The last time we touched on Google’s SEO algorithm updates was back in March, and as usual some sites were worse hit than others. The May 2020 Core Update announced on 4 May is no different.
Dubbed by many as the ‘Force Update’, ‘Corona Update’ or ‘Pandemic Update’, Google’s latest update has copped a lot of criticism around its timing, particularly when user search is down and businesses are being forced to shut up shop as a result of COVID-19. We’ve noticed SERP volatility go through the roof and there are more notable SEO casualties this time around.
So, which industries were hit the hardest?
The biggest changes in rankings can be seen across travel, real estate, health, pets & animals, and people & society.
If you’ve noticed the performance drop in some of your pages, it doesn’t mean you’re being targeted, or that there’s anything wrong with your site. As we’ve mentioned before, Google’s algorithm changes are about improving how their systems assess content holistically.
Google explains it like this:
“One way to think of how a core update operates is to imagine you made a list of the top 100 movies in 2015. A few years later in 2019, you refresh the list. It’s going to naturally change. Some new and wonderful movies that never existed before will now be candidates for inclusion. You might also reassess some films and realise they deserved a higher place on the list than they had before.
The list will change, and films previously higher on the list that move down aren’t bad. There are simply more deserving films that are coming before them.”
Makes sense. But then how do you strengthen your position to avoid a potential slip in rankings next time a core update comes around?
It’s no secret. It’s all about producing quality content on your site and updating it regularly. Sounds simple and it is, if you invest the time in it.
In the case of SEO guru Neil Patel, he publishes around 4 articles a month to keep his site fresh. But then he also reviews his old content too, to make sure it’s still relevant for his audience – and it makes a difference.
Let’s put some stats against this to further illustrate how important your content is. Neil Patel tracked 641 sites that update their old content regularly. Of these only 38 saw a dip in their organic search traffic of less than 10%. While on the flip side 187 sites saw an increase of at least 10% in their search traffic.
So it’s not necessarily about producing new content often. Making sure your existing content is constantly updated and relevant can go a long way.
Now, Neil’s lucky enough to have a content team that looks after updating his old content. For many businesses that would be a dream, but that’s where outsourcing your content is always an easy option. And it could mean the difference between losing your SERP ranking or maintaining it.
Here’s a few things to think about when it comes to producing quality SEO content on your site:
- Does your content provide original info about your products or services?
- Is your content insightful beyond just the obvious content your competitors may already have on their websites?
- Are your headings a true indication of what each page is about?
- Is your content worthy of being shared?
Have you checked your rankings lately? If you need to get on top of your SEO give Perth’s SEO experts a call today.
