Definition

A core update is a significant, broad change to Google's search algorithms and systems. Google rolls out core updates several times a year and announces them on its ranking updates status dashboard.

Google states that core updates are not aimed at specific sites or pages but are broad reassessments of how content is ranked. A drop in ranking after a core update does not mean a page has become 'bad'; Google describes it as other content now serving searchers' needs comparatively better. Google has also said that most sites do not need to worry about core updates and may not notice when one happens, and that there is no single fix to recover from a decline.

Examples

• Observing ranking movement

  Following an announced core update, a publisher sees some articles rise and others fall in average position, without any single page being penalised.

• Tracking a rollout

  An SEO checks Google's ranking updates dashboard to confirm a core update has finished rolling out before assessing traffic changes.

Sources

• Google Search Central — Google Search's core updates

Related terms

• Ranking Signal
  One of the many factors a search engine weighs when ordering results for a query, such as relevance, content quality, or usability.
• Helpful Content
  Google's term for content created primarily to benefit people, demonstrating originality, expertise, and a clear understanding of the intended audience.
• E-E-A-T
  Google's framework for assessing content quality across four lenses: Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness and Trust.
• Content Freshness
  How recently a page was published or meaningfully updated, as signalled by visible dates, structured data, and substantive changes to the content itself.
• SERP
  The page a search engine returns in response to a query, including the list of results and any features such as ads, knowledge panels and rich snippets.

Where QueryCatch uses this

• Search Performance
• Competitor Analysis