Certain Google Helpful Content Updates were revived with the August Core Update.
As you may be aware, Google rolled out the August 2024 core update on Thursday, which was quickly followed by the confirmation of a ranking bug affecting a large number of search results (and still unresolved at the time of this report). During this period, SEOs and site owners have reported early indications of potential recoveries for sites impacted by the notorious September 2023 helpful content update. While these recoveries aren't complete, there are small signs of life, with some rankings seeing slight improvements.
Notably, sites like Retro Dodo and House Fresh have confirmed they are seeing their first signs of improvement since the September update, marking a positive shift after months of stagnation. However, it's important to mention that not all sites are experiencing these recoveries—many remain stuck in place, with some even facing further declines in search rankings. Google's confirmed ranking bug has yet to be resolved, leaving the situation in flux for many.
Additionally, rich result image thumbnails are beginning to reappear for some publishers who had previously lost them, signaling that the new core update is having an impact. Until now, there had been no significant recoveries from the September helpful content update, but Google has indicated that they are working on promoting more helpful content, with the possibility for sites to recover as part of this latest core update.
For the first time since the September update, we are starting to see a glimmer of recovery for certain sites, though it's clear that the majority have not yet benefited. Some sites affected by previous core updates are seeing recoveries, while others are being hit for the first time. Despite this, the return of rich result thumbnails for some publishers suggests that the core update is making a positive difference in certain cases.
Glenn Gabe, who has been closely monitoring over a few hundred sites that experienced major declines following the September 2023 helpful content update, has observed that a small portion of these sites are now seeing positive ranking shifts for the first time. Of the 380+ sites he has tracked, about 30 to 35 have shown significant improvement with this core update. Although it’s still early and the ranking bug remains a factor, it's encouraging to see these sites rebound after months of decline. This morning, Glenn reported that now 47 of these sites are showing signs of upward movement.
Comments
Post a Comment