Google’s Core Updates That Are Affecting Your SEO 

By Emma Thomas

 

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) can be a bit of a mystery, especially when platforms like Google make changes on a regular basis. For your SEO efforts to continue driving your site to the top, your site must be constantly evolving and staying in line with Google’s latest changes. To achieve this, you have to be aware of when a Google core update is coming and the impact it will have.

 

Why Your Bookings Can Stay the Same While SEO Conversions Change

Site traffic fluctuates frequently, as every business has high seasons and low seasons. However, there may be times you see traffic truly drop and stay that way. A drop can be due to a number of things, but one of the first things you should check is when the most recent Google updates occurred. 

 

A telling sign may be that your purchases or bookings generally remained the same but your traffic dropped. In other words, Google core updates affect who is seeing your site and why. A small shift in rankings, changes in the types of searches a site appears for, changes in SERP features, or changes in which pages receive visibility can alter the quality and intent of organic visitors.

 

In 2026, Google has already launched several core updates. Read on to learn if they have had an impact on your site.

 

But First…What Is a Google Core Update?

A Google core update is a change that Google makes to its ranking systems to improve user experience both for those searching and for site owners. These changes are never targeted penalties to specific types of sites; instead, Google is reassessing which content deserves a spot at the top of the page. Google is searching for quality content, and core updates change what defines ‘quality content’. 

 

To stay up to date on Google’s latest updates, click here. 

 

The 2026 Google Core Updates to Know

In 2026, there have been three Google core updates so far. These updates focused on the integration of AI and what it takes for your site to rank in Google’s AI overview, and on improving overall user experience. Google is paying closer attention to who is using purely AI-generated content and who is just using AI to enhance their writing. Google is not opposed to AI-assisted content, but it continues to prioritize helpful, original, people-first content and may take action against AI-generated content that provides little or no additional value. 

 

To dig a little deeper, let’s look into each Google core update in 2026:

 

February 2026 Discover Core Update

This update was not a true, traditional Google core update. The difference lies in its specificity. It focused solely on the Google Discover feed and focused on things such as clickbait title reduction, improving local relevance, and topical authority. This is particularly relevant to publishers, news organizations, and other sites that receive significant traffic from Google Discover. 

 

March 2026 Core Update

This update was considered exceptionally large. Several SEO data platforms counted it as one of the most disruptive core updates in years. 

 

The focus in this update primarily lay with rewarding ‘information originality’ and turning away from ‘keyword stuffing’ content. It pushed the algorithm to reward content with a verifiable author and to focus on quality over quantity.

 

May 2026 Core Update

This was another large update, similar to the one in March. According to industry experts, it focused on suppressing AI-generated content and favored first-hand opinion pieces (POV content). This update also marked a noticeable shift in how Google views ‘Commodity Listicles’, which have been a popular SEO writing style and technique in recent years. 

 

How to Tell If a Google Update Is Affecting Your Website

Being aware of the ways a core update is affecting your site is vital for your SEO. Conducting a quick analysis of your site is a great way to tell what’s going on. The simplest and most direct way to tell if an update is affecting your site is by following these simple steps:

 

1. Check the official update date

When did the update take place? Google recommends waiting about a week after the last core update before analyzing your site.

 

2. Review Google Search Console data

Change the date range to compare the last 28 days against the previous 28 days, or match the dates after the update to the same weeks from the previous year. Look for a sudden drop or rise in total clicks and impressions.

 

3. Analyze organic traffic in Analytics

Look into your organic search traffic and check if your user count and page views dropped after the update started. 

 

4. Identify Affected Pages and Queries

Return to the Google Search Console performance report and sort your queries and pages by difference in clicks (lowest to highest). From here, you can see which specific pages or search terms lost the most traffic. 

 

5. Evaluate Content Quality and Intent

Lastly, read your dropped pages with a critical eye. Ask if your content answers the user's search intent better than competing pages, then check if your site follows Google's guidance on creating helpful, reliable, people-first content.

 

How To Adapt to Google's 2026 SEO Changes 

So what do Google’s core updates mean for your SEO strategy moving forward?

 

1. Focus on search intent

Make sure each important page actually answers the question behind the search.

 

2. Strengthen original value

Don't just rewrite what competitors already say. Add expertise, examples, experience, data, photographs, explanations, or information that makes your page genuinely more useful.

 

3. Improve your strongest landing pages

Prioritize pages that drive leads/bookings rather than trying to optimize every page equally.

 

4. Review your content after major updates

Compare pages that lost visibility against pages that gained visibility. Google specifically recommends assessing the pages affected and considering whether other pages now do a better job satisfying the searcher.

 

5. Don't make panic changes

Google explicitly advises against "quick fix" changes and says improvements can take time to be reflected in Search. Monitor it for several weeks to see what happens.

 

Why Core Updates Can Affect Conversions Even When Purchases Haven't Changed

The valuable thing to understand with core updates is that just because conversions to your site have changed, this doesn’t mean that purchases have. 

 

For example, if numbers dropped in conversions and purchases, this might not mean that purchases have declined overall. The core update shifts Google’s focus. So check your overall bookings and ask, “Am I seeing a rise in bookings from Google Ads?” or, “Is AI Overview bringing in conversions?” Evaluating your overall performance on Google platforms is key to understanding how core updates are affecting your business. 

 

For a better understanding of where your conversions and purchases are coming from, utilizing tools such as Google Search Console and Google Analytics is a great way to gain a clearer understanding of your business as a whole.

 

Next Steps

Remember that a Google core update is a significant change to Google's ranking systems, but it’s designed to improve the relevance and usefulness of search results for users, which as site owners, is what we want. 

 

While keeping up with these updates can feel daunting, Google SEO isn't just about getting more traffic. It's about getting the right people to your website, and that’s the end goal!

 

For help keeping your site up-to-date, or if you have any questions about Google core updates and SEO, reach out to us at success@ankerpoint.marketing.