How do Google updates affect paid search? The latest major update from Google was released in March 2024. Additionally, the search engine introduced new rules to combat spam. With these innovations, Google aims to:
Reduce the amount of low-quality and unoriginal content by 40%.
Combat mass content generation, particularly pages that match search queries but provide no value.
Prevent the use of reputable sites for irrelevant content.
Websites with low-quality content may be deindexed, meaning users will no longer find these sites in search results. According to Niche Site Metrics, this measure affected 1.7% of the sites in their database at the beginning of Google's March update. Another possible outcome is a drop in a site's search ranking, which also negatively impacts affiliates. Fewer users will visit the site, leading to decreased conversions and the affiliate’s revenue.
Yet, there's good news: affiliates can prepare for Google updates and even restore site traffic after a ranking drop. Let us explain how.
5 Steps to Keep the Website’s Position Before Updates
Google updates and checks are inevitable. The earlier you accept this fact and organize your work, the more stable your metrics will remain both before and after updates.
Here are five steps you can take:
Monitor the upcoming updates. Subscribe to Google's official social media accounts and newsletters so updates don’t catch you by surprise. For example, follow the Google Search Central Twitter account, the Search Console Center Blog, the Google Search Central RSS feed, and the Search Console Center YouTube channel. The latter not only provides update information but also useful tips on preparing your site. You can also use third-party services like PixelPlus or MegaIndex.
Work on content quality. The latest updates focus on ensuring users see unique and valuable content. Create pages that answer users' questions and solve their problems. Update old content with current data and statistics. This shows Google that your site provides fresh and relevant information.
Work on user experience. Google evaluates not only the content itself but also how easy it is to interact with. This includes page parameters and navigation. This is especially important for the mobile version of your site, as most traffic comes from mobile devices. Work on adapting your pages to different screen sizes.
Consider E-A-T principles. Google pays a lot of attention to Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness (E-A-T). These factors help Google decide if your site can be trusted. Google wants to see that the content on your page is created by a competent author who is ideally cited by other sources. Additionally, the information should be accurate and up-to-date.
Follow Google’s guidelines. “Thanks, Captain Obvious”, you might think. However, no matter how tempting it is to outsmart the search engine with “black hat” SEO methods, it increases the risk of sanctions from Google. Therefore, it’s better to avoid cloaking, hidden text, invisible links, and manipulation of behavioral factors. Alternatively, you can always stay one step ahead and use shady techniques that Google hasn’t yet caught onto.
These steps will help you prepare for Google updates and avoid filters before they even happen. Next, let’s find out what to do if your site has already been affected by updates.
How to Restore Your Website's Position after a Google Update?
A drop in your website’s position ranking following a Google update doesn’t mean all is lost for affiliates. There’s no need to panic or abandon promoting partners through this search engine. Here are the main strategies to help restore your site’s traffic:
Conduct a site audit. The first step in restoring rankings is to conduct a comprehensive site audit. Identify which pages have lost traffic and analyze why this happened. Use tools like Google Analytics and Google Search Console to get a complete picture of your site's current state.
Analyze competitors. Study competitors' sites that have maintained or improved their rankings after the algorithm update. Pay attention to their content, link strategy, and technical aspects. Try to implement successful practices on your own site.
Improve content quality. Analyze your content to ensure it meets Google’s requirements. Update outdated articles, add new data and statistics, and improve the text structure. Publish more long and in-depth articles that thoroughly cover the topic. Make them well-structured and use subheadings: this is convenient for readers and improves Google indexing.
Optimize page load speed. Check your site for performance issues and fix them. Use special tools (e.g., PageSpeed Insights and GTmetrix) to identify and correct problems that slow down page loading.
Work on your site’s link profile. Ensure there are no spammy or low-quality links on your site that could negatively affect rankings. If necessary, use the Disavow Tool to remove unwanted links.
Focus on UX. Optimize the user experience on your site. Improve navigation, simplify forms and processes, and ensure ease of use across all devices. This helps keep users on your site longer and increases their engagement.
Improve the mobile version. With the increasing number of mobile users, Google pays special attention to mobile optimization. Ensure your site is adapted for mobile devices, pages load quickly, and the interface is user-friendly.
As you can see, it’s entirely possible to regain your site’s traffic. You just need to play by Google's rules: improve the quality of your content and the website in general.
Summing Up
Restoring your site's rankings after a Google update is achievable if approached systematically. These updates aim to improve search quality, benefiting both users and site owners.
It’s crucial to consistently monitor upcoming updates and adapt your strategy accordingly. Monitoring news and utilizing analytical tools can help with this. Pay particular attention to content quality, even if it hasn’t been an issue so far. Create useful, unique, and relevant materials that meet users' needs.
If your site has already been affected, don't despair. Conduct an audit, improve content quality, optimize technical aspects, and work on your link profile. Analyze competitors and implement successful strategies to regain lost rankings.
The key is to keep up with changes in Google's requirements and prepare for them. A systematic approach and a commitment to improving site quality will help you not only regain your site's traffic but also ensure stable growth in the future.
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