Google's core updates directly affect content rankings, requiring improvements in content quality, EEAT and technical optimization. 1. Pay attention to content quality rather than keywords, ensure that you answer user questions and avoid shallow content; 2. EEAT is more important, showing the author's professionalism and credibility; 3. Technical SEO still needs to be improved to keep the website fast, mobile friendly and clear structure; 4. Monitor performance and adjust strategies according to changes, and continuously improve to provide real value.

Google's core updates directly impact how your content ranks in search results. They're designed to improve the quality of search results by refining how Google evaluates pages. If your site is affected, you might see traffic shifts—either up or down—dependent on how well your content aligns with the updated ranking criteria.

Here's what you need to know and what you can do:

Focus on Content Quality Over Keywords

One of the biggest ways core updates affect SEO is how content is judged—not just for accuracy or keyword use, but for overall value. Google gets better at recognizing high-quality content that's helpful, well-researched, and created for people rather than algorithms.

What to do:

• Make sure your content answers real questions your audience has.
• Avoid thin content—pages with very little text or substance won't hold up well.
• Update older content to reflect current info and expand it where needed.

This isn't about length alone—it's about depth and usefulness. For example, a product page that only lists specs without explaining benefits or comparisons may not perform as well after an update.

EEAT Matters More Than You Think

EEAT stands for Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness. Google uses these factors (especially in YMYL topics like health, finance, or legal) to evaluate content quality.

How this affects your site:

• Pages written by someone with clear expertise in the topic tend to rank better.
• Sites that don't show who wrote the content or lack credentials might lose ground.
• Building trust through reviews, citations, and expert input helps long-term.

You don't have to be a certified doctor to write about health, but showing experience and citing reliable sources definitely helps.

Technical SEO Still Plays a Supporting Role

While core updates are mainly about content quality, technical issues can amplify or hide the effects. If your site loads slowly, isn't mobile-friendly, or has broken links, even great content might not get the chance to shine.

Quick checklist:

• Keep your site fast and responsive.
• Fix crawl errors and broken links regularly.
• Use clean, descriptive URLs and meta tags.

These aren't the main focus of a core update, but they set the stage for your content to perform well.

Monitor Performance and Adjust

After a major core update drops, you might notice traffic changes within days or weeks. The key is to monitor and respond thoughtfully rather than panic.

If you see a drop:

• Don't rush to rewrite everything overnight.
• Look at top-performing and underperforming pages—what's different?
• Check if user intent is clearly addressed on each page.

Sometimes, a drop now leads to a rise later if you make meaningful improvements.

Google's goal with core updates is to reward sites that provide real value. It's not always easy to keep up, but focusing on quality, credibility, and usability keeps you moving in the right direction.

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