Google algorithm update: what it is and how to respond

The short answer

A Google algorithm update is a change to the systems that rank pages. Before reacting to a traffic drop, check that the rollout has finished, wait at least a full week, then compare Search Console data with the week before it began. Google advises against quick fixes and says changes are not certain to bring a rise.

Google algorithm update types and what each one touches

A Google algorithm update is a change to the systems that decide which pages appear for a search and in what order. Google changes search regularly, and only some changes are announced. The ones with names, such as core updates and spam updates, are the ones site owners hear about, usually because a traffic chart moved the same week.

Google lists ranking updates on its Search Status Dashboard, with start and end dates. Look there before you conclude anything. The table shows what the main types are meant to do.

The wording on Google's pages changes over time, so treat the table as a map and check the current documentation for definitions.

Is it the update? Rule out other causes first

Many traffic drops have nothing to do with a Google algorithm update. Work through these checks in order, because each one is quicker than rewriting pages.

1. Find the day the drop began in the Performance report in Search Console, using clicks and impressions for Google search. A total-visits chart that mixes every source can hide the pattern.
2. Compare that day with the Search Status Dashboard. A drop that began before the update started was not caused by it.
3. List your own changes around the same date: a redesign, a move to another platform, new page addresses, a plugin update or a noindex tag added by mistake.
4. Open the Manual Actions report and the Security issues report. A manual action is a different problem with a different fix.
5. Check tracking. A removed analytics tag or a changed consent banner can make traffic look lower than it is.
6. Allow for the season. If you have last year's figures for the same weeks, compare them.
7. Compare impressions with clicks. If impressions held but clicks fell, the way results are displayed may have changed even though your position did not.

The last check is worth a closer look. When answers appear on the results page itself, fewer people may click through. The guide to SEO vs AEO vs GEO explains how those terms relate to ordinary search work.

What to do when traffic drops after an update

Google's guidance on core updates sets out a sequence. It may be reworded, so read the current page on Google Search Central alongside this summary.

1. Wait until the update has finished rolling out. Figures taken during a rollout keep shifting.
2. Wait at least a full week after it finishes before you analyse anything.
3. Compare the week after the update ended with the week before it began, in Search Console.
4. Look at your top pages and top queries before and after. Is the fall in a few pages or across the whole site? Check web search separately from images, video and news, because the fall may sit in only one of them.
5. Judge the size of the move. Google says a small change in position does not call for drastic action and that content already performing well should be left alone. A large fall deserves a closer look.
6. For a large fall, take the most affected pages and measure them against Google's self-assessment questions about helpful, reliable, people-first content.
7. Avoid quick fixes. Make changes that help visitors and that you would still stand behind in a year. Google treats deleting content as a last resort, and it says changes are not certain to produce a noticeable effect.

Keep a dated log of what you change. If you alter twenty pages in a day and traffic moves, you will not know which edit mattered.

Can you recover from a core update?

Sometimes pages regain ground, but no step in the process makes it happen, and no one outside Google can say when. There is no reinstatement request for a core update, unlike a manual action. The site is simply assessed again as Google's systems run.

Google's older guidance said that content affected by an update might not recover until a later broad core update, even after improvements. Later documentation says that sites which improve their content can see gains without waiting for the next major update. Wording on this point has changed before, so check the current core updates page for the present position.

Set your expectations on two points. Recovery, when it happens, is usually partial and slow. The old position may also have been higher than the page deserved, and other pages may have improved while yours stood still. The aim is a page that answers the search better than the ones above it, not a return to an old chart.

Mistakes that make a drop worse

• Rewriting many pages at once, so that nobody can tell which change helped. Change a few, note the date and wait.
• Deleting pages that still bring visitors or enquiries. Google lists deletion as a last resort for good reason.
• Buying links to 'recover'. This adds risk and wastes money, as the guide to link building mistakes explains.
• Blaming a fall in an authority score from an SEO tool. Those scores come from tool vendors, not from Google, so the guide to domain authority is a better place to start.
• Acting on every rumour about a new ranking factor. The Search Status Dashboard and Google's documentation are the primary sources, and posts that guess at causes are not.
• Paying anyone who says they can reverse an update by a fixed date. Nobody outside Google can promise that.

What to improve while you wait

Use the waiting period to improve the pages that lost ground, without hurrying. For each one, search for its main query and read the pages that now rank above it. Ask what they offer that yours does not. Often the gap is original detail: your own photographs, the steps of a process you actually follow, local knowledge, a named author with a clear role, or a straight answer where your page circles the question.

Check the technical basics at the same time. Important pages should be crawlable, indexed, quick enough on a phone and free of broken links or accidental noindex tags.

Structured data helps search engines read a page and can make it eligible for richer displays. Treat it as a way to be understood, not as a repair for weak content. The guide to schema markup for small business websites covers what is worth adding.

Who should investigate: you, a colleague or an agency

A small drop on a few pages is usually something an owner or a colleague can investigate with Search Console and the steps above. A large fall on pages that bring in most of your enquiries justifies a proper review by someone with technical and content skills.

The guide to SEO in-house vs agency sets out how to decide. If you hire help, ask for a diagnosis first, with findings kept apart from proposed actions, and be wary of any promise about the date of a recovery. The SEO service page describes what Liftup Technologies provides if you want a review of your own site.

Related guides

• SEO services
• Link building mistakes and what to do instead
• Schema markup for small business websites
• Google search console for beginners
• Search intent explained
• Google analytics vs tag manager vs search console

Questions and answers

What is a Google algorithm update?

It is a change to the systems Google uses to find, assess and rank pages. Some updates are named and announced, such as core updates and spam updates. Many smaller changes are not. Google lists ranking updates, with start and end dates, on its Search Status Dashboard.

What should I do when my traffic drops?

First check that the drop matches the dates of an update and rule out your own changes, tracking faults and a manual action. For a core update, Google advises waiting until it finishes plus at least a full week, then comparing Search Console data with the week before. Avoid quick fixes.

Can I recover from an update?

Sometimes pages regain ground, but nobody can promise it or give a date. Google says changes are not certain to produce a visible effect. Improve the affected pages so that they answer the search better, keep a dated log of changes and check the current core updates guidance for the latest wording.

How do I find out when an update started and ended?

Use the Search Status Dashboard, which lists ranking updates with their start and end dates. Google's core updates guidance tells site owners to confirm that a rollout has finished before analysing results. Do not rely on posts by third parties for the dates.

Is every traffic drop caused by an update?

No. A drop can come from a site change, a technical fault, a broken tracking tag, a manual action, a seasonal pattern or a change in how results are displayed. Compare the date of the drop with your own changes and with the dashboard before you attribute it to Google.

Should I pay someone to recover my rankings?

Be careful. Nobody outside Google can promise a recovery or a date for one. A reasonable supplier will diagnose the cause first, separate findings from actions and explain each change. Walk away from fixed-date promises, link bundles and anyone who asks for access without saying what they will change.