Google algorithm updates: our advice on how to deal with them

Algorithms always keep you on your toes and it's incredibly challenging to try and keep up with them. Algorithm shifts can play havoc on how your business’s website performs, so it's really important to stay on top of the latest updates, the effects they could have and the right way to resolve any issues. Here at Sherbet Donkey, we’re always on top of the latest Google algorithm updates to ensure our clients achieve the best results, so if you’re struggling to take control of your SEO, let us do the donkey work!?

The Google algorithm: what is it?

The Google algorithm. You’ve probably heard this term mentioned a few times and may still be unsure of what this actually is. When we talk about the Google algorithm, we are essentially referring to Google’s process of ranking and surfacing content on SERPs (search engine results pages).?

These algorithms are designed to find and then display the most relevant results for a search query. Although it sounds simple, it is actually quite a complex process. A combination of different algorithms are in place to assess a variety of aspects on a webpage, and they will then determine if the page best serves the user.?

Quality – Google uses a set of criteria to assess the quality of online content, called E-E-A-T. Each piece of content is analysed for its expertise, experience, authoritativeness and trust, so it's crucial to consider EEAT when creating web content.?

Relevance – Think about how we all use search engines – when we search for something, we expect the results to provide the relevant information and to be accurate. For example, if we want to know the date of something, we expect Google to return results that answer that specific question or query.?

Usefulness – This relates back to relevance but touches on the fact we expect the results generated by Google from our query to actually be useful. Google’s aim is to return results that answer your question or query, whilst filtering out any potential clickbait or irrelevant content.?

Usability – A simpler factor that Google takes into consideration is the usability of the website. This can include page structure, loading times, whether the page is easy to navigate and the overall page experience.?

Why do Google update their algorithms and what should you expect??

You may be wondering why Google update their algorithms. The simple answer is they are regularly updated for the same reason the algorithm exists to begin with – to provide high-quality answers and content to questions, providing the best possible search experience for users.?

Updates take time to roll out and every time they issue a new update, it can affect every website and region differently. It's important to also think about potential side effects that could come from rolling out these updates.?

One of the biggest signs that an update is coming is SERP volatility, you may begin to see unusual movements in your rankings and traffic. Once the update has been rolled out and has settled down, Google will assess if the update has had the intended outcome.?

Google algorithm update recovery tips?

So, Google has rolled out their next algorithm update and it’s not been the kindest to your website. What do we do? Firstly, don’t panic! You can recover from the updates; it can just take a little time.?

Google claims that pages that experience a change after a core update don’t actually have anything wrong to fix. That being said, we know it can be difficult to just sit there and do nothing when you may not be performing as well as you were before the core update. It's always best to try and pin your focus on continuing to create content that’s reliable and helpful to your audience and if that doesn’t start to help, it may be worth looking at the pages that were affected the most and comparing them to ones that are continuing to perform.?

SEO Tips

• Keywords – Every page should target a primary keyword. Choose your keywords based on their search volumes and the intent of your target audience.?
• Search Intent – Make sure you’re providing what your audience is searching for, whether it's informational, navigational, transactional or commercial investigation.?
• Site Speed – Loading speed is incredibly important for both Google and the audience, if your page doesn’t load quickly enough people are likely to click off the page.?
• User Experience – Your website needs to be easy to use so users will engage with your page and easily understand its content.?
• Internal Linking – Linking pages to each other within a site should only be used when relevant. By linking a well-performing page to a new page, it can give the new page the boost it needs.?
• Title Tags and Meta Descriptions – It's important to have exciting and relevant title tags to get users on your site. Meta descriptions need to have enough information to give an accurate picture of the webpage that will make the user click.?

Adapting for algorithm survival

To survive these updates, it's crucial to focus on creating high-quality, relevant content that genuinely addresses the needs and interests of your audience. Investing in thorough keyword research and aligning your content with user intent, rather than attempting to outsmart the algorithm with shortcuts, is always the best practice. Ensuring the health of your website is up to scratch and is continually mobile-friendly with fast loading times and secure browsing, will help in your attempt to recover from any algorithm changes. Always keeping on top of SEO best practices and the latest search behaviour trends can also be a massive help in adapting to any current or future changes in Google’s algorithms.?