f you’re a website owner or an SEO professional, you’ve probably felt the impact of Google’s August 2024 core update. Many websites have seen their organic reach limited or have been hit with manual action penalties. Recovering from these setbacks can be a challenging and time-consuming process, but it’s not impossible.In this article, we’ll break down the August 2024 core update, explain what it means for your website, and provide you with a step-by-step guide to help you get back on track.
What is the August 2024 Core Update?
Google regularly releases core updates to improve its search algorithm and provide users with better, more relevant search results. The August 2024 core update is part of this ongoing effort to prioritize high-quality, informative content that matches user intent.It’s worth noting that Google also released spam updates in March and June 2024, which can make it tricky to determine exactly which update affected your website.
The June 2024 Spam Update
The June 2024 spam update specifically targets manipulative and deceptive practices that go against Google’s webmaster guidelines. Here are three main areas Google is cracking down on:
- Low-quality results with little added value, including unhelpful pages with poor user experience designed to game the system rather than help readers.
- AI-driven tactics that generate low-quality content at scale to manipulate search rankings.
- Parasite SEO, where low-quality content is hosted by a third party to benefit from the hosting site’s strong reputation.
As Google stated in their August 2024 blog update, “Sites that see a change after a spam update should review our spam policies to ensure they are complying with those.”It’s important to note that the June 2024 spam update is different from a link spam update, which specifically targets the ranking impact of a manipulated link profile.
How to Recover from the August 2024 Core Update
Recovering from a Google core update is possible, but it requires a thorough understanding of why your website was penalized. Chances are, your site violated one or more of Google’s content policies.Common issues include low-quality content, buying links, or engaging in manipulative black hat practices. Essentially, the breakdown in your relationship with Google comes down to a loss of trust.To rebuild that trust and recover from the penalty, you need to:
- Acknowledge and fix the mistakes you made
- Show Google that you can be trusted
- Demonstrate your commitment to being a long-term, quality-focused partner
Step 1: Identify the Issues
Following the update, you may encounter two main issues:
- Algorithmic Deindexing: Your website has been algorithmically deindexed because it failed to meet certain criteria set by Google’s algorithms.
- Manual Action Penalty: Your website has been penalized by a deliberate action taken by Google, usually accompanied by a notification in Google Search Console’s “manual actions” tab.
The recovery process is similar for both manual and algorithmic penalties.
Step 2: Get Rid of Unhelpful Content
Ranking in search results fundamentally relies on providing informative, well-researched content that users find valuable. Google’s blog post about the August 2024 update reinforces this long-standing principle.Start your recovery by getting rid of all unhelpful content, which includes:
- Thin, superficial content that doesn’t adequately meet search intent
- Weak content designed solely to rank and attract clicks without comprehensively answering queries
- Scraped or manufacturer-provided content
- AI-generated content produced at scale
- User-generated spam
Use the “Search performance” report in Google Search Console to identify pages that failed to generate meaningful traffic or rank for keywords in recent months, and consider deleting them.Consolidate well-written pages targeting similar keywords and redirect old pages to your main keyword-focused page.If you’ve been misusing AI tools to create numerous pages in a short period, it’s time to prune them. Remember, Google doesn’t oppose AI-generated content; it opposes the misuse of AI content created solely for clicks rather than providing valuable information.If resources allow, revisit and edit your content to align with Google’s helpful content policies instead of deleting pages entirely.Additionally, remove any user-generated spam content, including spammy links and comments.
Step 3: Evaluate Your Domain
Buying expired domains to bypass the Google sandbox period has been a popular strategy for years. However, the August 2024 update appears to be cracking down on this practice.As stated in Google’s March 2024 blog update, “Expired domains that are purchased and repurposed with the intention of boosting the search ranking of low-quality content are now considered spam.”If you purchased an expired domain solely to bypass the sandbox period but are creating high-quality content, you should be in the clear. However, you may be in violation if:
- Your content is irrelevant to the old domain that was a .gov or .edu site
- You’re exploiting the site’s authority to promote low-quality content
If you are in violation, it’s time to acquire a new domain. Using a 301 permanent redirect may be counterproductive, as you’ll still be leveraging the old domain’s ranking power for the new domain.
Step 4: Stop Using Black Hat Techniques
In 2024, using black hat SEO techniques is a bad idea. The core update penalizes the following methods:
- Cloaking: Presenting different content to search engine crawlers than to users, manipulating search engine rankings.
- Deceptive Redirects: Using sneaky redirects to show users different content than what search engine crawlers see, undermining the integrity of search results.
- Parasite SEO: While not strictly a black hat tactic, exploiting reputable websites to host low-quality content is considered spam.
Recovery Timeline and Key Takeaways
Google releases core updates every few months. If your content is impacted by an update, it may not return to its previous position until the next broad core update, provided you’ve made the necessary improvements.However, as Google’s search algorithms continuously evolve, a core update recovery is possible if the search engine recognizes your improvements.To summarize:
- Strictly adhere to Google’s content policies to avoid penalties. High-quality, informative content is non-negotiable.
- Regularly audit your website for spammy practices and remove them to maintain trust with Google.
- Stay current with Google’s guidelines, as they are subject to change and can impact your site’s ranking.
- Be cautious when using expired domains for SEO benefits, as it can lead to penalties under the new update.
- Recovering from a core update demands patience and compliance with Google’s best practices. Improvements may not be immediately visible until the subsequent update.
By following these guidelines and maintaining a focus on creating valuable, user-centric content, you can navigate the complexities of Google’s August 2024 core update and position your website for long-term success in search results.Remember, the key to thriving in the ever-changing world of SEO is to prioritize your users and create content that genuinely helps them. By doing so, you’ll not only recover from any setbacks but also build a strong foundation for your website’s future growth.
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