Boost your site’s authority & stop worrying with Google’s new September 2019 core update

Check If Your Site Has Been Affected

The easiest way to find out if your site has been affected by the September 2019 Core Algorithm Update is to check the Search Console Performance Report. Look for a drop in your site’s ranking starting around September 24th, the day the update was launched. If you see a drop in your site’s ranking, it’s time to take action.

Recovering from the Update

The September 2019 Core Algorithm Update is all about quality. If you see a drop in your site’s ranking due to this update, the first step in recovery is to identify the issue and put your site through a security audit. At times, the fix has to do with a big focus on building your site’s Expertise, Authority, and Trust (E-A-T) Signals.

What You Can Do If You Have Been Affected

Following are some things that you can do to protect your site from Google’s next Core Update:

Read Google’s Quality Guidelines

Reading Google’s Quality Guidelines will give you an in-depth understanding of the various factors that Google uses to “refine results.”

Update the “About Us” Page

Adding new images and relevant content is the key to engaging customers. Mention your recent achievements, endeavors, and more to let customers know and connect with the content on your site.

Improve Page Load Speed

Focusing on mobile page speed is crucial while working on your page load time. Make sure you run your site through the newly updated PageSpeed Insights Tool by Google. Ideal loading time for First Contentful Paint should be less than 3 seconds, while speed index with & without ads should be less than 9 seconds & 7 seconds respectively.

Fix Site Errors

Remove any technical issues that your site may have, such as broken links, broken images, chain redirects, and more. Our dashboard crawler helps you identify issues on your website.

Have a Clear Call to Action

A clear call to action can be the determining factor between a lead and a conversion. Hence, have a clear and direct call to action telling exactly what you want your customers to do. For example – Call Now!

Be Easy to Navigate

Performing a User Experience (UX) audit is vital to look at your site from a user’s perspective, on mobile as well as desktop. It can also pay huge dividends depending on how focused Google is on their version of the ideal user experience.

Remove or Rewrite Thin Content

Combine a handful of thin / duplicate pages to create one strong resource on a specific topic when focusing on your site’s thin content.

Include a Clear Ad Disclosure

You need a clear ad disclosure on your site if you run a lot of ads on it. A simple sentence such as, “This post may contain affiliate links” (with a link to your disclosure/privacy policy). You can find a suitable example at the top of this page. Also, make use of rel=“sponsored” to highlight sponsored & affiliate links.

Add ‘Terms of Service’ & ‘Privacy Policy’ Pages

Both these pages are crucial for your site’s overall authority with Google. You can get more into detail on what these pages must include by reading Google’s Quality rater guidelines.

Include References for Medical/Scientific Claims

In case you make Medical, Scientific, or factual claims, always be sure to link out to a reliable site to support your claims.

Build up Your Footer

As said by Google, the address in the footer is recommended as it can be seen as a sign of trust. Your footer must contain primary business information with a current copyright date. You can also show your expertise by adding any awards or honors that you’ve earned.

After making the above fixes, make sure you get people who are not associated with your website to give you feedback in order to make changes as required. And as always, if you need any help with optimizing your website, we’re just a call away!

Our Clients Haven’t Been Affected

As far as our clients are concerned, we aren’t surprised that this update hasn’t affected our websites. The rankings continued to improve as this update rolled out. We have implemented all the measures mentioned above to ensure that our clients’ websites remain at the top of their game.

Conclusion

Google’s September 2019 Core Algorithm Update has left many website owners and digital marketers confused about how it will impact their sites. The easiest way to find out if your site has been affected is to check the Search Console Performance Report. If you see a drop in your site’s ranking, it’s time to take action. Implementing the measures mentioned above will help you protect your site from Google’s next Core Update and boost its authority.

FAQs

What is a core algorithm update?
A core algorithm update is a major change to Google’s search algorithm that affects how search results are displayed.

How do I know if my site has been affected by a core algorithm update?
You can check the Search Console Performance Report to find out if your site has been affected by a core algorithm update.

What can I do if my site has been affected by a core algorithm update?
You can implement the measures mentioned in this article to protect your site from Google’s next Core Update and boost its authority.

How often does Google release core algorithm updates?
Google releases core algorithm updates from time to time to refine search results and improve user experience.

Can you help me optimize my website?
Yes, we can help you optimize your website. Just give us a call and we’ll be happy to assist you.