Google's March 2024 Core Update: Key Takeaways

There are few brands on the internet as recognisable as Google. For many of us, Google’s powerful search platform provides a window to the world - whether it be for finding content, a new adventure, or somewhere to eat. The way it works is often akin to a black box flight recorder - working seamlessly in the background, and only explored when required.

In reality, an amazing set of technologies supports the little box you put your search terms into. From the early days of PageRank to modern Core Updates, Google has strived to make its search platform the market leader in finding content.

Companies that provide backlinking services must know how changes will impact a world reliant on Google's search algorithms, or risk being unable to take advantage of the opportunities provided by these powerful tools. Let’s explore the key changes in Google’s search algorithms introduced by these recent updates.

A Changing Online Landscape

Google has a long and storied history of being the world’s leading search platform, and this is strongly related to its ability to provide high-quality, relevant data to users. Since its emergence in the late 1990s, Google has used a range of algorithms and tools to help rank the Internet to provide meaningful results for the people who use it.

Early algorithms, such as PageRank, used to do well on their own as a mathematical way of deriving what resources would be best to place at the top of search results. Over time, the algorithm has been explored in detail, and in some places, has even become a case study for how maths can be used in real life.

Over time, though, the way content has been created online has changed drastically. In 1998, most websites were hardcoded with languages such as HTML - and at the time, cloud computing wasn’t something that was at the top of anyone’s mind. Smartphones were at least a decade away.

Fast forward a quarter of a century and how we use the Internet has changed drastically. We no longer have to sit at a desktop or laptop to access the services we need - in fact, more than 60% of people access the Internet on mobile devices, like smartphones and tablets.

Web page structures have changed to meet the needs of the changing web demographic. New tools, such as generative AI, threaten Google’s ability to provide highly relevant content to end users and as a result, algorithms need to be developed to help manage the challenges that occur in a data-rich world.

Staying Updated on SEO Best Practices

As Google changes its algorithms, web marketers must stay informed on what’s changing, and adapt their marketing strategies accordingly. It’s remarkably easy to take a look at a platform and assume that because everything looks ok, it must be working fine - but in reality, many things that drive great web performance often lie under the hood.

Take, for example, a website designer who created content in the 1990s. Based on the information available, they may have created a website accessible on computers, did exactly what customers needed, and provided a high-quality user experience. Websites such as Apple and MSN did what users needed at the time - provided an experience that met the needs of users at the time.

Consider how these same websites look today. To shift with the times, companies have increasingly developed websites to match audience needs, with elements designed for a mobile-first experience.

Fortunately, Google regularly releases update packs, describing the changes made to their algorithms. While they don’t provide the exact changes that have been made (as that would open up the risk for bad actors to misuse said changes), these briefings can give a great idea of what Google (and marketers) are focussing on.

Image Credit: Pawel Czerwinski on Unsplash

Tackling Low-Quality Content with E-E-A-T

Low-quality content can be challenging to deal with - it can make finding what you need difficult, but it can also clutter up web results if not appropriately indexed. As a part of changes introduced in the March 2024 core update, refinements to Google’s ranking systems look to reduce the amount of unhelpful content that exists in search results.

A little-known fact about Google is that while it has many algorithms to sort results, they are supported in part by a large group of Search Quality Raters. These contributors are located all over the world, helping provide valuable context for the algorithms that help rank search results. A big part of that includes a focus on website usability and a concept known as E-E-A-T - also known as Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness.

These four pillars of the Search Quality Raters web experience provide an idea of how marketers and web developers should create web content. For example, by creating content with real people who understand the topic at hand, websites can demonstrate their experience with issues.

Consider a site themed around gardening, for example. Suppose the site regularly publishes content that isn’t relevant, or AI-generated content that is simply a rehash of previously created material. In that case, Google’s algorithms are likely to provide a low rank for the website when it is sought out in search results.

E-E-A-T provides a helpful framework for web marketers to work with when working on a website. It also helps Google better understand the Internet at large, allowing for the further refinement and development of the search algorithms that it uses today.

Core Updates: Fighting Spam

While the Internet is a powerful tool, it’s susceptible to emerging challenges. Take the rise in artificially generated content online. There are many news sites, for example, believed to be generated exclusively with AI tools like ChatGPT. This presents a unique challenge for search engines like Google, who need to be able to discern what’s real, and what’s fake.

Changes to Google’s spam policies look set to at least address some of the issues present - including changes to catch out actions that seek to take advantage of reputable sites, such as site reputation and expired domain abuse. These changes aim to help avoid users being misled by reputable websites, or scammed by repurposed web content.

For more than a quarter of a century, Google has developed its products in a way that they have become a trusted part of the web - in fact, the term ‘I’ll Google it’ is synonymous with searching online. With emerging challenges in generative AI and spam, Google’s focus on refining its algorithms to de-rank poor-quality content is a welcome sign in a world enthralled by these rapidly evolving technologies.

(Devdiscourse's journalists were not involved in the production of this article. The facts and opinions appearing in the article do not reflect the views of Devdiscourse and Devdiscourse does not claim any responsibility for the same.)