Google SEO Updates 2023 – All Updates in One Place

Every year Google Keeps on rolling out several updates to make sure Webmasters stick to the Google Best Practices to rank their websites. These updates are to make sure Webmasters do not resort to Black Hat SEO Techniques in order to gain quick organic visibility.

In order to continue that tradition, Google has launched :

• November 2023, Core Algorithm Update
• October 2023, Google Spam Detection Update
• September 15, 2023 Helpful Content Update
• August 2023 Google Core Algorithm
• April 2023 Reviews Update
• Product Review Update in February 2023
• March 2023 Google Core Update

The motive behind these updates are either to include the languages for which a specific update was not launched or to make sure webmasters follow the best practices and adapt the upcoming trends of the industry. Now, let’s dig a bit deeper to understand these algorithm updates rolled out in 2023

SEO Algorithm Updates Launched in 2023

November 2023, Core Algorithm Update

On November 2, 2023, Google introduced the latest in its series of core updates. This substantial algorithmic shift is aimed at enhancing the quality and reliability of search results for users worldwide. As a website owner, it’s essential to be aware of this update, as it may have an impact on your site’s overall traffic.

• Improved User Experience: Content quality and relevance are crucial.
• Traffic Fluctuations: Monitor performance and be prepared to adjust.
• Content Quality Matters: Ensure informative, authoritative content.
• Optimise User Experience: Focus on speed, mobile-friendliness, and navigation.
• Stay Informed and Responsive: Stay updated and adapt to changes for sustained success.

October 2023, Google Spam Detection Update

On October 4, 2023, Google rolled out its highly anticipated spam update for the month. This update is geared towards enhancing Google’s spam detection capabilities and extending its reach across a multitude of languages. Among the languages benefitting from this update are Turkish, Vietnamese, Indonesian, Hindi, Chinese, and several others.

• Robust Spam Detection: Google’s spam-fighting efforts get a significant boost.
• Global Language Reach: Improved search quality for a diverse range of languages.
• Enhanced Search Experience: Users can expect more accurate and reliable results.

September 15, 2023 Helpful Content Update

On September 15, 2023, Google announced the launch of Helpful Content Update, and this update going to roll out completely in two weeks time. The ultimate goal of the update is to make webmasters write the content that provides value to the users. In short, through this update, Google is asking the webmasters to write the content for the users, not for the search engines.

Google is saying that the September Helpful Content Update 2023 is rolling out with a improved classifier, which is an automated process that uses machine learning. It is one of the signals Google uses to rank the content.

August, 2023 Core Algorithm Update

Throughout the year Google launches multiple Core Algorithm Updates to refine the searches in SERP. The purpose of these core updates are to understand the search queries in a much better way so that Google can provide more accurate, relevant and intent based search results.

For the same, Google launched August Core Algorithm Update on 22nd August, 2023. The update was announced on official twitter handle of Google Search Central.

As of now, no website is seen impacted by this August Core Algorithm Update 2023. but, it does not mean your website will not get impacted by it. It may or may not get impacted by it. If the reason Google is rolling out this update for is satisfied by your website, you will be rewarded.

April, 2023 Reviews Update

Google released this update on 13th April, 2023. This update is bit different from Google’s Product Review Update, as it goes way beyond this product review update. Because it evaluates everything that can be reviewed such as

• Services
• Businesses
• Destinations
• Games
• Apps
• Movies
• Shows

In short, it means that product reviews are now applicable to all types of reviews. These review are very important as they can help people/users to make their decision regarding the products and services they are interested in such as services, products, destinations, hotels , movies and other things. These reviews are not the reviews given by users of the website. These are the reviews provided by the writer of the content(author) in order to compare two things, two services, two games or any other services/product.

Google has provided a guide on the Best Practices to Write the Reviews, and one can write them as:

• Trained staff member who can write help people with competing products
• A blogger having unbiased opinions about the products/services
• Editorial staff in a new agency
• An unbiased movie reviewer helping people with the movie

Product Review Update in February 2023

The motive of this update was to reward Ecommerce business with quality product reviews that share detailed research about that product. Through this update, product review system checks the product review content on the page level. For example if you have 100 products, through this update Google is going to evaluate all the reviews that your products have on each page.

For the same to help Google, we apply Product Review Schema to identify product reviews on a specific product page, but Google does not depend only on this

Google’s March 2023 Core Update

How to Find If Any SEO Algorithm is Rolled Out?

To do this tool there are certain things you can do, and these are:

• Purchase the premium SEO tools such as SEMRush to track the Algorithm Update, and its impact on your niche
• Following Google Search Liaison Twitter Handle for real time updates about Google SEO Updates

Steps to Check SEO Algorithm Updates Through SEMRush

• Login into your SEMRush account
• On the left bottom you will find SEM Sensor

• Enter your website there and check for which device you want to check your score (Desktop or Mobile)
• You will find there for which features your website lost the most on the SERP

Main Points to Check in SEMRush Sensor

You will find all the niches on the left side of the SEMRush sensor. You can check the sensor score for your niche in this list.

Once you click on any specific niche, you are going to see how your niche is behaving in context of the algorithm update

Now Just you have to see where your website lost the most

What to Do When You Are Hit by Google’s Algorithm Update?

Go to your Google Search Console and match the day when traffic dropped with the day algorithm update was rolled out. If you see traffic dropping after the Algorithm update, do the following things

1. Do absolutely nothing, as your traffic will recover after one to two weeks automatically. This is because the algorithm update was to enhance certain features or to include something missing in the last update
2. Understand why the algorithm update was rolled out. If your website is not satisfying the conditions of that algorithm update, start satisfying those conditions
3. Write unique and helpful content to satisfy the needs of your audience. Write for the audience not for the Search Engines in order to stay away from these Search Engine Penalties