Google Core Update: Navigating Changes in the November 2021 Update

Four months after Google rolled out its July 2021 Core update, Google released another game-changing update. The launch of this algorithm update brought many shifts for a number of websites, both positive and negative. You may be asking yourself, what are some of the most notable changes that came with this Core Update? What are the initial impacts? What are the industries most affected by these updates? And what can business owners do if they are experiencing volatility in their search rankings? Let’s dive in.

The Initial Impact of the Google’s Core Update

As with the majority of Google Core Updates, the first week had some of the hardest-hitting changes in SERP volatility. What makes this update unique, however, is the fact that many SERP trackers have reported significantly higher volatility, meaning there was a greater fluctuation in keyword rankings compared to before the update was launched. As a result, many SEOs saw their keyword rankings plummet for their small to medium-sized clients, particularly in the healthcare industry. While volatility is common during Google’s Core updates, SERP trackers, such as semrush and RankRanger reported much higher volatility scores, even compared to the July 2021 updates. This even affected both desktop and mobile SERPs.Volatility Compared: July 2021 Update vs. November 2021 Update

• Desktop Volatility was 12% higher in November 2021
• Mobile Volatility was 23% higher in November 2021

The Industries Most Impacted By the November 2021 Update

While nearly every industry has experienced some fluctuations with their Google rankings during this update, there are some industries that experienced much higher volatility than others. One of the hardest-hit industries is the healthcare industry, reporting up to a 41% increased volatility in their SERP tracking.While the health industry was hit the hardest, there were many other industries that reported a 30% or higher increase in volatility. These industries include:

• Pets & Animals
• Health
• Real Estate
• Autos & Vehicles
• Travel
• Science
• People & Society

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Volatility Compared in Impacted Industries: July 2021 Update vs. November 2021 Update

• Desktop Volatility was 22% higher in November 2021
• Mobile Volatility was 31% higher in November 2021

What Business Owners Can Do to Overcome Google’s Latest Core Update

As with many Google Core updates, volatility scores typically fluctuate the most during the initial one or two weeks following an update launch. And while some industries are leveling off in their SERP volatility, some industries are still feeling its effects. So what can business owners do until things level off for them? Here are some tips all business owners should implement in the meantime:

• Focus on creating quality content
• Expand on your keywords to increase your outreach
• Research what your target audience is searching for
• Refresh your meta titles and descriptions, if necessary
• Be patient — rankings and traffic typically level out over time

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While there are many challenges that have come with this Core update, this update has created many opportunities for businesses to improve their SEO and user experience as a whole. And for those who are seeing negative results, be patient. These changes will likely start to level out some over the next couple of months. Navigating the impact of this Core update can be overwhelming at times, but PBJ is here to help. Contact us today for all your digital marketing and SEO needs and see the PBJ difference.