Google’s Search advocate, John Mueller, addressed concerns from SEO professionals and site owners about differentiating between the August core update and the Search ranking bug’s effect on their search rankings. 

Mueller advises site owners to wait until the August 2024 core update is complete before judging the impact, to focus on site quality, not algorithm changes, and not to expect significant changes.  

Google Core Update Vs Search Ranking Bug 

Google’s latest core update was quickly followed by a search ranking bug (not connected) that has left SEO professionals and site owners wondering which one is affecting their search ranking.

Google’s John Mueller has been addressing these concerns on LinkedIn and advising on what to do while waiting for Google to complete the update. 

Rüdiger Dalchow, Senior SEO Manager, asked Mueller how we can determine which changes are affected by the bug and which are due to the update.

• “Maybe a stupid question Google Search Central, John Mueller, with the Google Ranking issue now resolved (which is really nice that it is resolved), but the August core update having started the same day as the issue appeared and is still rolling out, how can we determine what changes in ranking are affected by the issue and which by the core update?”

Dalchow finished by saying what a lot of site owners are also thinking.

• I have no idea how to tell them apart if I see them!

Mueller began by saying:

• “You’d really need to wait until the core update finishes rolling out to make any call about its effect. 

Then Mueller referred to what SEOs are posting on social:

“From looking at social posts from SEOs tracking these things, there are often fluctuations during the rollout; I don’t think it’s worth trying to separate out the effects from the ranking issue.”

Mueller previously said on LinkedIn that the ranking bug and the core update weren’t related. Google confirmed that the ranking issue was fixed on August 20. 

Forget The Update; Improve Your Website

External ranking issues aside, Mueller advised publishers to continue improving their websites while they wait for the core update to be completed.

Mueller wrote:

• That’s not to say you should wait with working on your website; it’s just if you want to compare before vs after, waiting for it to be finished is important. 

Mueller’s recommendation is standard Google advice regarding updates: Wait until they’re finished before assessing the effect. 

Mueller finished the tread by saying:

• “Most websites don’t see big changes, so I’m hesitant to make it seem like an even bigger deal for them.”

Focus On The Big Picture

Every SEO professional and site owner knows how volatile an update’s effects can be and that identifying what changes search rankings is challenging.

Google advises forgetting about the update until it’s complete and instead continuing to improve your website and provide high-quality content relative to your audience. 

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Terry O'Toole

Terry is a seasoned content marketing specialist with over six years of experience writing content that helps small businesses navigate where small businesses meet marketing - SEO, Social Media Marketing, etc. Terry has a proven track record of creating top-performing content in search results.
When he is not writing content, Terry can be found on his boat in Italy or chilling in his villa in Spain.

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