Google Algorithm Update: July 2021 Core Updates And Changes

We now know that Google updates their algorithm several times a week with minor changes. In most cases, these changes will not have any impact on organic performance and only slight changes to rankings resulting in fluctuation. 

Back in 2019, Google officially announced broad algorithm updates a few weeks or months before they actually happened. These announcements allowed marketers the opportunity to research the upcoming changes and prepare for any issues that might arise. 

However, core updates are slightly more intricate…

What are core updates? 

Google Core updates are changes to the ranking algorithm, which is responsible for creating the search results. While there are minor updates almost every day, it is the core updates that can stir-up entire search engine result pages (SERPs) and business sectors.

These core updates may have a significant impact on your website’s ranking. Although there are no current actions you can do to recover from these changes – for clarity, Google has provided a list of questions to consider if you find that your website has been negatively impacted by one of their updates.

What’s to come…

Knowing when Google are planning to update its search ranking algorithms gives us a good reference so that if you do begin to experience any sudden fluctuations, you’ll understand why. To help, we have put together the following timeline to help you to keep track of any past, present and future Google updates.

02/06/21: June Core Update: rolled out & completed.

Google announced the June 2021 core update on June 2 and began at 6:30pm.

In the past, Google’s core updates have typically rolled out over a two-week period. This is with the bulk of the update happening in one day — normally within 24 hours after the announcement. However, this seemed to have started a few days later and saw ranking and traffic changes occur over the following days. Just like with all core updates, this was global, not specific to any region, or language. 

Semrush found that the bulk of the changes were felt on Friday June 4 and Saturday June 5, 2021. 

If you have been impacted by the June 2021 core update, you might find that this change may be reversed during the July update. An official tweet from Google SearchLiaison confirmed that the June 2021 Core Update rollout was complete as of June 12, 2021. 

11 & 12/06/21: Unconfirmed Search Ranking Algorithm Update

‘Unconfirmed Google Updates’ are usually smaller updates as opposed to the Broad Core Algorithms making bigger changes. Most of the time, these unconfirmed changes won’t impact organic rankings and traffic. (Google hasn’t confirmed whether there was an update or not, this is mostly based on industry chatters).

16/06/21 Google’s Page Experience Update (also referred to as Core Web Vitals) begins to roll out. 

Unrelated to the June and July Core Updates, the Page Experience Update is due to conclude in August 2021. 

• Google Page Experience Update ranking changes have begun to rollout slowly. 
• AMP is no longer a requirement for eligibility for the Top Stories.

To understand more about Core Web Vitals and any previous updates, take a look at our previous blog post.

23/06/21: Google Search releases spam update on June 23 and part two on the 28/06

Google announced another Search update called a “spam update.” The spam update concluded on the same day.

On June 28th, Google stated that part two of their new spam algorithm update had concluded. FYI, Google’s definition of spam focuses on sites that trick users into providing personal information or installing malware. Did you know that Statista reports that in September 2020 almost 47.3% of all email traffic was spam!

In most cases, websites won’t be affected. However, if you have suddenly seen a drop in rankings across your site following this update, we suggest looking into your website’s security and look out for any signs of a possible attack. For more information on Google’s efforts to fight spam watch this video: How Google keeps you safe on Search. 

30/06/21: Unconfirmed update

During this period there may have been another update. This is yet to be confirmed but, as it came two days after Google ran the second part of its spam update, it might explain if you are seeing some fluctuations.

01/07/21: July Core Update: the second part of the June update begins

The second part of the update, officially known as the July 2021 Core Update, has arrived. Having started Thursday, 1st July and is currently on-going. When we have more information we will update this blog to help keep you the loop. 

Need our help?

If you’re unsure if your website has been affected have a read of our blog: Should You Worry About Unconfirmed Google Updates. In this blog we talk in detail about Google’s updates, how you might be affected and what you should do if you see any changes to your website. 

Alternatively, don’t hesitate to get in touch! We can provide an in-depth performance report with a clear audit on which variables you should address first and how you can prepare yourself for any changes in Google’s algorithms over the coming months. 

While a lot of the work required to improve your website’s speed may need development, the framework surrounding Core Web Vitals provides a checklist of must-have, quick-win and ongoing performance improvements that can provide instant results from your SEO strategy work.