For many website operators, the new December 2020 Core Update should bring a lot of movement to the SERPs. Of course, there will always be winners and losers. But who will benefit most from the new update? And how should you retool your pages so that your rankings develop positively?
In the following, I will take a look at what is already known and what tips I would give you so that you don't get lost in the new Google update.
Despite the December update - there's no need to rush
Many website operators and SEOs are understandably nervous when Google announces changes to its algorithm. However, this concern is often unfounded - at least if you have not built your rankings predominantly on a foundation of black hat SEO methods.
Google's aim is to bring the algorithm closer to its own benchmark with every update: Google wants to show its users the best and most informative content that optimally answers searchers' questions. So if you predominantly use the search engine optimization methods recommended by Google, you can hope to be rewarded for your commitment.
The December 2020 Core Update is now rolling out live. As is typical with these updates, it will typically take about one to two weeks to fully roll out.
- Google SearchLiaison (@searchliaison) December 3, 2020
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What do you need to pay more attention to after the update?
Of course, with every update there are always a few recommendations on what you should pay attention to in order not to jeopardize your rankings. The "page experience" in particular seems to be even more important from now on, as Google has already leaked and other SEOs have confirmed.
It has been known for some time that Google wants to take the "mobile first" concept to the extreme in May 2021 and will no longer consider content that is exclusively intended for desktop websites when determining rankings. In addition, the thumbscrews for the "Core Web Vitals" (including the loading time) are to be tightened once again.
For website operators and SEOs, the implication of this is to pay even more attention to a lean & fast-loading page structure. Bulky websites with large media content will lose out as these cannot be displayed well on mobile devices. While the recommendation used to be to limit larger content to the desktop version of the website, Google will no longer be happy if too much content is hidden from the mobile version.
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If you have suffered ranking losses, you should not try to respond to the Google December 2020 Core Update with aggressive measures that could ultimately prove to be an own goal. Instead, you should stick to Google's recommendations and continue with serious search engine optimization.
Using tools such as Ahrefs or SISTRIX, you can easily track how your own visibility is developing and which keywords may have suffered losses. Here it could be useful to improve with optimized content or to take a closer look at the Core Web Vitals of the relevant pages.
It will certainly take a few more weeks before the update is fully rolled out. Only then will it be possible to assess the extent of the effects and derive the appropriate implications for further search engine optimization.