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Google Core Update(s) 2021
Frank Daniels

Local & SEO Listings Expert

This is a short update related to the Google Search Updates blog where I outlined the announced web page experience update Google announced last fall. This web vitals update has been scheduled for completion at the end of August, so we’ll keep an eye on the effect of the update as the change settles in. The beginning of the update saw the launch of the Page Experience Report in Google Search Console to help site managers understand how their websites are performing using the new metrics.

This year Google has implemented a two-part core update for their search algorithm in June and July. This two-part update is what they call a “broad core update” because it is a global algorithm update not restricted to language, region, or website category. However these core updates can affect search rankings in a seemingly targeted way. In the case of the June 2021 part of the update, auto industry websites as a whole saw a drop in their rankings on Google. 

Google also implemented a “link spam update” in June. They have spent years learning the methods and tools hackers and nefarious actors use to spam our searches. As bloggers and ecommerce sites have increased their savvy, so too have people looking to monetize our clicks and trust. Last year Google developed an AI to track the trends of hackers and spammers, which they integrated into the search engine. 

The only confirmed information Google releases is whether they implemented an update, or not, so reacting to the changes of an update comes down to tracking the performance of a website, researching other user’s experience, and following Google’s own announcements. The best thing a site owner or manager can do is focus on user experience and the quality of the content on a website. Look at the related resources links to find more information on these topics.