Understanding Google Core Updates
Several times a year, Google makes changes to the way it ranks and sorts search results. The updates are designed to improve users' experience when searching for goods and services online. The Google Core updates of May 2022 were targeted at delivering better, more relevant content for users looking to find local businesses, gather information on services, or make purchases online. It's important to note that a Google Core update is never targeted at a specific website or industry, rather they are general changes to the algorithms used in search query. In fact, Google Core Updates in 2022 could actually help your business.
For example, if you type “Roofing contractor near me,” into a Google search bar, the search engine will assess millions of data points across the web, including reviews, geographic indicators, blogs, and more. From the information available online it will list a range of roofing contractors in your area. So, the question is, how do you get to the top of that list?
How Google Core Updates of May 2022 Impact Your Rankings
Google's algorithms sample over 2,000 factors when determining how to rank search results. That means there's no silver bullet when it comes to improving your site's search engine optimization, or “SEO”. In addition, the Google Core updates of May 2022 will change how some of the factors perform, making it impossible to predict how users' will be able to find your site.
Google Core updates can have a significant impact on your SEO, including your SERP (Search Engine Results Pages) and your Rank Volatility (how frequently and drastically your ranking changes when searching for the same key terms). However, if you follow SEO best practices and apply a consistent methodology in your digital marketing strategy you can likely avoid large fluctuations in the way your content is ranked online.
Best Practices for Google Core Updates of 2022
While there is no one “right way” to safeguard your SEO performance against the Google Core Updates of May 2022, there are a handful of best practices that you can put into place. At Local Blitz, we conduct a full analysis of your digital marketing strategy to ensure these drivers are optimizing your results:
High Quality Content:
- We focus on content that provides accurate, original, and helpful information
- Our sites and advertisements are designed to be user-friendly, provide unique insights, and offer interesting information
- We utilize appropriate page titles, headlines, and other meta description content that optimizes your SEO
- All content is checked for spelling, grammar, and accuracy
SEO Expertise:
- Before embarking on an SEO project, we conduct a comprehensive analysis of your current keyword statistics. This detailed picture provides a map of solutions to target when navigating the Google Core updates of May 2022.
- We ensure that content is optimized for both mobile and desktop viewing. Other access factors like formatting, HTML properties, and load times are crucial in supporting SEO performance after a Google Core update.
- Our SEO campaigns focus on objectives that are directly relevant to your revenue; our tactics are designed to help you find the right customer, in the right place, at the right time.
- Our team also conducts a comparison analysis to determine how similar sites are performing under your priority SEO metrics.
The Importance of Metrics
At Local Blitz we focus on consistent and transparent tracking of site performance metrics. This practice allows us to quickly observe how Google Core updates in May 2022 have impacted your SEO. From there we can build a data-driven strategy to support key marketing goals in your digital strategy. For example, if you are promoting a seasonal service or offer, we'll want to leverage any Google Core updates towards that specific objective. By providing you with detailed analysis and metrics on your SEO performance, you'll have a stronger idea of how Google Core updates can help your business.
Key Indicators to Measure Before and After a Google Core Update
In 2022 we saw multiple Google Core updates that impacted our clients’ SEO metrics. Luckily Local Blitz runs daily SEO analysis which allows us to quickly understand key indicators that could be helping (or harming) our clients’ digital marketing strategies. Two key indicators to be aware of include SERP (Search Engine Results Pages) and Rank Volatility.
SERP: Search engine results pages are the results that a user gets after entering a query into the Google search box, or after verbally requesting the search over a device. SERPs include organic search results, paid Google Ads results, Featured Snippets, Knowledge Graphs and video results. Two of the most important factors impacted by Google Core updates are paid and organic page results. The organic results are often impacted by core updates, for examples changes in the way Google is rating your content or comparing it against other sites.
Rank Volatility: Another key metric to track during a Google Core update is rank volatility. Rank volatility measures how often and how much your page’s rank on a search engine changes. For example, if you come up as the 3rd result listed when a user searches for, “Painters near me” one day, but show as the 5th result on a another, we can use these numbers to understand your rank volatility. Because rank is determined by factors encompassed within Google Core updates, it's important to track and analyze it regularly.
Local SEO and Google Core Updates 2022
Depending upon your business or service, local SEO may be an important tool in your digital marketing strategy. Local SEO can help you improve your search rankings for a specific geographic region such as a city, state, or neighborhood. Google Core updates can impact the way that Google My Business, Google Ads, and Google maps process SEO rankings for your site. Again, it’s important to remember the key tenants of solid digital marketing when working to improve your local SEO:
· Focus on quality content that aligns with your SEO strategy
· Utilize the right combination of keyword tracking tools
· Leverage Google Maps and other geolocation services that support local SEO results
· Provide information about your location, hours of service, and offerings that makes it easy for clients to learn more about your business
If you need help improving your website’s SEO or building a digital marketing strategy, get in touch with our team today.