What Is a Google Algorithm Update?


A Google algorithm update is a change to Google’s search ranking systems. These updates are designed to improve the quality of search results for users.

For example, an update might seek to promote sites with helpful content. Or penalize pages with slow load times.

Google confirms the most important ranking updates through its Search Status Dashboard:

But Google makes smaller updates every day.

See how much search results are changing in your country and category with the Semrush Sensor:

And monitor your keyword rankings with the Position Tracking tool:

That way, you can stay on top of Google updates. And adapt your search engine optimization (SEO) strategy.

How Can You Recover from Google Algorithm Updates?


If your organic traffic is suffering because of a Google algorithm update, it’s important to understand what changes Google made. Look at any Google guidance, as well as industry commentary.

Conduct an SEO competitor analysis on rival sites, too. To see whether they experienced a similar decline in performance. Or to identify factors that contributed to their success.

You can then take corrective action and, if necessary, adjust your SEO strategy. 

But don’t fall into the trap of taking action too soon. Or making changes based on gut instinct, rather than hard evidence. Otherwise, you can do more harm than good.

Also, bear in mind that it takes time to recover your rankings—even if you take all the right steps. You might even have to wait for the next algorithm update.

2024 Updates


Here’s a quick overview of the latest Google algorithm updates.

August 2024 Core Update

The August 2024 core update was designed to improve the quality of content found in search results. Based in part on feedback provided by creators and users.

It aimed to further demote sites that rely on outdated SEO practices. Or produce low-quality content.

If your site was affected by this update, focus on creating quality content. And improving any content that doesn’t put the user first.

Announced: August 15, 2024
Started: August 15, 2024
Completed: September 3, 2024
Duration: 19 days, 4 hours

June 2024 Spam Update


The June 2024 spam update was designed to make Google better at identifying sites or pages that violate its spam policies. So that it can demote them in search results (or remove them altogether).

Here are some examples of spammy practices to avoid:

• Cloaking: Presenting different content to Google and users
• Keyword stuffing: Unnaturally forcing keywords into content
• Scraping content: Plagiarizing content from other sites

Sites that violate Google’s spam policies may receive a Google penalty. Which harms the site’s visibility in search results.

Announced: June 20, 2024
Started: June 20, 2024
Completed: June 27, 2024
Duration: Seven days, one hour

March 2024 Spam Update


The March 2024 spam update was designed to improve Google’s spam detection abilities.

On the day the update was launched, Google announced three new spam policies concerning:

• Expired domain abuse: Exploiting an expired domain's SEO authority for manipulation or spam
• Scaled content abuse: Publishing large volumes of low-quality or unoriginal content
• Site reputation abuse: Hosting third-party content with little to no editorial oversight

 So, it’s likely that the update targeted these bad practices.

Announced: March 5, 2024
Started: March 5, 2024
Completed: March 20, 2024
Duration: 14 days, 21 hours

March 2024 Core Update


Google described the March 2024 core update as a “complex update” that “marks an evolution in how we identify the helpfulness of content.”

Before this update, Google used a single system to identify helpful content. Now, it uses a variety of signals and systems.

The goal is to promote content that people find useful. And demote unsatisfactory content.

If your site is negatively affected by a core update, it doesn’t necessarily mean you’ve violated any Google guidelines. It could just mean that your competitors have beaten you. 

Google advises against trying to “fix” anything if a core update has affected your site. Instead, focus on creating quality content.

Announced: March 5, 2024
Started: March 5, 2024
Completed: April 26, 2024
Duration: 45 days

2023 Updates


These are all the confirmed Google search algorithm updates from 2023:

November 2023 Reviews Update


The November 2023 reviews update promotes original, well-researched reviews that help people make good decisions. 

Google’s best practices for reviews include:

• Evaluating from the user’s perspective
• Providing evidence of experience with the review subject
• Explaining what sets something apart from its competitors

Google said this would be the last reviews update to appear on the Search Status Dashboard. Because its reviews system would now be improved at a “regular and ongoing pace.”

