The new Google core update for March 2024 is out and it seems the update has profound changes. There is a change to the Review system in which it is mentioned that now there will be a continuous update instead of a semi-monthly update. It shows that there must be some major changes are going to happen in Google’s underlying infrastructure. The changes can be related to software or hardware level or for both.
Moreover, there is Spam Explainer document reveal which mainly focuses on link usage in various ways on the websites to keep the lowest quality content out of search results. These are some insights in the officially released document that reflect the purpose of the March 2024 Google Core Algorithm Update.
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Changes that can be seen in the March 2024 update!
Google deemphasizes links
Until now, website links were not even in the top three important ranking signals of Google. However, it seems spam documentation is all about deemphasizing links.
Earlier it was mentioned that “Google uses links as an important factor in determining the relevancy of the web pages.”
However, according to new documentation, “Google uses links as a factor in determining the relevancy of the web pages.”
The two sentences show the differentiation prominently and it is expected that website links' role might be deemphasized now.
Content creation for link manipulation
Another update is also related to links. It is to focus on such content which is forcefully created to manipulate links. The algorithms may strictly aim at paid links wherein the network of sites is built without focusing on their quality. Websites with such links will see a huge impact on search engine ranking.
Outgoing links
It was a general practice by Google to penalize sites that sell outgoing links. Now it has become an algorithm to be examined for all outgoing links and rank websites accordingly.
Expired domains signal
There is a new signal on how domains are used. Thus, now it will be impossible for websites to purchase expired domains in order to use them to manipulate their rankings.
Domains previously used by government agencies, medical products sites for non-profit medical charities, and/or former elementary school sites should not be used for new sites. However, other domains are also not allowed to be used as expired domain abuse.
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Key concept behind the Update
The March 2024 core update is mainly focused on link signals. However, it covers many more aspects in general:
- New rules are introduced to withstand spam.
- Focus on enhancing the quality and usefulness of search results.
- Promotes user-centric, genuine content.
- Prohibits sites to game the SERPs.
- Encourages content creators to create more relevant, useful, and reliable content.
- Uplifts overall search experience.
Enhance search result quality
The March 2024 Core Update places a significant emphasis on enhancing Google's ranking algorithms. Elizabeth Tucker, Director of Product for Search at Google, affirmed, "We’re making algorithmic enhancements to our core ranking systems to ensure we surface the most helpful information on the web and reduce unoriginal content in search results."
This update builds upon the company's ongoing initiatives to mitigate unhelpful and duplicated content, which have been underway since 2022. The upgraded ranking algorithms will be more adept at assessing whether web pages offer genuine utility, provide a positive user experience, or are primarily tailored for search engine optimization rather than user benefit.
Google anticipates that the combined impact of this update and its previous efforts will result in a 40% reduction in low-quality, duplicated content within search results.
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March 2024 core updates are ambiguous!
These four link signals can be seen in Google’s March 2024 core update. The change like new link signals, is ambiguous because there is nothing precisely mentioned. Thus, the update might create confusion on how to plan strategies. It is completely on website owners to decide whether to adhere to the new algorithm updates or not.
Not to forget, that March 2024 core algorithm update will take a month to completely roll out. So, there is ample time to understand the released insights and plan strategies. However, prioritizing content quality is an ever-going task!
Whether you have been affected by the latest Google March 2024 low-quality content, we will assist you in identifying and limiting their potential negative effects. As Professional SEO Service Company, we provide comprehensive search engine optimization services, from keyword research to custom SEO analytics. For more information reach out [email protected]
