Google updated its Broad Core Algorithm. The updated version was nicknamed Florida. According to experts, these are the biggest changes to the search ranking algorithm in recent times.
When did the algorithm update happen?
On 2 June 2019, Google's developers published an official statement about changes to how search bots work. The update was named the June 2019 Core Update.
What is the Broad Core Algorithm?
The core ranking algorithm performs a number of functions:
1. It analyses content.
2. It assesses the quality of page content for accuracy and expertise.
3. It checks backlinks to the site.
Based on these checks, domains are thoroughly analysed and sites are ranked in search results.
What happened?
The changes primarily affected small sites that rank thanks to their content. Domains that lost their positions after the Google Medic update got them back. Authoritative sites that passed the expertise check improved their rankings. Domains that reached the top thanks to toxic backlinks dropped in search results.
Google E-A-T Rank
The acronym E-A-T stands for Expertise, Authoritativeness and Trustworthiness, all relating to content. Search bots check content for reliability. Articles should be written by accredited specialists, updated regularly and contain reliable facts, so users can form a complete picture without speculation or unverified claims. Scientific materials are checked for the expertise of their authors and for scientifically proven facts.
The most noticeable changes affected YMYL (Your Money or Your Life) pages — content that can affect a user's physical, mental or financial well-being. This definition applies most to the following topics:
— finance;
— law;
— health;
— food;
— pet care;
— politics, etc.
What should you do?
The first thing to do after the updates is analyse your site in detail. Check for errors and duplicate pages. If your position in Google search has dropped, optimise your content for SEO.
1 — Inform the business owners
Tell company management about the changes. You'll most likely need to change a significant part of your content, and that will require budget.
2 — Update your content if it relates to E-A-T topics
Sites that reached the top thanks to their text content will need off-page optimisation. YMYL pages will need measures to increase the expertise of their information. You can name the author of each article, present them as an expert in their field, add an author bio and link to their contacts or social media profile. Also run a comprehensive indexing check and clean the site of copied and rewritten content.
3 — Fix your backlink profile
Analyse your backlinks. Sites with purchased low-quality links no longer appear at the top of search results and are much harder to promote. Once you find toxic links, list them and submit them to Google's Disavow Links tool.
Questions and answers
Who was affected most?
The biggest drops were seen among sites on certain topics: childcare, food, sports, political news and cosmetology.
Where can I find detailed information from the developer?
Google presented the new version of Googlebot at the Google I/O conference. The presentation describes all the changes in detail.
Is there an official statement from Google about the algorithm update?
Google's official representative Danny Sullivan published a statement on Twitter in early June 2019:
"This week we released a broad core algorithm update, as we do several times per year. We continue to monitor all our services as before."
When was the previous Google Florida update?
Back in 2003, Google launched the Florida 1 algorithm, which detected keyword-stuffed content, sites with purchased links and other prohibited optimisation methods. The next changes of this scale came only in March 2019.
Why is the update called Florida?
In 2003 the changes coincided with the PubCon conference in Florida, hence the name.
How can I keep track of search algorithm updates?
Although all significant changes to search bots are covered in the press, you can also track them yourself. That's what tools like SEMrush Sensor and MozCast are for — you can use them on any device.
Conclusions in brief
Search engines change ranking parameters to exclude sites that try to reach the top quickly using black-hat SEO. Usually, the changes barely affect sites that follow the rules. As Google's developers say, the main tool for growth is publishing quality, useful content on time.
Still, it's a good idea to review and analyse your site and take steps to improve it:
1) Check the backlinks to your domain and the quality and relevance of the sites they're on. If you find toxic ones, list them and submit them to the relevant Google tool. The bad reputation of linking sites can damage yours too, and your site may drop in search.
2) Increase the expertise of your content. The main way to protect your project is strong content that answers all users' information needs. Remember that text should be written "for people": quality, interesting and useful, not just stuffed with keywords. It's good to cite sources and authoritative publications. Articles should be well structured, with keywords evenly spread through the text.
3) Choose a team of professional webmasters and SEO and traffic specialists. They'll advise you on how to build a site properly, make it stand out from competitors and get it into the top 10, and recommend topics and advertising.