Announced: November 8, 2023
Started: November 8, 2023
Completed: December 7, 2023
Duration: 29 days

November 2023 Core Update


The November 2023 core update aimed to improve the overall quality and relevance of search results.

If your keyword ranking drops after a core update, it’s likely because Google thinks a competitor’s (or multiple competitors’) content is better.

You can see who’s outranking you in the Keyword Overview tool.

Just enter your keyword and country.

Then, scroll down to the “SERP Analysis” section to see the top-ranking results.

You can view useful metrics and click through to competitors’ pages.

Announced: November 2, 2023
Started: November 2, 2023
Completed: November 28, 2023
Duration: 25 days, 21 hours

October 2023 Core Update


The October 2023 core update was designed to improve the overall quality of Google search results.

It rolled out from October 5 to October 19, with SERP volatility peaking on October 10. According to the Semrush Sensor:

Announced: October 5, 2023
Started: October 5, 2023
Completed: October 19, 2023
Duration: 13 days, 23 hours

October 2023 Spam Update


The October 2023 spam update aimed to reduce spam reported by the Google Search Central Help Community.

This included cloaked, hacked, auto-generated, and scraped content. In Turkish, Vietnamese, Indonesian, Hindi, Chinese, and other languages.

Announced: October 4, 2023
Started: October 4, 2023
Completed: October 19, 2023
Duration: 15 days, 12 hours

September 2023 Helpful Content Update


The September 2023 Helpful Content Update aimed to promote quality content in search results. And demote content created purely for ranking purposes.

To avoid being hit by updates like this, try to create content that:

• Demonstrates Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness (E-E-A-T)
• Is created for people first and search engines second
• Provides comprehensive, original, and reliable information

Announced: September 14, 2023
Started: September 14, 2023
Completed: September 28, 2023
Duration: 13 days, 11 hours

August 2023 Core Update


The August 2023 core update was designed to make organic search results better for users.

Out of results that made the top 10, around 10.85% had ranked outside the top 20 prior to the update. On average, websites gained/lost three positions. 

This shows the huge potential for traffic gains following a core update.

Announced: August 22, 2023
Started: August 22, 2023
Completed: September 7, 2023
Duration: 16 days, three hours

April 2023 Reviews Update

The April 2023 reviews update aimed to reward reviews “that share in-depth research, rather than thin content that simply summarizes a bunch of products, services or other things.”

It affected reviews of products, services, destinations, games, movies, and more. Previously, Google’s review updates focused on product reviews. 

Announced: April 12, 2023
Started: April 12, 2023
Completed: April 25, 2023
Duration: 13 days

March 2023 Core Update

The March 2023 core update was designed to make Google better at identifying quality content. And therefore improve search results for users. (Just like other core updates.)

The update led to “Very High” SERP volatility, according to the Semrush Sensor. This means that Google’s search engine results pages (SERPs) changed around much more than normal.

In the U.S., desktop SERP volatility peaked the day after the update began:

Almost two weeks later, mobile SERP volatility peaked even higher. Suggesting that the March 2023 core update had a more dramatic impact on mobile rankings. 

(Desktop and mobile SERPs are often different. Because Google wants users to have the best experience on each device.) 

Announced: March 15, 2023
Started: March 15, 2023
Completed: March 28, 2023
Duration: 13 days, seven hours

February 2023 Product Reviews Update

The February 2023 product reviews update aimed to reward in-depth, high-quality product reviews. So, it affected sites that publish this type of content.

SERP volatility peaked in the “Very High” range on March 1, 2023.

As part of this product reviews update, Google published two new recommendations:

• Provide evidence of your experience with the product
• Include links to multiple sellers

Announced: February 21, 2023
Started: February 21, 2023
Completed: March 7, 2023
Duration: 14 days

2022 Updates

Here are all the confirmed Google algorithm changes from 2022:

December 2022 Link Spam Update

The December 2022 link spam update enhanced Google’s ability to identify sites that buy and sell links for SEO purposes. It was an improvement to SpamBrain, Google’s AI spam-detection system. 

