Google Search algorithm is updated thousands of times a year to better understand the web sites and its contents to ensure users always see most relevant results. It improves the experience and the quality of search results.

Google Search is updated thousands of times a year. Updates can be small or broad depending upon the changes it brings to the algorithm. Small updates are running continuously all the time but broad core updates are rolled out only a few times in a year. Though all updates are significant but core update is more noticeable and affects the ranking of search results.

Google receives billions of queries from users across the globe in different languages. To understand the queries and delivering the most relevant result to user is a complex task. Delivering the results at such a scale requires larger systems which span across countries and constantly updating them to show the results in a best possible ways. Remember, no update Google make to search is perfect. That is why it gets updated.

How does update affects your site ranking?

The main motive behind the Google update is to remove the irrelevant content and bring in more relevance to the search results. Google does not target any site when updates are rolled out. Rather it concentrates on making system better so that it processes the query and extracts the best result for users out of its index.

Site ranking going down after a core update is quite normal. It does not mean your site have violated any guidelines. It only means the new site has been added to index with more authoritative and relevant content. Some sites were ranking down in the search results might go up after the core update. This is completely normal; there is nothing in any core algorithm update which targets any specific site.

How to be unaffected from Google core update?

To help webmaster better understand how search works, Google publishes webmaster guidelines. Google also reveals about parameters that it considers as ranking signal. Relevant content is more important and this can be achieved following webmaster guidelines and maintaining the parameters that affect ranking signal. Relevancy keep changing, what is relevant now, may not be relevant anymore a year later. So, keep your site updated that is the best way to stay unaffected from core updates.

Reassessing the content

Reassessment of content is the need after a site has lost its ranking following a core update. Read the webmaster guidelines implement them and update your site. You can also scrutinize the content of your competitors. This helps you to understand what changes are needed to make a site more authoritative and relevant to the user.

How long does it take to recover after core update?

Broad core updates tend to happen quite a few times in a year. If you have lost your site ranking following a core update, in worst case you might have to wait for another core update after you have made changes to your site. But, if you have made the right changes, you can soon regain your spot. This is possible because Google constantly make changes every day to improve search results.