Google Core Update May 23 - June 3, 2021

Google *finally* confirms 11 days later.

[TalkativeEditorial]

Yower, SEMRush is freaking out. A few of the other sensors seem to be spiking too.
This is hell. Never know what to do anymore, where to look...or what is actually evening happening.

[oni_oni]

From May 16 I saw huge rank increase for my website, then going back to normal on May 27-28. Anyone else with the same changes? Do you think it's related to this core update?

[RedBar]

It's plainly ALL about the potential advertising Dollar in the US SERPs with foreign companies all but gone.

One big winner, again, for a dozen phrases I have checked this morning is Pinterest, every result had at least 2 Pinterest links, sometimes 3, great, scrape our pages and give the credit to someone else.

BUT the biggest, and I mean biggest thing I have seen is an AD. This ad is #1 in the SERPs yet is 6" x 3" (150 x 75 mm).

It's the first ad on the page at the top and looks like yet another ad but this one is laid out like the SERPs would a business listing with 4 sub-sections beneath the header ad all leading to ad pages rather than contact, about etc.

I had more than a double-take at that ... is this new?

[sk7411]

They have probably already pushed that algorithm update around may 22 and they just needed to admit it before their unfinished July algorithm update goes live next month which is why i believe nothing much of change is seen as of now . SERP tools and trackers are calm too.

[mzb44]

I understand it takes up to two weeks for it to roll out, but generally we used to see an impact almost immediately when it's announced.

Almost a full day later and nothing yet. Not even the black hat forum people report anything.

Don't think it started rolling out yet. Will see what happens later today.

[rustybrick]

Brett, Google has had a track record of confirming core updates. Google actually told us what happened on May 22nd was not a core update. So I am not sure if it is a good idea to say Google confirmed it now when Google specifically said what was May 22nd was NOT a core update. Just my two cents.

[mzb44]

Surprised to see WebmasterWorld going down this route: [ibb.co...]

Used to come to this place to get a break from all the blackhatty SEO paranoia and conspiracy theories.

[yollo03]

In case you missed google releases yesterday some notes on past and future updates: [blog.google...]

Another important thing is that some sites that will get a ranking boost from the current core update WILL see it reversed in July's update:

"Because of the two-part nature of this release, it’s possible a very small slice of content might see changes in June that reverse in July...."

[seroundtable.com...]

Google is basically saying that if they are not happy with the outcome of June's update (websites that surged from the core update) we will take care of it in July.

Edit: If your website tanks in June or surges in June, it might reverse in July (or might not)

[edited by: yollo03 at 12:42 pm (utc) on Jun 3, 2021]

[mzb44]

Another important thing is that some sites that will get a ranking boost from the current core update WILL see it reversed in July's update:

Clearly you did not read the sentence you yourself written below this one carefully enough.

Edit: "Edit: If your website tanks in June or surges in June, it might reverse in July (or might not)"

Yes, this is more like it. :-)

[RedBar]

The sun may shinem or it may not, it could possibly rain, a lot, or maybe not, your Govt may let you go on a foreign holiday, then again probably not ... ifs, buts, possiblys, maybes, coulds, shoulds and whenevers ... Utter madness!

[BushyTop]

I'm interested to know whether the changes we saw in early May, that many called the reviews update, was actually a test for this update, and it was rolled back on the 23rd Mayish, ready for this partial roll out today..?

[BushyTop]

oni_oni "From May 16 I saw huge rank increase for my website, then going back to normal on May 27-28. Anyone else with the same changes? Do you think it's related to this core update?"

I saw these exact changes

[yollo03]

Me too, saw a good recovery and it all ended in 24 hours. They might have tested parts that are related to the update to see how the algorithm behaves.

[KaseyM]

After a rough Tuesday and Wednesday, it's flying high since last night. weird.

[oni_oni]

Recovery started today for me on some keywords, hope it can take the fly like 10 days before.