Google neutralizes the spammy links it finds through this update. Meaning sites previously benefiting from these backlinks may have dropped in the rankings.

Announced: December 14, 2022
Started: December 14, 2022
Completed: January 12, 2023
Duration: 29 days

December 2022 Helpful Content Update

The December 2022 helpful content update aimed to demote sites that create content primarily for SEO purposes—rather than for people.

During the rollout, Google changed its E-A-T (Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness) guidelines into E-E-A-T guidelines. Adding in an extra “E” for “Experience.”

The goal was to reward content creators who demonstrate firsthand experience with the subject matter.

Announced: Dec. 6, 2022
Started: Dec. 5, 2022
Completed: Jan. 12, 2023
Duration: 38 days

October 2022 Spam Update

The October 2022 spam update was designed to make Google better at detecting spam. Sites found to engage in spammy practices (i.e., violate Google’s spam policies) may have seen rankings drop.

SERP volatility nudged into the High range on the day after the rollout.

Announced: October 19, 2022
Started: October 19, 2022
Completed: October 21, 2022
Duration: Two days

September 2022 Product Reviews Update

The September 2022 product reviews update aimed to reward comprehensive, high-quality product reviews. And applied to English-language content only.

Announced: August 18, 2022
Started: September 20, 2022
Completed: September 26, 2022
Duration: Six days

September 2022 Core Update 

The September 2022 core update overlapped with the September 2022 product reviews update (above). Despite this, SERP volatility remained below 6/10. Lower than we might expect for a core update.

Here’s how volatility compared to the previous core update in May 2022:

Announced: September 12, 2022
Started: September 12, 2022
Completed: September 26, 2022
Duration: 14 days

August 2022 Helpful Content Update

The August 2022 helpful content update was the first Google algorithm update of its kind. It was designed to ensure searchers “see more original, helpful content written by people, for people.”

After a couple of calm weeks, the change led to high volatility in the SERPs.

In a supporting blog post, Google said users should create content primarily for humans—not search engines. But still follow SEO best practices.

Announced: August 18, 2022
Started: August 25, 2022
Completed: September 9, 2022
Duration: 15 days

July 2022 Product Reviews Update

The July 2022 product reviews update was designed to help high-quality product reviews rank higher. And demote low-quality product review pages that offer little value to the reader.

This Google algorithm update only took six days to roll out, rather than the 14 to 21 days expected. And it was far less volatile than the March 2022 product reviews update.

Announced: July 27, 2022
Started: July 27, 2022
Completed: August 2, 2022
Duration: Six days

May 2022 Core Update

The May 2022 core update followed a volatile few weeks in Google’s SERPs. Many site owners witnessed significant fluctuations in their search rankings.

However, Google reminded users that “there's nothing in a core update that targets specific pages or sites. Instead, the changes are about improving how our systems assess content overall.”

Announced: May 25, 2022
Started: May 24, 2022
Completed: June 9, 2022
Duration: 15 days

March 2022 Product Reviews Update 

The March 2022 product reviews update enhanced Google’s ability to identify high-quality product review pages. But was less impactful than the December 2021 product reviews update.

In a blog post about this algorithm update, Google shared the following information:

• Product reviews updates also apply to ranked lists and comparison reviews
• Recommendations for the “best” products should be justified
• Separate reviews for products in ranked lists can prove beneficial

Announced: March 23, 2022 
Started: March 23, 2022
Completed: April 6, 2022
Duration: 14 days

Page Experience Update for Desktop 

The page experience update for desktop made Core Web Vitals a desktop ranking factor. This meant desktop rankings were affected by the following metrics:

• Largest Contentful Paint (LCP): The time it takes for the main content of the page to appear
• First Input Delay (FID): The response time to the user’s first interaction (Note: Interaction to Next Paint—INP—replaced FID on March 12, 2024.)
• Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS): A measure of layout movements that occur during loading

Prior to this algorithm update, Google released a Search Console report allowing site owners to review their desktop Core Web Vitals.

