We may only be the start of April 2019 but once again we are seeing signs of volatility throughout the search engine result pages. After the mayhem that was March and Google announcing a core algorithm update as of the 12th March it is safe to say 2019 has seen a hectic start from an SEO perspective.
Throughout the whole of March many tools that track these fluctuations were seeing large spikes. SEMrush recorded scores well in excess of 6.5/10 multiple times. Generally when a large algorithm update is announced we tend to see tremors continue for up to a couple of weeks after the initial announcement. As Google continues the full roll out we are likely to see tremors and search engine volatility initially. However, as we are now well past two weeks since the announcement is this signalling another potential update or just a continuation of the core update? It is too soon to say. We are seeing scores of 5.9 in the UK for desktop viewports. For now we advise as ever to keep working on the quality of your content and results will follow.
Previous algorithm updates have featured around specific niches and targeted certain sectors. The Medic update (August 2018) appeared to largely target the health sector and encourage webmasters to focus heavily on the quality of their content as well as authority and trustworthiness. Further back, other updates such as Penguin (April 2012) focused heavily on the quality of backlinks to reduce search engine spam and the practice of black-hat SEO such as buying links. So far we are seeing no evidence of a specific target as such for this recent update. It appears to be a broad core algorithm update, possibly focusing on a variety of factors?
Google Algorithm Update April 2019
The world of SEO is constantly evolving. As machines become more intelligent and SEO trends evolve we must adapt to move forward with this. Updates are a natural part of search engines as Google constantly fights poor quality content and site spamming. With increasing emphasis on mobile-first indexing and site speed it is clear where they believe the future lies. Many factors contribute to an effective site that will rank well. Do not focus on just one factor. Effective SEO strategies focus on a wide variety of components that encompass on-page, off-page and technical SEO.
Digital Account Executive at US Digital with an avid interest in SEO and all things Digital Marketing. I’ll be updating you with any news on Google Algorithms and latest technology updates.