Each year Google makes several modifications in its algorithms and recently on August 1, 2018, Google confirmed the most important algorithm updates. It was enormous and several sites saw large instability across the web. In 2018, this is the third time, when Google alterations have been confirmed officially. In March and April of 2018, Google confirmed large updates which also caused considerable instability across the web. According to Danny Sullivan, this was also a broad core update identical to those updates.
With this broad core algorithm update, millions of websites search rankings across their search results vary. From the Google core algorithm update, some websites benefited and many saw huge declines in their traffic. Via a tweet, Googler Danny Sullivan confirmed this latest news about Google core algorithm update.
Google rolls out such updates many times every year and it was also a broad core algorithm update. It was also confirmed by the Googler Danny Sullivan that this broad core algorithm update was a “global” rollout. However, how many search results were impacted by this August 1, 2018 core update, Google didn’t verify yet.
Let’s take a look at what this update is all about:
Google is reliable about its adaptation that there is not anything one could do to fix the site. Consequently, Google webmasters must keep on with providing high-quality content and unimpeachable user experience. August 1, 2018, Google broad core update gets its name the “Medic update” as it was mainly focused on the health and medical sites and “Your Money Your Life” types of sites with creeping into the entertainment and gaming niches also.
It is also said that Google August 1 core update could cause major drops in website rankings like other updates. Not anything wrong with the website pages if several websites might discover gains or drops or perform less also. Relatively it is occurring because of various alterations made to the Google algorithms which are advantaging pages that were formerly under-rewarded.
Let’s take a look at the loosing and winnings sites by Medic Update:
Following are the most impacted niches based on the data available:
- Pages which are used for monetary transactions, on which users may provide their credit account or bank account information, for instance, any page that enables you to purchase something.
- Pages that ask for personal information, for instance, bank account numbers, personal identification numbers, drivers license numbers, etc., which could be used for identity theft.
- Pages providing advice on major life decisions, for instance, pages buying a home, a vehicle and on parenting.
- Pages that offer health or medical information that could impact your physical health.
- Pages providing advice on major life issues that might impact your future happiness and finances, for instance pages giving legal or financial advice.
Professionals concluded above niches as the majority of alterations can be seen for YMYL-sites and health and finance pages. It means the majorly affected websites by this recent update are YMYL-sites and health and finance pages.
What you should do if your website has been impacted by the update:
Your website has not been penalized if your website rankings have dropped. Google’s latest updated algorithm just found that other websites have additional authority, expertise, and trust than your website. There is no particular fix that will solve the problem. There are numerous things that you can do to prove to Google that your website must get higher rankings:
- Get rid of all technical errors from your web pages
- Improve your website design
- Write quality content of your web pages
- Improve the links that point to your web pages
Summing Up
On August 1, Google did a huge algorithm update which impacts the search results and affects several site owners, webmasters and SEOs. It appears to have had a bigger impact in the medical and health space, as well on YMYL types of sites. The recommendation generally has been to make your site, content and user experience enhanced in general and keeps working at little changes that can have a large impact on your website rankings.
