Google has rolled out its August 2024 core update to enhance search result quality by prioritizing genuinely useful content. 

According to Google, the update is influenced by recent feedback from creators and the goal is to ensure that search results better reflect positive changes and improvements made by websites. “This update is designed to continue our work to improve the quality of our search results by showing more content that people find genuinely useful and less content that feels like it was made just to perform well on Search.”

What’s new in Google's August 2024 core update?

Google’s August core update is designed to improve how search results reflect genuine value. It places a stronger emphasis on content that users find useful.

With the update, Google aims to prioritize web pages that provide authentic value and consistently produce high-quality, original content. 

Google intends to reduce the visibility of content created primarily to manipulate search engine rankings. Content designed solely to rank well in search algorithms without offering real benefits to readers will be ranked lower.

Google’s August core update is also intended to promote “small or independent sites that are creating useful, original content, when relevant to users' searches.” If a smaller site provides high-quality, unique information that aligns well with what users are searching for, it might see improved rankings in search results.

The implementation period for Google’s August core update 

The implementation period for Google’s August core update is expected to take up to one month. As with previous core updates, it will roll out gradually according to the Google Search Status dashboard. 

This phased approach will allow Google to monitor the effects of the update and make adjustments as necessary.

Additional updates

Google has also updated its core update help page to offer more detailed information for those who may see changes in their site's performance. Users who notice changes following Google's August core update will be provided with more guidance on understanding and addressing these changes.

The changes include new sections in the Search Console designed to help assess traffic drops and significant position changes. There's now a stronger emphasis on making substantive content improvements rather than relying on quick fixes. 

Additionally, Google has revised the expectations for the time needed to see ranking changes after improvements are made, while some explanatory content about the nature of core updates has also been removed from the guidance.