Google has recently updated its core algorithm for the third time this year. This update was released on a global scale, meaning that it will have a significant impact on markets, search indexes, and ranking algorithms around the world.

The September 2019 core update was announced by Google on Twitter in June this year. With the roll-out beginning on the 24th of September, another update was provided stating that the process would take multiple days to complete. So, what do we know so far?

What is it?

Google is continually making small updates to their ranking algorithms; however, every so often, a major change is needed.
A few times a year, Google performs a global upgrade to the core algorithm they use to sort through search results. This upgrade causes significant changes to the way sites are ranked and how visible they are to their target audience.

What Does This Mean For You?

After the update went live, many people reported either a decrease or an increase in rankings and traffic to their site. Others, however, noticed no change.

Google rarely releases which specific areas the update is focusing on, and the September 2019 Core Update is no different.
With no official list of what will be changed, we must carefully analyze how our site is ranking now, compared to its performance before the update.

Some industries were more affected than others, with services involving healthcare and financial services feeling the greatest impact of the update. This may be due to the Google Core Update’s fine-tuning of sensitive topics such as health and money.

What Can You Do About It?

The Google Core Update focuses on improving the way content is evaluated. Therefore your page might rank higher or lower depending on how it fits into these new guidelines. If you have been affected by this Google Update, it isn’t because you’ve done anything wrong. It could just be that previously overlooked content is gaining its rightful position. So what can you do to improve your ranking now that this update has shaken things up?

Google has, as always, suggested that you focus on delivering original, high-quality content to remain SEO-optimized. This content should be trustworthy and free of errors, well-produced and nicely presented, and must stay on par with its competitors.

Google also uses a concept called E-A-T to determine which content shows Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness. Focusing on these areas is therefore bound to count for something!

Conclusion

You can’t rely on Google to provide you with all the steps to increase your rankings. That would be too easy! This would also be impossible, especially since they’re continually updating the metrics they use to determine this.

What you should do is focus on ensuring your content meets the guidelines that Google has previously confirmed will help: content quality, expertise, presentation, production, and competitive comparison.

Although there are no new official guidelines, following these steps is the right place to start. Just remember, in the race for rankings, high-quality, original content always wins!