Every now and then, Google makes an algorithm change that seems to turn digital marketing upside down. This happened with Panda in 2011, Penguin in 2012, and the Helpful Content Update in 2022. We are now in one of these moments with the most recent March 2024 core update.

The March 2024 Core Update

This latest update reshapes the search engine landscape and even causing some SEO experts to scratch their heads. Although it can cause a great deal of stress and anxiety for many, it is important to note that this is all part of the industry. Those who are adaptable and take the time to get to grips with the latest changes achieve long-term SEO success, so this article will look at the latest update and what it means for businesses looking to create a strong presence online.

Tacking Low-Quality, Spammy Content

Google regularly updates its algorithm to deliver relevant and high-quality information to its users. The March 2024 core update has been rolled out to tackle low-quality, spammy content and ensure that the most helpful information on the web rises to the top. Google announced that the update aims to reduce low-quality, unoriginal content in search results by 40%. Google outlined the aim of the latest update:

“This update involves refining some of our core ranking systems to help us better understand if webpages are unhelpful, have a poor user experience, or feel like they were created for search engines instead of people. This could include sites created primarily to match very specific search queries.”

Swift Penalties Hit Many Hard

While this sounds good in theory, the rollout of this update has hit many hard. Many find that their websites have been de-indexed from search engine results pages entirely, while others have seen years of hard work building a strong online presence wiped away overnight. This is because Google has updated its spam policies to remove low-quality content from search results. Read on to discover the key changes reshaping SERPs as we speak.

Scaled Content Abuse

One of the most notable changes has been the implementation of a policy designed to punish low-quality content generated at scale (written by AI). This policy focuses on punishing those who use automation to generate unoriginal and low-quality content at scale to manipulate search engine rankings.

Site Reputation Abuse & Expired Domain Abuse

Another area where Google is cracking down is site reputation abuse. This involves low-quality content produced by third parties getting content published on a reputable website to leverage the publishing site’s credibility. The update is also designed to prevent expired domain abuse, which is the manipulative tactic of purchasing and repurposing expired domains to improve the ranking of low-quality and/or unoriginal content.

What Does This Mean for SEO?

So, what does this all mean for businesses looking to use SEO to improve their SERP position? Essentially, the key principles of SEO remain the same. This means creating human-produced, useful, informative, and valuable content that addresses your target audience’s questions and concerns.

To ensure content quality and user satisfaction, embracing Google’s E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness) principles is important. These are the criteria the search engine uses to assess the credibility and reverence of web content.

In addition to content quality, user experience (UX) plays a major role in SEO marketing. Websites should prioritize key UX principles, including page speed, CTAs, and mobile optimization. This will help improve your search engine position following the latest update, but crucially, it will improve the user experience for your visitors – this should make it easier to convert visitors into customers.

A New SEO Era

The latest Google update has created panic in the SEO marketing world and serves as a reminder that it is essential to be agile and proactive in SEO. This is now a new era of SEO where content quality and user experience are prioritized over low-quality, spammy, and AI-generated content.

How We Can Help

We know this can be a difficult time for many, so get in touch today to discover how Smart Thinking Consultancy can help you build a strong online presence and gain a foothold while others struggle to get a grip.

Change always creates new opportunities for those who can adapt, and we are a Google SEO expert who can help your brand climb the rankings to enhance brand exposure and increase organic traffic.

Contact us for a chat today to learn more about our digital marketing services.