Google Algorithm Update June 2019

As ever there are big movements in the SEO world. Announced by Google on June 2nd, there has been a roll out of a core Google algorithm update for June 2019. This process took several days to fully roll out but is now complete. What makes this update interesting is the fact Google pre-announced it. As we know they are usually very quiet on any potential update and very rarely do they pre-announce it. This has been confirmed as a core update to the search ranking algorithms.

Tomorrow, we are releasing a broad core algorithm update, as we do several times per year. It is called the June 2019 Core Update. Our guidance about such updates remains as we’ve covered before. Please see this tweet for more about that:https://t.co/tmfQkhdjPL

— Google SearchLiaison (@searchliaison) June 2, 2019

Google’s Core Algorithm Update June 2019

As with any core algorithm update there are going to be winners and losers. Previous core updates have focused on specific quality problems such as spammy backlink profiles, the quality of content or page speed. When the dust settles we will be able to see the full extent of this particular update and the impact upon search results. Generally, sticking to Google’s webmaster guidelines is an advisable practice to ensure you are not adversely affected. But what do we know of this core update June 2019 so far?

Google has announced it will be a big one

Danny Sullivan of Google said the reason they have decided to announce said update is because it is going to be a big one, ‘definitely noticeable’. Within the SEO world there has also been a lot of chatter with regards to the impact this update is having upon rankings and traffic. While some of this chatter can be attributed to usual SEO complaints, there has also been a lot of mentions of sizeable traffic shifts. However, these shifts have spoken of both large recoveries and large traffic drops so it is hard to determine any conclusive data from this as yet.

It is now complete

Danny Sullivan has also confirmed that the update is now fully rolled out, as of June 8th. The effects of this are still yet to be fully discovered, over the coming days and weeks as results settle it will be easier to determine the full extent of the update. What has also caused some confusion is the fact this update has been rolled out alongside the ‘domain diversity‘ update.

Google Diversity Update

Despite being rolled out at similar times the two updates are independent of one another and are unconnected releases. The ‘diversity’ update focused on the quality of search results, limiting the number of search results from one domain showing in a results page to two. This also applies to sub-domains where the search query applies to both. This can vary slightly for certain search terms which are far more specific such as brand search terms. It will also only impact the ten organic search results, so will have no bearing upon other results such as featured snippets and image results.

What can i do?

As stated above, the best practice is to focus on the quality of your content and engage in white hat, SEO best practice. Avoid bad practices such as spammy link building, poor quality content and slow site speed. However, with over 200 factors contributing to Google’s ranking algorithms it is crucial you focus on a wide range of elements and not just any one aspect. A well rounded digital marketing strategy is crucial to be successful.