Episode: 137 Google Just Changed How It Ranks Websites and Your Traffic Could Be Affected

Blog Post: Understanding Google’s Core Update and What It Means for Your Website

Google recently rolled out a significant core update, completing its rollout on March 27. Unlike smaller algorithm changes, a core update affects how websites are ranked on a fundamental level—impacting the overall quality assessment of content rather than technical SEO elements like tags or page speed. If you're a small business owner or someone managing your own SEO, it's crucial to understand how these updates can affect your site's visibility and how to respond accordingly.

The first step in evaluating the impact of this update is to stop relying solely on third-party SEO tracking tools. These tools often violate Google’s guidelines by scraping search results, which not only disrupts their accuracy during updates but can also yield misleading data. Instead, use Google Search Console, the most reliable source for monitoring your site's performance. By reviewing your impressions over the past few months, you can identify any sudden drop in visibility and determine whether your site was hit by the update.

If you notice a decline, don’t panic. Google advises that there is no single fix—it’s not about correcting a broken tag or speeding up your site. It’s about creating helpful, original, and user-focused content. Google wants to prioritize websites that serve visitors' genuine interests over those written purely to rank on search engines.

To guide creators in assessing their content, Google refers to its Quality Rater Guidelines—a document used by human reviewers to evaluate website content. Meredith's husband, the podcast host, shared a few critical questions from the guide to help website owners reflect on their content:

• Does the content offer original reporting, research, or analysis?

• Is the topic covered in a substantial or comprehensive way?

• Does the content appear trustworthy and come from someone with clear expertise?

• Is your site mobile-friendly and well-organized?

• Are you using AI responsibly—only to polish your ideas, not create them from scratch?

• Does your site genuinely help visitors, or is it designed mainly to chase rankings?

If your content is primarily AI-generated or lacks personal insight, this could be why your rankings are slipping. Google is cracking down on mass-produced content that doesn’t serve users meaningfully, especially in the wake of AI-generated blog tools flooding the internet.

The takeaway

Focus on authenticity. Share your experiences, insights, and original thought. Let AI be your assistant, not your voice. SEO success now hinges on whether your site is a true resource—not just a search engine strategy.