What should news publishers know about Google Core updates?

News publishers should be aware of several key considerations regarding Google Core Updates. These updates, released by Google periodically, aim to enhance the search engine's algorithms and improve the quality of search results. Here are important aspects that news publishers should be mindful of:

• Frequency of Updates
• Algorithm Changes
• Prioritise Content Quality
• Expertise, Authority, and Trustworthiness (E-E-A-T)
• Monitoring Changes
• Adherence to Google Guidelines
• Continuous Adaptation

1. Frequency of Updates

Google releases fundamental changes on a regular basis, which can happen many times a year. It's crucial to stay informed about when these updates are happening

2. Algorithm Changes

Changes to Google's ranking algorithm are frequently included in core upgrades. Publishers should be aware of which components of content and websites are likely to be affected by these adjustments.

3. Prioritise Content Quality

Google places a premium on content quality. News organisations should prioritise the creation of high-quality, accurate, and valuable material that fits the demands of their target audience.

4. Expertise, Authority, and Trustworthiness (E-E-A-T)

Google evaluates the E-E-A-T of content and websites. Publishers, particularly in the news industry, should position themselves as authority in their respective niches and ensure the quality and credibility of their information.

5. Monitoring Changes

After a core update, publishers should closely monitor their website's performance in search results. Understanding changes in rankings and traffic patterns can provide insights into how the update has affected their content.

6. Adherence to Google Guidelines

Publishers should familiarize themselves with Google's Webmaster Guidelines and ensure their website complies with these guidelines. This includes aspects like avoiding deceptive practices and ensuring proper technical optimization.

7. Continuous Adaptation

The SEO landscape is dynamic, and Google's algorithms evolve. Publishers need to adapt continuously, staying informed about industry trends and updates to maintain or improve their search visibility. By staying informed about Google Core Updates and aligning their strategies with Google's guidelines, news publishers can enhance their online presence and visibility in search results. It's an ongoing process that involves a commitment to quality, relevance, and user satisfaction.

Assessing your own content

As previously said, pages that change after a core upgrade have nothing to fix. Having said that, we recognise that people who aren't performing as well following a core update modification may still feel the need to act. We suggest focusing on ensuring you're offering the best content you can. That's what our algorithms seek to reward. To learn more about how to create content that's successful, see our help page on how to create helpful, reliable people-first content. It has questions that you can ask yourself when assessing your own content

Also, consider an audit of the drops you may have experienced. What pages were most impacted and for what types of searches? Look closely at these to understand how these pages may perform against the self-assessment questions. For example, there may be other pages that are doing a better job of helping the searcher because they have first-hand knowledge on that topic. You might also have others you trust (who are unaffiliated with your site) provide an honest assessment.

How long does it take to recover from a core update?

Broad-core updates tend to happen every few months. Content that was impacted in Search or Discover by one might not recover—assuming improvements have been made—until the next broad core update is released. However, we're constantly making updates to our search algorithms, including smaller core updates. We don't announce all of these because they're generally not widely noticeable. Still, when released, they can cause content to recover if improvements warrant.

Do keep in mind that improvements made by site owners aren't a guarantee of recovery, nor do pages have any static or guaranteed position in our search results. If there's more deserving content, that will continue to rank well with our systems.

Hocalwire CMS has excellent automation features that direct traffic from various sources to your website. With the help of Google Analytics and potential options from Hocalwire, you can significantly increase your traffic. Schedule a Demo to learn more about Hocalwire CMS's limitless potential.