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SEOs weren’t sure what to expect when Google launched a core update last week. Updates like this tend to take a few days to show an impact on websites, and they usually take a full week or two to finish rolling out.
The core update was launched on July 1 – and four days later, SEOs are starting to see the bigger picture. Read below to learn more.
What is the July Core Update?
Google tends to announce ‘updates’ to its inner framework quite frequently. One of these updates is the ‘core update’ – it stands out among other updates, as others target specific aspects of the platform. The core update, meanwhile, makes broad changes to its search algorithms that affect what metrics are used to rank pages on SERPs.
With that being said, SEOs and site owners should pay close attention to their sites’ performance following a core update.
Throughout 2021, SEOs have been anticipating a summer core update. Finally, one came in early June. Google announced that the June update would be the first part of a two-part core update, with the second coming in July.
Notably, they explained that the dual nature of the update might cause some changes in June to be reversed in July.
What SEOs are Seeing So Far
Right off the bat, SEO Barry Schwartz noticed that the effects of the update were being felt surprisingly fast:
The July 2021 Google core update is live and it is starting off in a big way – much faster than the June core update – here is what we are seeing https://t.co/wzr2RXE9vT pic.twitter.com/zlfjeaAcKY — Barry Schwartz (@rustybrick) July 2, 2021
SEO Glenn Gabe has created a Twitter thread in which he reports on results in search visibility following the update.
“I’m seeing a *boatload* of volatility across review sites, and many were impacted by the Product Reviews Update & the June core update,” he tweeted on July 4.
His latest updates note a mixed bag of results:
And here we go. Saw a lot of movement starting yesterday based on the July broad core update. Some sites are seeing big changes very quickly vs the June update. First, some examples of surges during the update so far. And one saw a nice bump in June and more in July. pic.twitter.com/IoJhnXiqy1 — Glenn Gabe (@glenngabe) July 3, 2021
Message board users are sounding off as well. Schwartz compiled a few reactions from Black Hat World and WebmasterWorld users in a blog post.
Some WebmasterWorld users were startled by what they found following the July update:
“The weirdness continues,” one user wrote. “It seems like my traffic is up by about 30 to 50% from the lows of June. But, only before noon (EDT). Starting around 12pm traffic returns to same low levels.” “This is insanity,” another wrote. “Today, I’ve had a 94% drop in my home page traffic. I checked and my home page is not coming up in a G site search at all, it just vanished. This is on a day where my ranking climbed.”
Even users who noticed positive changes were skeptical:
“I am seeing a continued very slow increase in both position and in GSC impressions,” one wrote. “At this pace will take the rest of the year to get back to where I was in March. I have no confidence that it couldn’t just vanish overnight.” What the Tracking Tools are Showing
This is what tracking software shows as of 10:00 a.m. on July 5.
As the update’s effects continue to grow more visible, site owners should pay careful attention to these tools as well as their sites’ performance.
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