[ichthyous]

I'm not seeing a recovery of any keywords, just the same bouncing up and down. I am seeing a recovery of traffic to certain landing pages that have been in the doghouse for months since the 3/15 update. Interesting that the high-volume and high ranking keywords that used to send traffic to those landing pages have not recovered, but the traffic has (for now).

It seems that traffic seems to be operating more independently of keyword ranking. Also, more traffic to landing pages is coming at the expense of traffic to my home page, which is perpetually down these days. To me it looks like some sort of algorithmic penalty was dialed back or lifted (temporarily?).

Also, UK/AU traffic are back after a bad 8 day stretch, but USA is still down 39% at 10:30am and Canada is zero again today.

[yollo03]

I checked on rankings and the competitors I am following, everyone rose in rankings aside one. Perhaps something is happening...

[oni_oni]

oni_oni "From May 16 I saw huge rank increase for my website, then going back to normal on May 27-28. Anyone else with the same changes? Do you think it's related to this core update?"

BushyTop "I saw these exact changes"

Did you worked on Page experience recently?
We have updated a lot and website is 87% reported as a good Page experience on Google Search Console

[RedBar]

We have updated a lot and website is 87% reported as a good Page experience on Google Search Console

Don't place too much faith in anything like that, Google has absolutely zero idea which is original and which is scraped ... very reassurring.

[gatormark]

I like turtles.

[yollo03]

@RedBar why don't you use a firewall with anti scraping?

[RedBar]

@yollo03

I'm trying to get the punchline for that one:-)

Or are you being serious?

Honesly, I have yet to find ANY webpage or image that I could not copy if I wanted to!

[RedBar]

Ok, I understand from where you're coming, I'm not referring to auoscraping which can be a pain at times.

The main scraping problem I and many others have is of selected articles and images and done manually.

Without doubt, for me, Pinterest users are the very worst offenders manually copying images and text and even linking back to my site yet G still ranks those pages above mine. Fortunately this only tends to happen with the most popular widgets but, nonetheless, this still affects traffic levels greatly.

The second scraping issue I have is competing widget suppliers and retail widget suppliers copying text and images and using them on their own sites. The worst offenders for this is easily the USA and quite often the "site builder" is so widget uninformed that they copy and paste incorrect information.

G gets hold of that info and publishes it in its knowledge graph etc.

Honestly I had someone have a real go at me for saying a specific widget was from Norway when he claimed it was from Brazil. He apologised after I proved I was correct.

Do I trust AI ? Nah :-)

[rustybrick]

Anyone seeing anything significant yet?

[NickMNS]

Anyone seeing anything significant yet?

Nope - Not me, not yet.

[RedBar]

I'm holding my breath having my busiest day for a week with 6 hours to go of my Googleday.

Significantly USA traffic for me is at -45%.

[strummer19]

Google News -50% in 36 hours..... 3 months after loosing Discover.... bankrupt in july ?

[UpdatePains]

oni_oni "From May 16 I saw huge rank increase for my website, then going back to normal on May 27-28. Anyone else with the same changes? Do you think it's related to this core update?"

BushyTop "I saw these exact changes"

I too saw significant changes like these for my site in these precise timeframes. Cannot be a coincidence but impossible to tell what just what this means.

[Abaros]

Nothing at all, neither in traffic, nor in positions, nor in tools, nor in personal perception when searching.

If it weren't for the fact that Google is a transparent and respectful company with content creators, I would think that we are being taken for a ride.

[mzb44]

If it weren't for the fact that Google is a transparent and respectful company with content creators, I would think that we are being taken for a ride.

I see what you did there :-)

Also no change at all.

Seems like so far... nothing at all happened?

I'm sure it will pick up steam the next few days.

[Abaros]

@mzb44

Yes, tomorrow will happen what has been happening all these weekends ago.

Google makes an update that it says nothing about (core or whatever color it is) with a big impact. And now it makes an update it announces and nothing happens.

It keeps us entertained for a whole day looking at logs, analytics, etc.

And that's why I say that if it were not because Google is a serious and respectful company, I do not know, I would think badly.