Google Algorithm Updates

Google algorithm updates are changes Google makes to the systems that rank search results. Google changes its search systems thousands of times a year, but most changes are tiny. A few times a year it releases larger, announced updates that can move rankings for many websites at once.

Written by Paul Hoda, SEO consultant since 2005. Last updated 8 November 2026.

Types of Google updates

  • Core updates: broad changes to how Google assesses content overall. They usually roll out over two to four weeks, several times a year. They are not aimed at specific sites; they reassess which pages are most helpful.
  • Spam updates: improvements to systems that detect spam, such as link schemes, scaled low-quality content and hacked pages.
  • Helpful content and reviews changes: refinements that reward people-first content and genuine product reviews. These are now part of the core ranking systems (see Helpful Content).
  • Feature updates: changes to how results look, such as new AI Overviews or changes to Rich Results.
  • Local updates: changes to how the Map Pack and local results are ranked.

How to know if an update affected you

  1. Check Google’s Search Status Dashboard for announced updates and their dates.
  2. Compare those dates with your clicks and impressions in Google Search Console.
  3. Look at which pages and queries changed, not just the site total.
  4. Check competitors that gained or lost on the same keywords.

If your traffic fell on a date with no update, look for technical causes first: a site migration, accidental noindex tags, broken redirects or tracking errors. My guide to the causes of Google rankings drops lists the most common ones.

How to recover from a core update

There is no quick fix after a core update, because nothing is technically “broken”. Google has simply decided other pages are more helpful. Recovery usually means improving the quality of your content and site as a whole:

  • Review the pages that lost the most traffic and compare them honestly with the pages that now outrank them.
  • Add first-hand experience, original data, clearer answers and better structure.
  • Improve or remove thin, outdated or duplicate pages (see Content Pruning).
  • Strengthen E-E-A-T signals: author information, credentials, reviews and references.
  • Make sure the page matches the current Search Intent.

Improvements are often only fully reflected at the next core update, so recovery can take months.

How to protect your site from future updates

  • Write for people first, not for search engines.
  • Avoid shortcuts such as bought links or mass-produced AI content (see Black Hat SEO).
  • Keep important pages up to date to prevent Content Decay.
  • Build a brand people search for by name.
  • Diversify traffic so one update cannot ruin your business.

I wrote more about this in 5 SEO tactics for a Google update.

Updates vs penalties

An algorithm update is automatic and affects many sites. A manual action is a penalty applied by a Google reviewer to a specific site for breaking the spam policies. Manual actions are reported in Search Console; algorithmic drops are not, which is why understanding update dates is so useful.

Key Takeaways

  • Google releases core, spam and other updates several times a year.
  • Match traffic changes to announced update dates in Search Console.
  • Core update drops are about relative quality, not a technical fault.
  • Recovery comes from genuinely improving content and trust, often by the next update.
  • Rule out technical problems before blaming an update.

Related Terms

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