Google’s algorithms prioritize content-rich sites that function well across all devices. Addressing technical issues like page speed, responsive design, and structured data improves search engines’ understanding and ranking of your site. Properly organized URL structures, meaningful meta descriptions, and image alt text can make a site more accessible for Google to index effectively. This is particularly important for prominent sites, where duplicate content or poorly organized internal links can confuse search engines and hurt rankings.
Tools like Google Search Console and third-party SEO platforms like Screaming Frog or SEMrush can help identify patterns, such as which pages were most affected and what search queries changed. By identifying these trends, you can make data-driven adjustments to your site. This might include refreshing outdated content, expanding thin articles, or focusing more on topics your audience cares about.
You can’t fight city hall, right? We suggest that all webmasters take heed of Google and do their best to comply, updating old content and properly structuring new. While it may take time for rankings to stabilize, focusing on content quality, technical performance, and user experience will help your website thrive in the shifting search landscape.
Bradford Strategies’ SEO experts can help avoid November woes through technical audits, optimizations and content cleansing.
