Google Core Update August 2023 - Everything you need to know

The August 2023 Broad Core Algorithm Update

Every year, Google carries out new core updates to make significant changes to its search algorithm. The main aim of these updates is to ensure that users get the most relevant and reliable results for their search queries. With the latest update, Google has announced that it will update its ranking release history page once the rollout is complete.

Dates and impact on rankings:

• Name: Google August 2023 Broad Core Update
• Rolled out: 22 August 2023
• Duration: about 2 weeks

Goal of the update

The main goal of this update is to improve the quality of search results.

A drop in page performance after the update does not necessarily mean a problem. It's more about the relevance of the content.

What does it mean if your website loses ranking?

Unlike other Google updates, such as the recent Link Spam Update, a negative effect from a Core Update does not mean there is a problem or ranking issue with your website.

Sites that previously ranked low but were highly relevant to user queries could see a boost in their rankings, which can cause other sites to experience ranking losses.

This means that if a website outranks you, their content is likely to be of higher quality and more relevant. It doesn't mean you've been flagged for link/keyword spam or have a technical issue with your website.

How do I deal with any ranking drops?

A drop in ranking can be worrying, but panicking is not the answer.
Recovery from a core update is not guaranteed and can vary.
But Google does give one piece of advice: focus on improving the quality of your website. Technical fixes are not always the answer.

E-E-A-T and the role of quality:

Make sure you adhere to E-E-A-T (experience, expertise, authority, trustworthiness) in every piece of content you create for your website.

E-A-T received an additional E, which stands for experience, in December 2022 during the update to Google's Quality Rater Guidelines.

Google's quality raters are now trained to favour content that shows first-time experience. This means that E-E-A-T is likely to play a significant role in this latest core update, so make sure it's reflected in your content.

Recommended questions from Google to improve your content:

Should your site experience negative impacts from the Core Update, Google has a number of suggested questions you should ask yourself to improve content quality.

It's important to emphasise that there isn't necessarily anything "wrong" with pages that may experience performance drops after core updates.

To recover lost SERP rankings, Google offers these questions to help you improve the quality of your content, as excellent, highly relevant content is what their search algorithms reward:

• Does your content contain original research, insights or analyses?
• Do you provide a comprehensive overview of the topic beyond the obvious?
• If the content comes from other sources, does it go beyond paraphrasing and offer originality and additional value?
• Does the headline provide a sensible and accurate overview of the information presented in the content?
• Have you avoided using exaggerated "click-bait" titles?
• Is it the type of content you want to share on social media?

Answering these questions will help you identify quality issues with your content, which can improve SERP rankings. You can find the questions and more information on Google's help page.

Other new features:

Play Store changes:

• Ads: The Play Store is changing the way its adverts are displayed. Instead of "Ads", "Sponsored" is now displayed. This makes it clearer for users that they are viewing paid content.

• Emergency situations: There are improvements in emergency situations and an extension to Google Wallet that could be useful in emergencies.

• Google Play services: These services are at the heart of many Android features. From background services for notifications and security to user-centric things like Google Wallet. There are some changes you should be aware of, especially if you are developing or running mobile apps.

If you want to know more about Google's most important algorithm updates, check out our article"These 7 Google Algorithm Updates You Should Know About".

Conclusion and final thoughts:

The Google Core Update in August 2023 is a significant update that can have far-reaching effects. It will continue to be rolled out for the next few weeks and should be completed by early September. It's uncertain whether your website will be affected by the update, and the impact won't always be negative. Should your website experience a drop in SERP rankings, it's not a sign that you've done something wrong. The best way is to do everything you can to improve the quality and relevance of your content and then move on.

If you need help developing a successful SEO strategy for your business that will stand up to Google updates, just give us a call on +43 1 353 2 353 or email us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Our customers are not afraid of any update!