Google’s September 2022 Core Algorithm Update

September 14, 2022

5 Minute Read

Sit back and strap on your seatbelts, because Google just announced another core update. Creatively named the September 2022 core update, this latest update from the folks over at Google was announced on September 12, 2022 and is expected to take 2 weeks to complete.

While many of us in the SEO world are still reeling from the August 2022 helpful content update – which completed September 9, 2022- our friends over at the most prolific search engine in the world are committed to presenting the most relevant and authoritative content to searchers. You know what they say after all, ain’t no rest for the wicked.

What Is a Core Update?

While Google makes daily tweaks to their search algorithms, they release core updates a few times a year. These updates contain significant, broad changes to Google’s search algorithms and systems aimed at ensuring they are offering relevant and authoritative content to searchers. Typically, they produce widely noticeable effects with some sites experiencing drops and gains.

Google is adamant that their core updates don’t target specific pages or sites. However, we typically see that certain industries or types of content are more significantly impacted than others following the roll out of core algorithm updates. Google’s advice if you see negative impacts from a core algorithm update: offer the highest quality content you can.

Expected Impacts of the September 2022 Core Update

While the verdict is still out on the impact that the September 2022 core update will have, Search Engine Journal did point to a tweet from Danny Sullivan – Google’s Public Liaison for Search – in their September 2022 core update announcement that alluded to a connection between this core update and the helpful content update that began in August.

The tweet, from September 6, 2022, read:

Maybe the helpful content signal alone wasn’t enough to tip the scales and produce a change in someone’s particular situation, but when we do other updates (core, product reviews), it might add into that and be more significant….
Danny Sullivan, 2022

However, Danny has since shut down that idea… well, partially at least. He responded to a mention of the previous tweet by telling the Twitter community that the correlation is not that direct and reiterating that Google’s ranking systems use a variety of signals. He then linked to a Google Search Central Blog titled “What creators should know about Google’s helpful content update” (which we highly recommend reading if you haven’t already) and made this point; “Helpful content is weighted, so sites on the edge might not see issues. But if they also have core update issues, the combo might be more significant.”

Our advice (we are experts after all): keep an eye on your keyword rankings and Organic performance over the next two weeks. Note large fluctuations and see if you can find a pattern. And if you’re really feeling generous, feel free to reach out to me directly with any impacts you are seeing. I’d love to have a conversation with you and compare notes.

Oh, and if you aren’t a client of Be Found Online already (did I mention we are the best digital marketing agency in the whole, entire world?…don’t fact check that) but need a little help with your SEO or any other digital marketing needs, reach out to us. We would love to help!

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Maggie Sauer

With a background in SEO, Analytics, Email Marketing, and Omni Channel Strategy, Maggie utilizes her love for data-driven strategies in her role as the Associate Director of Analytics at BFO.