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Fifteen days after its release, the May Core Update is finally finished rolling out. Google confirmed this by posting about it on Twitter, and the feedback is generally positive. There are many SEOs out there sharing charts of their clients:
The May 2022 core update rollout is now complete. — Google Search Central (@googlesearchc) June 9, 2022
Based on various data, this update was a big one. As it usually goes with core updates, we could see some volatility and tremors during the rollout. According to Search Engine Land, this update seems more significant than the one in November, the timing of which was awful. It came in the middle of the busiest season for retailers. This one, however, came just in time for Father’s day shopping.
The Impact
The May 2022 Core Update caused some troubles in the first 24 hours of its release. Even though no specific fluctuations suggest that this update was focused on a specific niche, real estate seems to have experienced the biggest impact.
SEOs also noticed more FAQ results showing up in Google search. In fact, five percent more often than before. That might be a good thing for you – if you properly mark up your FAQs, your content might show up as a snippet and answer a question. On the other hand, a person can get their question answered from the FAQ-rich results and not click over to your site. I know, draa-maa!
What To Do If You’re Hit?
You might have drawn the short straw with this update. But, that doesn’t mean that there is something wrong with your site, or that it can’t be fixed. Google offered some questions you can ask yourself and assess the damage:
Is the content trustworthy, clear and original?;
Do you use clickbait titles?;
Is the content free from easily-verified factual errors?;
Does the content have value?;
Does content display well for mobile devices when viewed on them? and more.
Think about those and see if there’s anything you can improve.
Why Is This Important?
Anytime Google updates its search ranking algorithms, it means your site can be hit and do worse, or better. Knowing when Google releases an update and monitoring its impact is crucial for your website’s health. A Core Update can point you in the right direction and encourage you to analyze and understand what’s the issue – something you did or something Google changed.
Now, when the update is finished rolling out, you can investigate its impact on your website and take the necessary steps to fix and improve for the future.
Update from the future:
About two weeks after the update finished rolling out, the SEO community noticed major fluctuations and volatility. This sparked rumours about a Google Search ranking algorithm update coming soon. Read more about that here.
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