Google’s June 2021 Updates: Core Update, Spam, and Page Experience

Google updates Google Search hundreds of times a year. They do this to ensure that it works well for the searcher. Many of these updates are not noticeable, but they still work to improve the user experience. Find information on the latest Google algorithm updates here.

When introducing a larger update, Google announces it prior to the rollout. This allows site owners to investigate the changes and prepare their sites. These updates are rolled out several times a year. They are called Core Updates.

The Core Update

The most recent Core Update was the June Core update which was completed on the 12th June. 

Optimising Search and improving user experience are both at the top of Google’s list of priorities. Often with Core Updates, websites can see and increase or decrease in rank. This is through no fault of the content or website administrator, but rather an effect of Search changing and developing. Of course if your site benefits from an update then that is great. But if your site doesn’t benefit, and your rankings don’t come back, then you will need to investigate and implement changes to help rankings and organic traffic.

Should you wish to improve or fix your rankings after a Core Update, Google suggests focusing on content. Ensuring your content is high quality, with good grammar and an appealing look and matches the user’s search intent, your rankings and organic traffic will increase. This is because Google’s algorithm focuses on the quality of content when ranking websites.

The Spam Update

The June Spam Update was rolled out on the 23rd June, with a follow up scheduled the next week. This update was rolled out in one day, as has been the case with similar updates. This is unlike the Core Updates, with this month’s taking place over 10 days.

The Spam Update follows Google’s 2020 efforts to fight and reduce spam in Google Search. In 2020, Google created a spam fighting AI which made the process of eliminating spam from search results far more efficient. Alongside this they also improved the backend of Google Search with other means of scanning and eliminating spam.

If you have seen changes in organic traffic or rankings after this update, check your Link Profile. Make sure that you remove toxic links to prevent negative SEO. To find out more about negative SEO take a look at our three steps here.

The Page Experience Update

The Page Experience Update was announced in November 2020, and began gradually rolling out in mid-June 2021. It will be completed by the end of August. The roll out includes an update to the ranking of pages in Google Search, with emphasis placed on pages which provide great user experience. In order to conduct this update on rankings, Google will be considering the three Core Web Vitals metrics. These provide guidance for quality signals which are essential for user satisfaction. Find more information on Core Web Vitals here.

Alongside this, Google will also be updating the way it delivers news. The Top Stories carousel feature will include all news content so long as it adheres to Google policy and the Google News app will also be updated.

Search Console will also be seeing an update with the addition of the Page Experience Report. This will combine many factors such as mobile friendliness to deliver valuable feedback on sites, allowing site owners to update and improve their online presence. 

This update is designed to help site owners improve their sites as well as highlight pages which deliver great user experience. 

As it is being rolled out gradually, Google have said that they will be more able to identify issues and correct them, meaning that site owners should not expect drastic changes or problems. The gradual roll out will also allow site owners to monitor their pages and bring attention to issues should they arise.

So why does Google release these Core Updates? “As new sites emerge and the web changes, continued updates are key to ensuring we’re supporting a wide range of publishers, creators and businesses, while providing searchers with the best information available.”

Please subscribe to our blog if you want to receive updates about critical SEO news and advice on topics such as algorithm updates. 

Here at New Horizon we are experts in SEO. If you are experiencing ranking issues or if your business is not improving performance or return from search engines, please feel free to contact our experts to discuss your strategic issues, up and coming projects and benchmark existing suppliers.