Announced: November 4, 2021
Started: February 22, 2022
Completed: March 3, 2022
Duration: Nine days

2021 Updates

These are the confirmed Google search engine algorithm updates from 2021:

December 2021 Product Reviews Update

The December 2021 product reviews update aimed to reward sites with rich, in-depth reviews. As opposed to thin, low-quality reviews.

This Google algorithm update took almost three weeks to roll out. SERP volatility remained High to Very High throughout. And for a few days after.

Google introduced two best practices in its blog post about the update:

• Provide evidence of your experience with the product
• Consider including links to multiple sellers

Announced: December 1, 2021
Started: December 1, 2021
Completed: December 21, 2021
Duration: 20 days

November 2021 Core Update

The November 2021 core update impacted the health industry the most. And hit almost every vertical harder than the previous core update.

Announced: November 17, 2021
Started: November 17, 2021
Completed: November 30, 2021
Duration: 13 days

November 2021 Spam Update

The November 2021 spam update was designed to improve Google’s spam-detection abilities. 

When announcing the update on Twitter, Google Search Liaison referred site owners to the best practices for search.

Announced: November 3, 2021
Started: November 3, 2021
Completed: November 11, 2021
Duration: Eight days, one hour

July 2021 Link Spam Update

The July 2021 link spam update made Google “more effective at identifying and nullifying link spam more broadly, across multiple languages.”

In a blog post about the algorithm update, Google emphasized the importance of qualifying outbound links. In other words, applying rel attributes to:

• Affiliate links
• Sponsored links
• Guest post links

Read our guide on nofollow links to learn more.

Announced: July 26, 2021
Started: July 26, 2021
Completed: August 24, 2021
Duration: 29 days

July 2021 Core Update

The July 2021 core update was originally intended as part of the June 2021 core update. But Google wasn’t ready to release everything at once.

The Google Search Liaison account tweeted: “Most sites won’t notice either of these updates, as is typical with any core updates.”

Announced: June 2, 2021
Started: July 1, 2021
Completed: July 12, 2021
Duration: 11 days 

June 2021 Spam Update (Part Two)

Google released the second part of the June 2021 spam update on June 28, 2021. (Google released the first part on June 23, 2021.) To further enhance its spam-prevention algorithms.

Announced: June 23, 2021
Started: June 28, 2021
Completed: June 28, 2021
Duration: 23 hours, 59 minutes

June 2021 Spam Update (Part One)

Google released the first part of the June 2021 spam update on June 23, 2021. (Google released the second part on June 28, 2021.) Both updates were efforts to fight web spam.

Announced: June 23, 2021
Started: June 23, 2021
Completed: June 23, 2021
Duration: 23 hours, 59 minutes

Page Experience Update for Mobile

The page experience update for mobile made Core Web Vitals a mobile ranking factor. This meant mobile rankings were affected by the following metrics:

• Largest Contentful Paint (LCP): The time it takes for the main content of the page to appear
• First Input Delay (FID): The response time to the user’s first interaction
• Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS): A measure of layout movements that occur during loading

In a blog post about this algorithm change, Google explained it would do the following:

• Add a Page Experience report to Search Console
• Remove the AMP requirement for the Top Stories carousel on Google Search
• Retire the AMP badge icon
• Support signed exchanges (SXG) on Google Search

Announced: May 28, 2020
Started: June 15, 2021
Completed: September 2, 2021
Duration: 79 days

June 2021 Core Update

The June 2021 core update was the first core update in 2021. Google couldn’t fit many of the planned improvements in, so the improvements spilled over to the July 2021 core update.

Following this Google algorithm update, Loc8nearme, Foursquare, MoovitApp, and BusinessyAB saw the biggest average position spikes in the U.S. Perhaps as local businesses were beginning to reopen following COVID-19 restrictions.

Announced: June 2, 2021
Started: June 2, 2021
Completed: June 12, 2021
Duration: 10 days

April 2021 Product Reviews Update

The April 2021 product reviews update was the first update of its kind. The idea was to reward expert product reviews “rather than thin content that simply summarizes a bunch of products,” according to Google.

