Webmasters, Know How to Handle Google Core Updates!

Google is the go-to search engine, earning over 90 percent of the search engine market share worldwide. Because of its dominance, it is essential that every webmaster and digital marketer understand exactly how updates to Google’s core algorithm can greatly affect their websites’ rankings in the search results.

Google has provided some official guidance to help you improve your rankings and your McAllen digital marketing experts at Cobalt Digital Marketing would like to share a brief breakdown of what they advise.

What to Know About Google’s Core Updates

1.You might not have done anything wrong.

In Google’s own words, “There’s nothing wrong with pages that may perform less well in a core update. They haven’t violated our webmaster guidelines nor been subjected to a manual or algorithmic action, as can happen to pages that do violate those guidelines.”

They further stipulate that “some sites may note drops or gains during [core algorithm changes],” and that “these sites that experience drops will be looking for a fix, and we want to ensure they don’t try to fix the wrong things. Moreover, there might not be anything to fix at all.”

In other words, your website may not have anything inherently wrong with it. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t improve it in certain ways.

2.Content is king. Focus on value.

Google suggests “focusing on ensuring you’re offering the best content you can. That’s what our algorithms seek to reward.” Thankfully, they’ve also provided us with some guidelines and questions to help webmasters and digital marketers alike determine if their content is indeed up to par.

Ask yourself these questions to determine the quality of your content:

• • Does the content provide original information, reporting, research or analysis?
  • Does the content provide a thorough understanding of the topic?
  • Does the content provide insights that go beyond the obvious?
  • Is the content unique? Even if it draws on outside sources, is the content original and valuable?
  • Are the headlines and/or page titles descriptive enough and helpful?
  • Are the headlines and/or page titles exaggerated or purposely shocking?
  • Would you share this content with others?
  • Would you see this content in other forms of printed media?

To determine value and level of expertise, consider the following questions:

• • Is the content presented clearly with evidence of expertise?
  • Are links properly used to highlight authority?
  • If you researched the publisher of the content, would you trust in their authority on the topic?
  • Was the content written by an expert or professional who demonstrates a great understanding of the subject matter?
  • Is the content free from easily-verifiable factual errors?
  • Would you trust this content for issues related to your money or life?

Alongside these “bigger picture” questions, you also want to ensure that the actual quality of the writing and content is at a high-professional grade. When reviewing content, ask these questions:

• • Is the content free of spelling, grammar, and stylistic errors?
  • Does the copy appear well-produced or sloppy and rushed?
  • Is this content covered by a large number of creators? Has it been produced on a large scale and shared across various sites and platforms, limiting their reach?
  • Does the website or content have an excessive amount of ads that distract from the main content?
  • Is the content mobile-friendly?

A comparative analysis of your competition can also prove helpful in determining the quality of your content. Comparative questions to consider include:

• • Does the content provide meaningful value in comparison to other pages in search results?
  • Does the content serve the actual interests of the target audience and website visitors, or was it created to meet search engine criteria?

3.Familiarize yourself with quality rater guidelines and E-A-T.

Constant research and education are also going to be key to understanding how Google core updates can affect your website rankings. Thankfully, there are resources available that provide solid advice when it comes to developing great content.

Google recommends using their search quality rater guidelines to understand “how raters learn to assess good content” so that you, in turn, can improve your own.

Another component to understand is what Google calls E-A-T, which stands for Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness. By assessing how your content meets the E-A-T criteria, you can begin to make improvements to it.

Trust in a McAllen Google Partner

As certified Google Partners, we have a deep understanding of what it takes to meet Google standards. Not only do we have expertise in Google Ads, but we must also meet Google’s requirements to maintain this status.

When you choose to work with a Google Partner Agency, you’ll benefit from:

• • Exceptional customer service.
  • Working directly with Google-certified account managers and data analysts.
  • Access to new marketing tools before others.
  • We’ll have access to updated trainings which ultimately benefit you!

Are you ready for digital marketing success and great Google rankings? Don’t wait any longer, contact the McAllen digital marketing experts right now at Cobalt Digital!

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