How marketers can prepare for and respond to Google’s algorithm updates

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Google recently announced a list of updates for their search engine, including the addition of over 200 new ranking factors. These changes are major in scope and will have an impact on how brands perform online. Here’s what marketers need to know about Google’s latest algorithm update

Google updates its algorithm on a regular basis. The last update was in October 2017. Anyone who is interested in knowing how often Google updates its algorithm should look into the “How marketers can prepare for and respond to Google’s algorithm updates.” Read more in detail here: how often does google update its algorithm.

How marketers can prepare for and respond to Google's algorithm updates

The Google Search environment is ever-changing. Every year, it releases a slew of algorithm modifications, ranging from adjustments aimed at individual search components to large fundamental updates.

“Google occasionally alters what sorts of information it considers to be most significant,” stated Crystal Carter, senior digital strategist at Optix Solutions, during her talk at SMX Next. “This may sometimes have a major influence on which results are presented on the web.”

Many marketers think that when Google creates and deploys each new set of algorithm improvements, it mostly depends on websites. However, it focuses more on things — a thing or notion that is distinct, unique, well-defined, and identifiable, according to Google — to enhance searchers’ experiences.

“While websites are crucial to Google, they aren’t the sole way it organizes data,” she said. “This is critical for understanding why and how Google updates.”

How-marketers-can-prepare-for-and-respond-to-Googles-algorithmCrystal Carter is shown here.

According to Carter, the information landscape is constantly changing, and Google uses a variety of sources to present the most relevant results: “Google’s algorithms consider where the search is made, where the information is coming from when the search is made, and when the information was written.” They also consider the person’s search method, such as whether they’re using their phone, wristwatch, or smart refrigerator, as well as who created the information.”

“When we look at their algorithm upgrades, we see that they’re effectively directing individuals to highly accessible material from the finest sources,” she said.

What Happens When Google Updates Its Algorithm

Many Google algorithm upgrades target industry-specific or SERP feature-specific difficulties. The majority of the time, they are simple to recognize.

“You’re likely to notice changes to SERP features when there’s a focused update, which is my phrase, not Google’s,” Carter added.

These changes are referred to as “targeted” by Carter because they generally concentrate on improving certain aspects of the SERP, such as how results are presented and which sites are chosen for searches.

1641428412_221_How-marketers-can-prepare-for-and-respond-to-Googles-algorithmCrystal Carter is shown here.

“If you check up a COVID testing site, you’ll see some of the focused work that it’s [Google] done around that SERP,” she said, citing a “targeted” update as an example. “It’s selected the results so you’re seeing government information rather than commercial results, and the maps it’s providing are explicitly geared towards medical components,” says the author.

Core updates, on the other hand, are changes to Google’s algorithm that affect how it crawls and ranks websites in general. These occur less often, but they may have a huge influence.

“In general, you may see changes in the sorts of websites that appear in the SERPs,” Carter added. “You could notice a sudden rise or reduction in domain visibility, as well as a sudden spike or drop in domain traffic.”

“Instead of one page dropping in rank, you can see a bunch of pages move or grow in rank,” she noted.

The first stage in reacting to ranking variations is determining what sort of algorithm modification took happened. This enables marketers to develop a strategy that effectively solves the problem.

How should marketers react to new information?

How you react to a Google update is determined not just by the sort of change that happened, but also by how it impacted your web sites.

“It’s all smiles if you’re on the winning end of this,” Carter added. “This is a positive indicator that you’re on the right road in terms of the quality of your material, your website’s verifiable legitimacy, and Google’s assessment of your technological accessibility.”

“Performing well on Google algorithm upgrades allows you to improve and compound your SEO strengths over time,” she said.

1641428412_578_How-marketers-can-prepare-for-and-respond-to-Googles-algorithm Crystal Carter is shown here.

When these changes don’t go as planned, though, marketers are often left scrambling for answers. This is when it may assist in determining the fundamental problem, which can take many different forms.

“One of the reasons is that the criteria for your vertical may have changed,” Carter explained, citing a past customer who was badly impacted by Google’s medical-related update: “They were a respected, excellent medical firm, and they were selling a test server health test.” Then Google decommercialized this service, which caused a shift in the SERP. They were favoring people like the Mayo Clinic, the World Health Organization, and the CDC for that specific question.”

“When Google does that,” she said, “you have to take a strategic approach to your SEO, which is different from your typical competitive keyword research.”

Although verticals change often, there’s a strong possibility the decline in SERP visibility was due to a fault with your own properties.

“You could have overlooked something,” Carter remarked, “and this occurs a lot with in-house teams because they’re so busy.” “You may have overlooked a specific direction, instruction, or regulation, or a new Google element.” It’s possible that you’ll have to catch up.”

It’s critical to keep focused on best practices when your site is struck by a core upgrade. This, according to Carter, will prepare your properties for the next set of adjustments.

“Don’t quarrel with the algorithm,” she said, “and don’t anticipate improvements until the next update.” “Sometimes individuals feel compelled to put all they have at it. However, since the domain is at the heart of the key algorithm adjustments, Google considers it a quality review of your SEO strategy.”

1641428413_900_How-marketers-can-prepare-for-and-respond-to-Googles-algorithm Crystal Carter is shown here.

What can we anticipate in the future?

Successful marketing strategies aren’t only able to spot and react to algorithm changes; they can also predict the patterns that will shape future upgrades. And, according to many SEOs, Google seems to be leaning more toward AI modeling.

“Google launched MUM [Multitask Unified Model] — the most recent powerful AI technology, and it allows it [Google] interpret information in a manner that it hasn’t been able to do before,” Carter said. “Not only can it handle natural language, but it does it in 75 languages, and it can also process text, photos, and video and audio, so Google is already future-proofing this AI tool.”

“In the immediate future, we’re likely to see more AI-powered large-scale upgrades,” she continued.

1641428414_793_How-marketers-can-prepare-for-and-respond-to-Googles-algorithm Crystal Carter is shown here.

The more Google embraces these approaches, the more marketers will be required to keep track of their web assets. That involves maintaining them in excellent condition all of the time. It’s the most effective strategy to prepare for what’s to come.

“I would advise that if you’re thinking about how to prepare for it,” Carter said, “it’s important making sure that your site is healthy at all times.” Make sure you’re putting out strong, high-quality material on a regular basis.”

Here’s where you can see the whole SMX Next presentation (free registration required).


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Author Biography

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Corey Patterson works as a MarTech and SagaReach Marketing Editor. He covers SEO and PPC industry news to assist marketers better their campaigns. He has a background in SEO, content marketing, and journalism.

Watch This Video-

Google has released a list of algorithm updates that marketers should be aware of and prepare for. This document will help marketers to understand how they can respond. Reference: google algorithm updates list.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I keep up with Google algorithm changes?

A: The best way to keep up with what changes are coming in the future for Google is by regularly reading their blog.

What is Google algorithm update?

A: An algorithm is a set of rules used to help computers search, organize and make decisions. Algorithms are often designed by humans in order to solve specific problems or perform tasks as efficiently as possible.

How do I get Google algorithm to work?

A: You can find out more about Googles algorithm at the following website https://www.google.com/amp/. There are many different factors that go into how it works, but you can also check this website to see what types of websites have a higher PageRank score than your own

Related Tags

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  • google core algorithm update
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