Google shared these product review recommendations (among others) in a blog post about the update:

• Provide insightful analysis and original research
• Have reviews written by topical experts or enthusiasts
• Explain what sets a product apart from its competitors
• Discuss product benefits and drawbacks
• Identify and address key decision-making factors
• Describe how a product has evolved

Announced: April 8, 2021
Started: April 8, 2021
Completed: April 22, 2021
Duration: 14 days

2020 Updates

According to the Search Status Dashboard, there were only three confirmed Google algo updates in 2020. All core updates. 

Let’s explore them:

December 2020 Core Update

The December 2020 core update was released before the holiday season. Which raised some eyebrows in the SEO community.

However, there are losers and winners with every Google algorithm update. While some sites got less holiday traffic than expected, others benefited from higher rankings.

For example, eBay gained 44 positions after the first day of the update.

Announced: December 3, 2020
Started: December 3, 2020
Completed: December 16, 2020
Duration: 13 days

May 2020 Core Update

Google released the May 2020 core update shortly after the COVID-19 outbreak. Many commenters believed this algorithm update tackled health misinformation in the SERPs.

Health is a YMYL (Your Money or Your Life) topic. This means that E-E-A-T (just E-A-T at the time) plays an even bigger role in creating quality content.

Announced: May 4, 2020 
Started: May 4, 2020 
Completed: May 18, 2020
Duration: 14 days

January 2020 Core Update

The January 2020 core update rolled out in just three days. 

Google’s Danny Sullivan pointed users to a previous blog post for guidance. This blog post advises site owners to self-assess their content using the Search Quality Rater Guidelines.

Announced: January 13, 2020
Started: January 13, 2020
Completed: January 16, 2020
Duration: Three days

Pre-2020 Major Updates

These are the most important Google algorithm updates announced before 2020:

• BERT Update, October 2019: BERT is a natural language processing (NLP) algorithm that helps Google understand the nuances of users’ search queries. And therefore deliver more relevant results. For example, Google could better understand the difference between “brazil to usa” and “usa to brazil.”
• Medic Update, August 2018: The August 2018 core update was colloquially known as the Medic update because it seemed to target medical sites. Particularly those that didn’t comply with Google’s E-A-T (now E-E-A-T) guidelines. For example, sites making medical claims without substantiating them.
• RankBrain Update, October 2015: RankBrain was Google’s first AI system and deep learning model. It helps Google identify related words and concepts. Google began using RankBrain in April 2015 to better understand new queries (which accounted for around 15% of searches).
• Mobilegeddon, February 2015: The Mobile-Friendly Update, more commonly known as “mobilegeddon,” boosted the rankings of mobile-friendly pages in mobile search results. This meant that mobile SEO became extremely important.
• Hummingbird Update, September 2013: With the Hummingbird update, Google moved away from matching all words in a query to words on a page. It began to ignore words that weren’t hugely relevant to the searcher’s meaning. This meant Google could better deal with natural language (conversational) queries. 
• Penguin Update, April 2012: Penguin penalized sites engaging in webspam tactics—i.e., sites attempting to manipulate search rankings with SEO tactics that violate Google’s guidelines. It made it harder to influence rankings through keyword stuffing and link schemes.
• Panda Update, February 2011: The Google Panda algorithm update was designed to reduce rankings for low-quality sites (with unoriginal, unhelpful content). And improve rankings for high-quality sites (with useful, original content).
• Caffeine Update, August 2009: The Caffeine update made Google quicker at discovering and indexing new content. So searchers could find the latest information more quickly. The update was a change to Google’s indexing system rather than its ranking algorithm.

Prepare for the Next Google Update

To prepare for the next Google algorithm update, audit your site and look for opportunities to improve. Semrush has all the SEO tools you need, including:

• Position Tracking: Monitor your rankings for target keywords
• Semrush Sensor: Track volatility in Google’s search results
• Site Audit: Find technical and on-page SEO issues on your site
• Backlink Analytics: Check the quality of your backlink profile
• On Page SEO Checker: Get optimization ideas for your site