Hey there, it's Morgan from Strategy Zoo. If you’ve been keeping an eye on your site rankings lately, you’ve probably noticed some shifts. That’s because Google’s August 2024 core update has officially wrapped up as of September 3rd, and it brought a wave of changes to how sites are ranked.

If you’re like most business owners, you might be wondering how this update is impacting your site’s visibility, traffic, and overall search performance. Let’s dive into what you need to know and, more importantly, how you can keep your site on track.

What Makes This Update Different?

First off, this wasn’t just your average core update. It’s a direct response to feedback Google received after its September 2023 helpful content update, which, let’s be honest, wasn’t all that helpful for a lot of small and independent publishers. Many businesses saw their rankings take a hit, and Google knew they needed to do better. This update is meant to correct some of those past issues by pushing genuinely useful content to the forefront.

So, What Happened?

Let’s break it down with some numbers. A recent poll I saw showed that:

• 44% of websites saw their rankings or traffic drop.

• 27% saw improvements.

• 29% didn’t experience much change.

For some sites, this update brought recoveries from last year’s hits, but for the majority, it’s been either more of the same or even further declines. If your rankings are down, you’re not alone.

Ranking Bug? Yup, That Happened.

Here’s something important to keep in mind. During the first four days of the rollout, there was a ranking bug that messed with search results. So, if you noticed any strange movements during that time, you can disregard them. The real impact of the update only started showing once that bug was fixed.

Google’s Message: Quality Over Quantity

John Mueller, Google’s Search Advocate, made it clear that this update is all about surfacing more useful content and pushing down the stuff that feels like it’s just optimized for ranking. If you’ve been working hard to create high-quality, original content, especially if you’re a small or independent publisher, this update should work in your favor. Google is finally making room for you to shine.

What If Your Rankings Tanked?

If you’ve been negatively impacted by this core update, I know it can feel like a punch to the gut, but don’t worry—there’s no magic bullet for recovery. Google’s advice hasn’t really changed: Keep producing valuable content that your audience finds genuinely helpful. It’s not about chasing algorithm changes; it’s about consistently delivering value.

That said, if you were hit, take a step back and review your content. Are you answering the questions your audience is asking? Is your content actually useful, or is it just there to rank? You might need to refocus.

The Long Game: Keep Improving

Here’s the thing—Google releases these core updates every few months, and no matter what happens with your rankings today, the best thing you can do is keep improving your site. Make sure your content isn’t just optimized for search engines but also provides real value to your users. The more helpful you are, the better your chances are of benefiting from future updates.

Final Thoughts

At the end of the day, this August 2024 core update is a reminder that the only thing constant in digital marketing is change. Whether your site saw improvements or took a hit, the focus should always be on creating content that’s useful, engaging, and meant for your audience—not just Google’s bots.

Need help navigating these updates or creating a strategy that keeps you ahead of the curve? You know where to find me. Let’s make sure your site continues to grow and thrive, no matter what Google throws at us next.