Google’s October 2023 Core Update Rollout Completed

Google has formally announced the completion of its October 2023 Core Update rollout, marking the third core update of the year. The rollout began on October 5, 2023, and culminated on October 19, 2023, taking nearly two weeks to fully deploy.

Observations and Impact

The recent core update brought with it a considerable amount of fluctuation, as evidenced by the myriad of sites experiencing ranking volatility and the ensuing grievances from the SEO community. A significant shuffle in search rankings was noted from October 10 to October 12, with further disruptions occurring over the subsequent weekend. It should be noted that these observations are not grounded in data from any specific source, but rather are based on general observations.

Importance of Algorithm Updates

Google’s algorithm changes hold pivotal importance for brands, businesses, and entities worldwide. These updates can dictate how a website fares in search results. Any alteration in rankings, be it favorable or adverse, can sway organic traffic, conversion rates, and revenue streams. Being informed about when Google introduces these updates can aid in determining if a change in ranking is attributable to website modifications or shifts in Google’s ranking algorithm.

Guidelines for Affected Websites

For websites adversely impacted by the core update, Google provides the following advice:

• There isn’t a one-size-fits-all remedy to restore rankings. Experiencing a drop in rankings doesn’t necessarily imply issues with your web pages.
• Google has proffered a set of questions for webmasters to contemplate if their site gets affected by a core update.
• Minor recovery is plausible between core updates, but the most substantial change typically follows another core update.

A Look Back at Previous Updates

To provide a historical context, here’s a rundown of recent core updates:

1. August 2023 core update commenced on August 22nd and wrapped up on September 7th.
2. The March 2023 core update started on March 15th and concluded on March 28th.
3. September 2022 broad core update was milder in impact compared to its predecessors and terminated on September 26th.
4. The May 2022 broad core update was notable for its swift rollout.
5. Other core updates include November 2021, July 2021, and June 2021 – with the latter recognized for its sluggish yet significant rollout.

Apart from core updates, Google successfully completed the rollout of the October 2023 spam update within a span of two weeks. Consequently, the October 2023 core update and the spam update ran concurrently. Additionally, in September, Google deployed the September 2023 helpful content update over a fortnight.