Google releases core update for September 2022

A new Google core update just got released for September 2022, with the rollout expected to take two weeks to complete. Nothing is confirmed yet for how this changes the algorithm or will impact search results.

Core updates change multiple parts of the search algorithm, and affect multiple languages and regions. The last core update happened back in May 2022, and caused a lot of volatility in the search results, across multiple website categories and industries.

More recently, there was the Helpful Content Update in August 2022, described at the time as part of a “broader effort to ensure people see more original, helpful content written by people, for people, in search results.”

Some industry commentators have speculated that the September core update will amplify the effects of the Helpful Content Update, following a recent tweet from Google’s Danny Sullivan:

However, this remains speculation at present. Google advises site owners impacted by core updates that they don't have anything wrong to fix, and should focus on ensuring they offer the best content they can, as this is what Google’s algorithms seek to reward.

To find out if your website has been affected, download our checklist here.

“Google's mission is to organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and usable,” comments Alex Breitenbach, solution consultant at Ryte.

“The goal of the different updates, whether it is Page Experience, a Core Update or the Helpful Content Update, is to improve the results. Even though the volatility of search results has tended to decrease in recent updates, we are seeing continuous improvements.”