So far, 2024 has been relatively stable in terms of Google search rankings.

We write that to say that beginning March 5, those stable rankings might become much more volatile throughout the rest of the month. The old saying “In like a lion, out like a lamb” might be reversed for SEO strategists and the websites they are optimizing.

Google announced that it would be releasing the Google March 2024 Broad Core Update, one of just a few of these high-impact, sweeping core updates throughout a calendar year. The rollout began on March 5 and will take the entire month to roll out completely, according to industry expert Barry Schwartz.

How will this impact my website?

Good news for those who have employed deliberate and strong content creation for their website in recent months and years. The update is not a penalty for sites, but a promotion for websites that have been doing a good job with content that truly helps users find goods or services they are seeking. Google has been working to enhance the visibility of these good sites for a few years with these significant algorithm updates to discourage sites from continuing to create unhelpful and unoriginal content that was rewarded in previous instances of the algorithm’s life.

If your site has been working intentionally to grow business online with white-hat SEO and optimization strategies that are best-practices, your site could stand to be rewarded.

If your site has been engaged in quick-fix SEO, black-hat and/or poor practice, your site could see a significant reduction in rankings across your search results.

Please note, even if your site is set up with “best-practice” SEO, your site may experience a negative impact or no impact at all. Google does its best to ensure it crawls all sites and rewards the ones that are truly worthy for helpful content, but often can get the outcome wrong, leaving sites with unhelpful content with their rankings intact or reducing the standing of a site following best-practices.

What should I do?

Working with an SEO company that’s on top of your site’s rankings at any given time is the best way to mitigate these potential impacts and get on the path to ranking recovery. If your rankings are still in a good place, chances are you have already been working with a company like DigitalParc to optimize your site across search engines.

Be on the lookout for your search rankings, and if your site experiences a sustained downturn, consider reaching out to a company that’s experienced with turning sites’ rankings around and driving leads for your business in the right direction. We want your business to thrive just as you do. Even if you are questioning where your site stands in the realm of search engine optimization, don’t hesitate to reach out to us to discuss your business.