As we mentioned in a previous blog, Google confirmed a broad core algorithm update on May 4, 2020.
Have you noticed a fluctuation in your organic website traffic or keyword rankings? Before chalking it up to the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on business and online activity, know there was a confirmed core algorithm update that began rolling out last week.
Google made an official announcement on its @Google SearchLiason Twitter account confirming the update and naming it the May 2020 Core Update.
Later today, we are releasing a broad core algorithm update, as we do several times per year. It is called the May 2020 Core Update. Our guidance about such updates remains as we’ve covered before. Please see this blog post for more about that:https://t.co/e5ZQUAlt0G
— Google SearchLiaison (@searchliaison) May 4, 2020
The May 2020 Core Update was Big!
While it is still early and we know the updates sometimes take several weeks to roll out, initial data analysis is reporting the update was big and widely felt across multiple industries. Data companies are reporting the May 2020 Core Update was larger than the January 2020 update, which was also reported to be a large core algorithm update.
According to SEMrush data, the industries that were most impacted included: travel, real estate, health, pets & animals, and people & society.
For more analysis on the impact of the May 2020 algorithm update, check out these resources:
• Google May 2020 Core Update rolling out (Search Engine Land)
• Google’s May 2020 core update was big and broad, search data tools show (Search Engine Land)
• Sites Impacted by the Google May 2020 Core Update in a Big Way (Search Engine Roundtable)
For more information the January 2020 core update rolled out earlier this year, check out our previous blog post: What the January 2020 Google Algorithm Update Means for You
Impacted by the May 2020 Algorithm Update?
Did you notice a large drop in organic traffic or rankings in early May? Our team would love to hear about it!
Not sure if you were impacted? We recommend reviewing your Google Analytics and Google Search Console data around this time and monitoring the performance.
If you suspect your business was negatively impacted by the May 2020 Google Algorithm update, we recommend taking Google’s advice and starting here with: ‘What webmasters should know about Google’s core updates’ to follow best practices for quality content and website practices.
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