Before you can understand how search engine optimization or local listings management actually works, you need to know a little about the Google core algorithm.
Google uses a complex algorithm to retrieve data from its search index. This is how the company generates accurate results when people search for specific keywords and phrases. The way Google’s core algorithm interacts with various ranking signals influences how web pages are ranked on search engine results pages, known as SERPs.
As society changes and technology evolves, Google wants its core algorithm to keep pace. The Google core algorithm updates frequently, as the company works to continue providing its users with the best experience possible. With each update, Google is tweaking how it treats rankings, links, and web page content. With each of these changes, though, comes unintended consequences, and digital marketers must evolve their strategies to keep pace with the latest algorithm updates.
Individuals and businesses don’t have control over Google’s core algorithm, but learning about the algorithm can help you refine your search engine optimization strategy. SEO professionals, in particular, need to know when Google makes updates to its algorithm, since they may need to make adjustments to their clients’ websites to continue ranking on the first page of search results.
Google’s May 2020 core algorithm update was an important one for marketers to understand. As with all of Google’s broad core updates, it was designed to create widely noticeable effects across all search results, in all countries and languages. Google’s May 2020 Core Update is considered a “volatile” update, which means it caused many changes in search engine results.
If your website dropped in search rankings immediately after Google’s May 2020 Core Update was rolled out, it’s probably due to content relevancy. The categories and keywords that people are searching for most frequently are constantly jumping around, and Google is constantly working to improve and expand its ability to detect and display relevant content. Google takes those trending categories and technological improvements into account as it adjusts its algorithm and decides which content is relevant.
If your website content has decreased in relevance since the last update was rolled out, then you probably saw a noticeable drop. If the content on your website is more relevant now than previously, or if you continue to post new content on a regular basis, then you may have seen an improvement in search engine rankings.
Google typically says that there is no way to optimize your site to correct for the impact of algorithm updates; instead you should focus your attention on providing relevant, useful content to your user base.
To learn more about algorithm updates and their impact on SEO, contact Brandify’s local SEO team.
If you manage Google My Business for multiple locations, reach out to Brandify and learn more about our local listings management service.
