Google’s January 2020 core update has rolled out. If you were lulled to sleep by some of the previously confirmed updates it may be time to wake back up. Some industry experts have said this update feels big so far. If you haven’t seen an impact from the latest algorithm update yet, you certainly could in the coming weeks.
“For those who have asked, the update is mostly done,” Google Search Liaison posted on Twitter on Jan. 16. “Though as with any core update, it may take two weeks to fully complete.”
The core algorithm update was preannounced on Jan. 13, and by Jan. 16, it was mostly done rolling out. Since then, Barry Schwartz of Search Engine Land has weighed in with the following on its impact across the board.
“We’re working to collect more data around this update,” Schwartz wrote. “We hope to provide more information in the upcoming week or so, but as you can see above from the tracking tools and the ongoing SEO community chatter, this update does feel very big.”
In terms of our SEO clients at Kuno Creative, we have not seen a strong impact yet. By Jan. 21, we did not have any clients whose keyword rankings in the top 10 or top 100 fluctuated more than plus or minus 5% when compared to December rankings. We are continuing to monitor, though because the rollout may have taken longer in different areas.
The first indicator would be your keyword rankings. If your keyword rankings took a drastic hit in terms of the top 10 or top 100, compared to previous periods, you were most likely impacted adversely by an update.
Learning as much as you can about what it means to be impacted by an algorithm update is important for your website. Timing is also critical in terms of your response.
Keep in mind, you could also be impacted positively by an algorithm update, so check for any big swings either way over the coming days.
