Google’s core algorithm update for March 2023 has arrived.
Google intends for this update to improve the quality of search results, which could mean that your website could take a hit (lose ranking) if it hasn’t had proper SEO done to meet the new update. So, what should you know and how do you and your marketing team prepare for this update? Here are some suggestions based on what I am hearing and what we should be doing to comply. This continues to follow Google’s stance on providing helpful, quality content for its end users. You may want to read my other blog post on how Google defines quality content using E.E.A.T.
Let’s jump right into what you should be checking and doing.
Focus on Quality Content
Quality content is going to be served up by Google first. What do I mean by quality? It has to be well-researched, well-written, and provide answers to questions that are being asked by your target audience. It needs to provide value to readers who land on your website.
Optimize Your Website for Mobile
According to Statista, more than 63% of Google searches are done on mobile devices. Google has taken notice and is placing more importance on your website being optimized for mobile. You need to make sure that your website loads quickly, is super responsive, and user-friendly on mobile devices.
Pay Attention to User Experience
Speaking of being user-friendly, Google has been placing more emphasis on user experience in recent years, and this trend is expected to continue with this new update. Make sure that your website has a clean layout that is easy to navigate. A well-structured website with easy-to-find information and calls to action can help keep visitors engaged and improve user experience. Don’t forget to take care of your pictures. Properly tagged and named photos can help your website load faster and this also helps to improve user experience.
Keep Your Website Up-to-Date
Google loves fresh content. Show Google that your website is relevant and improve your ranking by adding fresh content regularly. You can add new blog posts, pictures, articles, and more.
Build High-Quality Backlinks
First of all, what is a backlink? A backlink is simply a link between your website and another website, hopefully one with authority. Focus on building natural backlinks that are high-quality from reputable, authoritative websites that fit. The authoritative website needs to be within your industry or local (ie: chamber or commerce, event, rec department, newspaper) for it to make sense. Avoid spammy backlinks that are questionable and could hurt your rankings. It’s important to remember that it’s not just about the number of backlinks that you have,but the quality and relevance of those links.
Monitor Your Website’s Performance
Lastly, monitoring your website’s performance is key to staying on top of any issues that could impact your rankings. Using tools like Google Analytics and Google Search Console gives you access to important metrics like website traffic and ranking. You will need to make adjustments to your marketing strategy as Google makes changes to their algorithm to keep your website on top.
If you have a marketing team, then you should find out what they’re doing to accomplish the things I’ve mentioned. If you don’t have a marketing team, I strongly recommend you contact a professional agency to help you with your marketing.
To recap, the new Google Core Algorithm Update for March 2023 is designed to improve the overall quality of search results. To prepare for this update, focus on creating high-quality content, optimizing your website for mobile, improving user experience with a clean and user-friendly design layout and properly tagged photos, keeping your website up-to-date, building high-quality backlinks, and monitoring your website’s performance. By following these best practices, you can help ensure that your website remains visible in search results and continues to drive traffic and leads for your business.
Here is a link to one of my blog posts on how to use Videos and Podcasts to create new fresh content for your brand, service and products.
Author: Richard Burnham
Marketing Strategist
The Salt Net Marketing & Consulting
Richard has worked with some amazing businesses over the last six years and has been able to achieve great results helping them with their marketing. Working together, they have been able to Increase phone calls, drive traffic to websites, optimize business listings, and see tremendous growth in those businesses. Some of the types of businesses he has worked with have been varying kinds of therapists, chiropractors, and mobility dealers, to name a few. Richard has also consulted with restaurants, CPA’s, carpet cleaners and many more service-based businesses within the chamber of commerce. He currently serves on the small business committee within the chamber of commerce.
If you would like to book a consultation you can contact him by filling out the contact form.