Yesterday, Google announced via its Search Liason Twitter account that it's rolling out its May 2020 core algorithm update.
Google usually releases a core algorithm update every few months or so.
But, with the COVID-19 pandemic, several SEOs have questioned whether the search engine giant will pause core updates. It turns out that the answer is “no.”
Yesterday, the Google Search Liason announced the May 2020 core update. Then about an hour after the initial announcement, at about 3:50 pm ET, the search engine company announced that the rollout had begun.
The announcement reads:
“The May 2020 Core Update is now rolling out live. As is typical with these updates, it will typically take about one to two weeks to roll out fully.”
Let’s delve a little deeper.
The May 2020 Core Algorithm Update and COVID-19
Back in January, Google released its first core algorithm update of the year — the January 2020 core update. However, a lot has changed since then.
The coronavirus outbreak became a pandemic, and businesses have had to shut down to curb the disease spread. Likewise, search behavior has evolved due to the effect of the current crisis.
As a result, many topics that were not as relevant to searchers are now gaining relevance. Conversely, search engine users are no longer searching for categories that were once relevant.
For example, searches that are related to entertainment, in-person events, travel, and tourism are all down. Meanwhile, search interest in areas such as retail, home delivery, and mortgage suspension have peaked in the last few months.
So, what do you do if the May 2020 core algorithm update affects your search ranking negatively? The answer is simple: nothing.
Google’s previous guidelines on core algorithm update remain the same as this one. And it states that there’s nothing to fix if your website rankings drop after a core update.
Instead, site owners should focus on creating excellent content that addresses search intent.
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