The latest significant change from Google’s March core update brought up a lot of discussion, as it has negatively impacted many websites, causing concern for those who work on improving website search rankings. This change needs careful attention, as well as following Google’s advice to keep your website easy to find in search results.
Key changes Introduced by Google’s March Core Update
Google’s Index Removal
Imagine waking up to find your website missing from Google. That happened to many websites after Google March Core updated its system in March 2024. Google said they want to stop showing websites that aren’t helpful or are just copies of other sites.
They plan to remove about 40% of websites that don’t provide good information or aren’t pleasant to use, especially those made to appear in Google searches. Websites that don’t follow Google’s rules or try to trick Google might be removed entirely from Google’s search results.
Quality
Google cares a lot about quality, and now it’s making sure websites are even better. Though it’s unclear, Google has changed its system to determine whether web pages are helpful.
- If the Website is Unhelpful
It’s about whether the things on a page answer what someone is looking for when they search on Google. This idea is familiar, but Google is focusing on it more now.
The update also looks at pages made more for search engines than for real people. There are ways to tell if a page is like this. Websites should aim to create beneficial content. Google talks more about what that means in their latest post.
- Websites That Aren’t Easy to Use
Google has always cared about how easy it is for people to use a website, and now it’s paying even more attention. This could mean too many ads, annoying pop-ups, many links trying to sell things, slow loading times, and more. Google wants people to have a good time when they visit a page, so it’ll push down or even remove bad sites for users.
- Pages Made Just to Please Search Engines, Not People
Some pages are made to try to match specific search terms instead of helping actual people. There’s a big focus on this with content created by AI. With tools like AI, people can make lots of content targeting every possible word people might search for – but this content is produced for search engines, not people.
Spam
Spam has always been a problem for Google. They’ve had rules to stop it, and they’d punish anyone who broke them. But now, with AI, spam is getting worse. So, Google had to make some changes to keep search results helpful. In this update, Google focused on three main things:
- Lots of Content
Making and posting loads of content is called “scaled content.” March Google algorithm changes have always opposed using robots to create harmful or copied content to rank higher in searches. Before, it was hard to do this, but now, with AI, it’s easy to make tons of content fast.
To fight this, Google March core update has made its rules stricter to catch more lousy things with loads of content. One big thing they’re looking at is whether the page helps with what people are searching for. They’re going after pages that act like they have answers to popular searches, but more is needed. And it doesn’t matter if the content was made by AI or people.
- Misusing Site Reputation
Site reputation, also known as “how much Google trusts a site,” is essential for showing up high in search results. Big sites like Forbes or Yahoo are trusted, while newer or poorly managed sites aren’t trusted as much and don’t appear as high in search results.
Some low-trust sites might try to trick Google by getting a post on a high-trust site. They hope that if a high-trust site links to them, they’ll seem more trustworthy and rank higher in search results. This sneaky tactic, Parasite SEO, is usually paid for and breaks Google’s rules.
Google March core update isn’t targeting every post that links to other sites, just the ones that have yet to check if the content fits with their own.
- Using Old Domains in the Wrong Way
When other websites link to a site, it shows it is trusted and reasonable. Sometimes, when a website’s ownership ends, those links and trust stay. Some people buy these old domains and fill them with ads and links to make them seem trustworthy and rank higher in searches.
Google says, “Buying old domains to boost bad content in search results is considered spam.”
Stay Calm
When Google makes a big update, it doesn’t happen all at once – it can take a month or even longer to finish. So, don’t worry, and start changing your website immediately (unless you’ve been told there’s a problem). The best thing to do is wait 2-3 weeks and see what happens. Your site might disappear from the Search Console and search results but return a week later. One of my sites dropped a lot in the past but then went up again after a week.
Also, Google might have combined this big update with another one, so the changes could last longer and be even more significant. Even though Google tries not to do this because it can hurt businesses, it’s still possible.
Bye-bye, AI
Next, rely on something other than AI to generate content. Google hasn’t said, “Don’t use AI,” but if you’re posting content written solely by AI without any human editing or input, you’ll probably be affected by an update at some point. It might not happen now, but it could in the future.
Get Knowledgeable
Learn about good SEO practices and follow Google’s rules. Focus on avoiding spam, understanding E-A-T, and figuring out what people are searching for. Also, keep an eye on Google’s updates and industry news. When significant changes are coming, website owners usually get plenty of warnings to prepare and make changes.
Check & Improve
If your site still needs to improve, check it closely. Find out where the harmful content is, fix any wrong links, update your content to match what people are looking for, focus on your readers more than search engines, and see how your numbers change. It’s a big job, but it’s essential, or your site might disappear forever.
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