Google algorithm updates are regular changes to their search algorithm that aim to improve the relevance and quality of search results for users. SEO (search engine optimization) must therefore continuously adapt to these changes. For a good SEO strategy. it is important to monitor these changes and adapt your practices to meet Google’s current requirements.
After a major algorithm update. a website’s rankings may be affected not only by the usefulness of its content. but also by other factors. The algorithm is constantly evolving. and if you notice that previously well-ranked pages. No longer visible in search results. it may be a sign that other aspects are at play. These include. for example. the technical quality of the website (technical SEO) . backlinks. user experience. Page loading speed. or changes in the competition. Reevaluating these factors is key to restoring and improving your website’s rankings.
Algorithmic losses are not necessarily permanent
Sites affected by the algorithm update. which includes the useful content section. are not permanently affected. and with the right measures. It is possible to regain their positions. Google has implemented complex algorithm update systems over the past decade. which can take months between cycles. This means that affected sites often cannot find a quick way back into search results . Although the update impact is not permanent. it may at first seem like a “curse” that permanently marks the site as unprofitable. However. Google’s John Mueller confirmed that this impact can be overcome if efforts are made to improve the site. This includes optimizing the content. focusing on the user experience. and adhering to Google’s guidelines for quality and useful content.
Someone asked on X (formerly Twitter):
“Can a website hit by an algorithm update grow again if its quality improves? Many fear that regardless of the amount of improvement. a website hit by an algorithm update will forever have a classifier assigned to it that prevents it from growing again.”
John Mueller replied:
“Yes. websites can grow again after special database being hit by an algorithm update. This is not a permanent intervention. It can take a lot of work. time. and perhaps even update cycles because a different – updated – website will also be different in search.”
Recovery is not the right word
Many people think that recovering from an update means resetting rankings. so that sites regain their previous rankings. John Mueller’s answer to X suggests that publishers may view the effects of algorithms as something that requires adapting the site to match evolving user expectations.
Mueller wrote on Twitter:
“‘Recovery’ means IMO. because the maintain the client’s trust and close the deal world. user expectations. and the rest of the web are always changing. It’s never ‘like it was.'”
This statement seems to suggest that algorithm updates do. to some extent. reflect users’ expectations of what they expect to see in search results.
A way to understand this is to look
Google’s Medic update from a few years ago. This update reflected an alignment of search results with what users expect to see when phone number spanish they type in certain queries. After the Medic update. queries on medical topics required search results with a scientific approach. Pages that reflected folk remedies and unscientific practices did not meet this updated definition of relevance.