Google’s May 2022 Core Update is being released behind the scenes. It is the 2022 core algorithm update and it is currently in its second week. It brings new changes to the algorithm that ranks websites and content.

Good Signals helped organizations and brands navigate previous core updates. They also worked with them to recover from any drops in rankings.

The latest update has just been released. Now is the time to review what a Google Core Update looks like and what you, business owners, and website owners should do.

What’s a Broad Core Upgrade?

Google’s core algorithm updates occur every four-six months, bringing with them a volatile period of SERPs search engine results in pages. What exactly are they?

Google is updating its entire search algorithm with broad core updates. This update isn’t limited to any particular region, language, and/or region. Google explains that core updates are improvements made to search in general and to keep up with the changing nature of the web. Although there is no core update for every site, these updates can make a noticeable difference in how sites perform. We’ve previously guided what site owners should be aware of core updates.

You can understand why your analytics may suddenly show unexpected changes in rankings by staying up-to-date on core updates.

These updates should not be confused with Google’s other updates. So far, in 2022, two additional updates have been released: the March 2022 Product Algorithm update and the Page Experience for desktop, which also ended in March.

Why does Google release updates?

Every Google core update brings Google closer to its mission to “organize the world’s data and make it universally accessible and useable”. This is Google’s official mission statement. Google’s updates aim to make sites more visible by boosting their rankings.

This sounds good, right? It is for the extraordinary. Due to the nature of rankings, some websites and brands may have to go down so that others can rise. This doesn’t necessarily mean that you have done something wrong or that Google is punishing you. It means that another website answers the keyword query better than yours.

Reaffirming the above, if your ranking falls due to a core update, it’s not a problem with your page. You haven’t violated any Webmaster Guidelines.

Google updates are more of a chance than a cause for panic.

What can you do right now?

Nothing. No, seriously. It is best to wait for the update and not take any action until you see the organic ranking fluctuation.

Although it is easy to panic when you see a significant drop in your position, it can fix itself within 10-14 days. 

You should monitor your organic traffic and rankings until the rollout in the second week of June 2022.

What To Do If Your Website Hit 

Every website that rises in the rankings must also fall. This is the nature of SEO (search engine optimization). It’s bad luck to be on the losing side of an update. There are many ways to bounce back.

Google advises that content should be worthy of being ranked and rewarded. Although this can sometimes be frustrating, the core of Google’s advice is to create high-quality content that makes your website useful and easy to use.

You can’t take any magic steps to speed up your recovery, even if you haven’t done any wrong. However, it is best to immediately fix any webmaster guidelines violations. Google has a list of questions you can ask about your website. This is a great way to get back to the top.

Research on competitors

These updates are designed to reward outstanding websites. It’s easy to see what Google expects from you and how it rewards you for your query or keyword. These are easy to locate: at the top of the SERPs. Compare competitors who have benefited from this update. What has their success been? What can you do to improve your pages?

Previous Updates

In 2018, the first major core update was released. In 2018, the first broad core update was released. It was clear that websites could not fix anything specific. However, the core updates over the last few years have often sent the internet into a frenzy for speculation.