Google is all set to roll out a new core search algorithm update, naming, May 2020 Core Update, announced on the 5th of May (i.e Monday) after the giant search platform released the last core algorithm update in January. The motive is to improve the search quality result when entered as a query to the site. This may prove good for an end-user to analyze the fluctuation of their performance as a result of the core update. While the aim is to avoid getting manipulated, Google with its routine updates asks the creators to lay their eyes on the quality of the content.

In the past, Google released a core algorithm update every few months, it was just a bit over 3-months ago since the last January core update.

The announcement by Google: Said, “Later today, we are releasing a broad core algorithm update like our previous numerous updates each year. This is the May 2020 Core Update, our guidance remains the same as we’ve covered before”.

A tweet posted by Google announced that the May 2020 core update aims for all its users, however, it would take another two weeks to get fully rolled out.

Expanding the horizon of the update to enhance the experience of the Google search

This new update is an expanded version of the core algorithm update that brings a list of changes to Google’s search algorithm and system. Unlike its regular updates, the company releases in a routine to improve the search results, ‘Several times a year, we make significant, broad changes to our search algorithms and system. Referring to them as ‘core-updates’ they’re designed to ensure the improvisation in overall delivering our mission to relevant and authoritative content to the searchers,” Google penned in a blog post that states and clarifies their core algorithm updates.

Previous updates:

With its recent previous core update at the start of this year, the January 2020 core update and the one before that was the September 2019 core update, many SEOs and webmasters said, “it didn’t have a big impact on their sites”. The giant platform also released an update in November 2019, but it was specific to local rankings.

What to do with this:

Google has advised on what to consider when impacted negatively by a core update in the past. However they haven’t advised anything specific to take cover, and in fact, an impact by negative ranking isn’t a signal of anything wrong with your pages, with this, Google has offered a list of questions to consider when your site is suffering due to the core update.

Inclusion in the May 2020 Core Update:

Though Google hasn’t specified any changes in the May 2020 core updates and is understandable as it does not focus on individual factors, but on the algorithm as a whole. There could be three possibilities that could happen once the core update has been fully rolled out:

• It can affect your website’s rankings and traffic positively
• It can affect your website’s rankings and traffic negatively
• It doesn’t affect your website’s rankings and traffic

One just has to wait and see the aftermath of the core update and how it can affect your website. Since the last update about the website was released in January 2020, this is just a short time difference between the 2 updates, as far as the predictions go, May 2020 Core Update might have something to do with the overall massive change in search behaviour owing to the global pandemic.

When checked lastly, the tools that include the SERP volatility just for the sake of ensuring that nothing major is happening right now:

Cognitive SEO signals

Between the end of April and the start of May, there was a noticeable increase in the SERP volatility but then it narrowed down during the past few days.

Accuranker’s Google Grump Rating

When compared with the Cognitive’s graph, Accuranker’s Google grump rating lays eyes on the spike which could result due to a core update, one has to still wait a few days and more data for a reliably confirmed assumption.

SEMrush sensor

Unlike others, the SEMrush sensor isn’t showing any spike and volatility.

With this, SERP volatility tools aren’t showing any signs of core updates affecting their SERPs at the moment, but then it has a high chance to change in one or two weeks after the full update is rolled out. One just has to be ready to adapt to the situation and avoid doing any steps that could lead to penalizing one from the giant platform. When done right, one shouldn’t worry about these occasional Google update releases.

Why it’s important: With the Google update, your website is vulnerable to taking a full 360-degree shift; could be better or worse in the search results. Understanding these Google updates, also gives one to understand, if it is something that you changed on the site or if it has something to do with its algorithm change.

Let’s just keep an eye on the analytics and rankings as Google will be releasing its full core ranking update soon.