Google Algorithm Updates 2019: How to Recover Sites Impacted by the Changes

We know Google updates its algorithm from time to time. In fact, some changes keep taking place on daily basis to help improve user experience. Around the first week of March this year, SEO experts felt fluctuations to search engine index on a worldwide scale and this confirmed the changes to the updates.

Google finally announced on March 12, 2019 about the changes to its core algorithm updates but as expected, did not specify those changes. The tweaks were huge compared to previous update in August 2018, which is why the level of ranking fluctuations was more significant than the last time.

With the March 2019 algorithm change, some sites have been badly hit, some have seen no changes while some have witnessed a slight improvement to their traffic and search engine rankings. Curiously though, the sites that had been hit by the August 2018 update saw a reversal in their performance.

This left webmasters wondering whether the update was just a reversal of the previous update to the core algorithm. With Google not coming up with any explanations, it’s better to believe what experts say and then focus more on improving the performance of the site.

How Google Algorithm update 2019 has impacted websites?

Sites have been hit by the March algorithm update and it’s important to know the reasons so that you can keep yours safe. It’s also key to understand that Google only punishes the sites that don’t follow its guidelines and if your site is always within the rules, there is no need to worry.

Let’s look at how the March update has affected the sites –

• The update has hit the sites using faulty SEO strategies and tactics for achieving better ranks in search engines

• Sites whose content did not meet quality parameters have also been affected by the update

• The March update has particularly been severe on sites not aligning with Google’s EAT quality (Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness)

• The changes to core algorithm have proved beneficial as well with the scale of positive results easily outweighing the negative

• The update has also offset the advantages achieved by many sites with previous algorithm changes in August 2018

• Websites with high authority have got a fillip to their traffic and rankings which is quite like other updates in the past

• The March update has also negatively impacted the sites that had gained ranking advantage in 2018 by building links through private blogging networks

• The changes however benefitted websites with natural and quality backlinks

• The March 2019 update has also offset damages caused to sites in the health, wellness, fitness category by the August 2018 medic update

• Sites not complying with the EAT quality have been hit by the latest changes to the algorithm

• The update has also affected the sites who had resources but did not credit to experts

• Sites under the YMYL category that did not provide author bio with their posts had also been bit by the update

• The March update did punish sites that had content lacking authority, or that had content lacking originality

• Sites having rewritten, rephrased, paraphrased or aggregation content also saw their traffic and ranking downgraded

• With March 2019 update, Google has also downgraded sites that were into collection of user info without giving privacy the due concern

• The sites with no author info, with lots of dubious-looking URLs were also hit by the update

Tips to recover sites affected by Google algorithm update 2019

It’s quite clear that 2019 update has hit websites but for reasons that are not beyond comprehension. It has affected only those sites lacking quality in various aspects and not giving focus on EAT quality. So, to recover site, the priority should be on boosting the sites EAT rating.

Let’s look at a few tips to boost the site’s EAT rating –

1. Have only quality and trustworthy content on the sites

No Google update can harm your site’s traffic and search engine ranking if the content is high-quality and trustworthy in nature. It’s therefore important to have experts write the content on areas like health, fitness, finance etc. so that users can benefit. For that reason, you should include author info or author bio and detail with posts to win readers’ trust.

2. Avoid paraphrasing or duplicate content

If your site has duplicate content, or if it paraphrases content from other site, which means you don’t have original content. This can affect your site’s traffic and search engine ranking. Google wants sites to have original content, particularly those sites that cater sensitive areas of health, wellness etc. So, avoid the use of duplicate content and keep your site away from algorithm update.

3. Enhance trust factor of the site

The more your site has trust factor the less it be affected by algorithm changes. To make people or reader trust your site, it’s important to have display right information at right places. From about us page to testimonials, from reviews to contact details to customer support detail, you should have all that can sway people’s faith in your site. Only then can your site perform better.

4. Be honest with link building

Low-quality links do no favour to sites. In fact, links that are created using unfair means may get the site banned. The focus should be more on the quality aspect of backlinks than their quantity. You must rely only on white hat SEO techniques for links and increase blogger outreach for quality links. That will have positive impact on the site’s performance.

5. Focus on security of users

Sites that focus on security of users and have measures in place have better traffic and rankings than those don’t. So, it’s important to get the site SSL certified and then switch to HTTPS to ensure security to user’s data and info.

Clearly, websites should focus more on having quality in every aspect of the ways. They can take help of an experienced digital marketing company to counter risks that low performance can ensue in any type of scenario.