The March 2024 core update is characterized by complexity and has brought significant shifts in the way Google manages the importance of links in SERP rankings. Moreover, with the latest update, Google has highlighted the criteria used to catalog and remove link spam. According to the latest guidelines, the update mainly affected sites that repurpose expired domains for link-manipulation campaigns, that use spammy hyperlinks strategies, and that abuse low-value content aided by AI. Plus, the algorithm modifications led to increased volatility that could be observed in SEO metric tools for more than a month.
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The March 2024 core update first began rolling out on the 5th of March and took an impressive 45 days to be fully implemented. Concomitantly, Google also rolled out its March 2024 Spam update, which took only 15 days to finish its implementation process. The core update was a significant one, even by Google standards, involving substantial changes to the way the search engine’s algorithms interact with indexable content.
The update brought about significant SERP shifts, with some sites reporting losses of up to 60% in click-through rates and substantial reductions in online visibility. As these visibility changes were predictable, Google also updated its help center page, offering additional information on how web admins can diagnose the backend issues that led to SERP losses. In addition, Google created a feedback form that will remain active until May 31st.
The March 2024 core update not only brought changes to the search engine’s algorithms but also introduced a new approach to communicating helpful content updates. From now on, the helpful content system will be integrated into the core updates, making the changes more frequent and unannounced. This shift reduces the opportunity for web admins to diagnose the cause of their site’s volatility. Additionally, the latest core update replaced the First Input Delay criterion in the Core Web Vital Metrics with a new one called Interaction to Next Paint, leveraging data from the Event Timing API.
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Google’s intent with the latest core update was to reduce the incidence of unhelpful or irrelevant content that has a direct effect on the quality of search results. In other words, Google has specifically targeted sites that do not comply with recommended content and link practices. In addition, with the spam update, Google has taken action against sites that use AI generation to circumvent the EAT guidelines. The changes in the SEO sphere have been significant, and according to Google, the incidence of unhelpful content in the SERPs has dropped by 45%, exceeding the initial expectation of 40%.
The level of volatility among websites remained high, especially in mid-April, and dropped to a median level by April 20th, which made many specialists speculate that the update finished rolling out even before Google confirmed it. In SEMrush and SERPmetrics, the volatility peaked between April 17th and 18th, while in SERPstat, disturbances of over 30% could be observed on the 31st of March. Moreover, with the spam update implemented concurrently with the core modifications, Google implemented three new spam policies: Scaled content abuse, Expired domain abuse, and Site reputation abuse.
Considering that the March update affected more core systems than usual and that it changed the way crawlers target AI-generated content, the volatility registered in the last month is not really a surprise. However, the number of manual actions and delisting actions taken so far have exceeded many of the specialists’ predictions. Has your site been affected? Have you noticed significant decreases in your SERP ranking? Then, you will need to inspect your Performance report in the Google Search console and check out the documentation offered on the Google Search Central website.
First of all, you will need to work with SEO experts. Our team will perform an audit of your site using professional programs such as Ahrefs or SEMrush and identify the main elements of your content creation and link-building strategy that played a significant role in your SERP modifications. We will increase the quality and trustworthiness of your articles, make sure that the existing texts on your pages comply with the E-A-T guidelines, optimize your site from a technical point of view, and, not least, remove AI-generated content that can seriously affect the visibility and reputation of your pages.
With the March 2024 core update, the importance of links as a SERP ranking element has been downgraded from “important” to just a factor. In fact, the documentation provided by Google highlights that links are no longer in the top three elements that can influence site visibility. Instead, with the development of NLP models, the importance of the quality and credibility of written texts is significantly higher. Has your website been affected? If so, a full audit of your site will be necessary, taking into account both backend and on-page elements that may have influenced your SERP ranking.
Given that the latest update has brought changes in the ranks of CWVs, you will also need to ensure that your pages respect the latest INP metric. Plus, a review of your external links and a re-evaluation of how you use AI-generated content will be necessary. The March update was the first core modification implemented by Google in 2024 and led to prolonged volatility that remained high for more than 30 days. Is it just a first step against spammy AI-focused algorithm manipulation techniques? Time will tell.
About Author
Ion G. Tudorache
As a co-founder and managing director of GAMIT I am the first contact of our clients. My job includes setting project objectives and offering SEO consulting advice to customers. My professional background and experience working in the SEO industry are essential in developing efficient SEO strategies and designing innovative techniques.
