The most important facts in brief
- Google rolled out a new core update in December 2024 that will have a serious impact on search results.
- Initial analyses show fluctuations in rankings; content quality and user experience are particularly in focus.
- Adapting to the new algorithm criteria is crucial in order to remain visible in the long term.
Effects of the Google Core Update: An Overview
Status: 12/18/2024
Google Core Updates regularly set a new course for search engine rankings. The most recent Google Core Update was launched on December 12th and has been causing visible changes in search results ever since. But what does this mean for you as a company and how can you react to secure your online presence in the long term?
Which Industries are Affected?
The current Google Core Update in December 2024 is already showing initial effects in various industries:
- YMYL (Your Money, Your Life) pages: Finance and health sites often experience the biggest fluctuations.
- E-commerce sites: Pages with inferior product descriptions or poor UX can lose visibility.
- Content sites: Portals that rely on high-quality content, on the other hand, often benefit from the update.
Why does the December 2024 Core Update affect so many?
As with past updates, the impact varies in intensity. Content quality, user experience (UX) and the technical performance of the website in particular play a key role.
Frequently affected areas:
- Thin content: Pages with little added value or superficial content lose ranking positions.
- Outdated content: Information that is no longer up to date performs worse.
- Lack of user-centricity: If the content is not tailored to the search intention of the target group, visibility drops.
How to React to the Core update
As SEO experts at projx, we rely on targeted optimisation measures to protect your website from negative effects and improve your visibility in the search results.
1. Check and Improve Content Quality
Google rewards content that fulfils E-E-A-T criteria: Expertise, Experience, Authority and Trustworthiness. Therefore, offer:
- Relevant information: Update outdated content and add helpful information to texts.
- Added value: Your content should provide real solutions and answers to users' search intent.
- Structure and readability: Use subheadings, lists and visual elements to optimise readability.
2. Technical Optimization of the Website
A fast loading time and clean technical structure are essential for Google:
- PageSpeed: Optimise images, use caching and minimise JavaScript.
- Mobile First: Your website must work flawlessly on mobile devices.
- Core Web Vitals: Ensure good values for loading time, interactivity and visual stability.
3. Improve User Experience (UX)
Users are at the centre of Google's attention. Therefore, analyse and improve their experience on your website, for example in the following areas:
- Analyse user behaviour: Tools such as Google Analytics help to identify bottlenecks.
- Interactive elements: Implement call-to-actions that specifically motivate visitors to take action.
- Navigation: An intuitive structure ensures that users quickly find what they are looking for.
Why is the December Core Update coming so soon after the November Update?
The fact that Google is rolling out two core updates in such a short space of time - first in November and now in December 2024 - is unusual, but not unprecedented. The reason for this often lies in the fine-tuning of the algorithm. While the November core update already made initial adjustments to the ranking evaluation, the December update serves to make additional optimisations or to compensate for possible weaknesses of the previous update.
Google is thus pursuing the goal of constantly improving the quality of search results. Website operators who have already experienced losses or gains after the November update should keep a close eye on the changes in December. These rapid successive updates emphasise how important it is to continuously work on website quality and react flexibly to algorithm adjustments.
What is a Google Core Update?
A Google Core Update refers to comprehensive changes to the Google algorithm. While smaller updates are made daily, core updates affect the rankings of many websites globally. The aim: to provide even more relevant content for users' search queries.
Google does not provide specific instructions on exactly which changes have been made. Online marketing experts are therefore required to identify the new ranking factors by observing and analysing them.
Use the Google Core Update as an Opportunity
Google Core Updates are not one-off events, but part of a continuous optimisation process. Although a core update can lead to losses in the short term, it also offers the opportunity to improve your website and stand out from the competition.
