Google has begun rolling out the third core update of 2024, the November 2024 Core Update. This update kicks off at approximately 3:30 PM ET on November 11, 2024, and is expected to take about two weeks to roll out. At this point, it looks like a regular core update, with no new details revealed about what changes or improvements will be made.
We already knew this update was coming, and it arrived as expected yesterday afternoon. Google also said not to expect HCU-affected sites to recover as a result of this update.
So far, we’ve noticed some people reporting a more significant drop in their rankings. However, most people say they still haven’t noticed any changes as I write this. Of course, I’ll continue to monitor the discussion and share what I see in the next few days. Also, volatility monitoring tools mostly show normal volatility, so this may not have really started yet.
Yes, it was released on the Veteran’s Day holiday in the United States, but it looks like it was launched before the massive shopping season after the Thanksgiving holiday.
Google latest algorithm direct link URL: https://status.search.google.com/summary
Quick Summary of Google’s November 2024 Core Update:
Here are the most critical pieces of information we have so far:
- Name: Google’s massive November 2024 core update
- Launch time: November 11, 2024, around 3:30 pm (EST)
- Rollout time: It will take about two weeks.
- Goal: It covers all kinds of content.
- Penalty: This is not a penalty, but a promotion or reward for high-quality pages.
- Global: This is a global update that affects all regions and languages.
- Impact: Normal core update on valuable content.
- Discovery: The core update has an impact on Google Discover and other features, featured snippets, etc.
- Recovery: If you are affected by this, it is recommended that you check your content to see if it can be improved based on Google’s core update suggestions.
- Update: Google regularly updates the algorithm, but may not publicly disclose information about these updates in the future. This may be what we have observed in the past few weeks, or all unconfirmed Google updates.
News released by Google
This core update comes a few months after Google released the core update in August 2024 and should be considered a typical core update. Google said on LinkedIn:
- The purpose of this update is to further enhance our efforts to improve the overall quality of search results by showing more content that is considered truly valuable, while reducing content that is created solely to improve search rankings.
Google issued a statement about the update and said it will provide more details in its State of Search report. Google points out:
- Today we are rolling out the November 2024 Core Update. We will add this to our ranking release history page shortly and update accordingly once the release is complete.
A few weeks ago, Google communicated to us that an update was coming. However, sites that have been negatively affected by the September 2023 Helpful Content Update should not expect significant recovery. It’s unclear what impact the November core update will have.
How to deal with it if affected? Google has previously provided some advice on what to do if core updates negatively impact you. While Google doesn’t offer much new advice, here’s what they’ve suggested in the past:
- There are no clear recovery measures. Having your rankings negatively affected doesn’t necessarily mean there’s something wrong with your page.
- If your site has been affected by a core update, Google has provided a list of questions to think about.
- Google says you may see some signs of recovery between core updates, but major changes will usually appear after the next core update.
In short, write content that will benefit people, not simply to improve your search engine rankings.
Google previously stated: “As long as creators continue to provide users with high-quality content, they do not need to make any special adjustments to this update. For creators who may not be ranking well, we strongly recommend referring to our ‘Creating helpful, reliable, people-first content“.
For more details on Google core updates, check out Google’s documentation.
Previous core update. According to Google, the first core update in 2024, the March Core Update, is the largest core update ever. The update was launched on March 5 and completed 45 days later on April 19.
Things you need to pay attention to
According to Google, most sites will likely not notice significant changes caused by core updates.
However, some sites can experience significant fluctuations in search rankings and traffic.
Google recommends that website owners concerned about changes in rankings should:
- Perform impact analysis after the update is complete.
- Compare traffic data before and after the update in Search Console.
- Pay special attention to pages that have dropped significantly in ranking, especially those that have dropped by more than 20 positions.
- Use Google’s self-assessment guide to evaluate the quality of your content.
- Focus on lasting improvements, not quick fixes.
Recovery and response
For sites affected by the update, Google notes that the recovery process may take some time — possibly even months — as its systems need to learn and validate the improvements.
Specific adjustments will not necessarily restore previous rankings. Google points out that search results are dynamic in nature due to changes in user expectations and constant updates to web content.
Website owners can utilize Google’s Search Status Dashboard to monitor the completion status of their releases.
As with previous core updates, Google is expected to announce the rollout of this update in about two weeks.
Conclusion
After this year’s algorithm adjustments, this is Google’s final confirmation of the 2024 core update.
As new updates to Google search results roll out, we will carefully evaluate their impact.
