July 2021 Google Core Update (with a Useful Timeline)

July 2021 Google Core Update – On July 1st, 2021 Google announced the rolling out of a core update to its search algorithm.

In this article you will learn about Google core updates, what they are and why they are important, and what to do if your website’s visibility has been affected.

What is a Google Core Update?

A Google core update is an official update by Google to its search algorithm.

What is the July 2021 Google Core Update?

The July 2021 update is the second and final part of last month’s June 2021 official Google Core Update((Mellone, P. ‘June 2021 Google Core Update: Great Guide + Timeline’, 3 June 2021 – Increasily.com)).

The July 2021 Core Update, previously announced, is now rolling out:https://t.co/6Xs77WDsur

These typically take 1-2 weeks to finish. Our guidance about such updates is here:https://t.co/e5ZQUA3RC6

Here’s more on how we improve search through updates:https://t.co/IBmInwGOiX

— Google SearchLiaison (@searchliaison) July 1, 2021

When Was the June 2021 Google Core Update Rolled Out?

The July 2021 Google core update was rolled out on July 1st, 2021.

What Was the Last Update Before the July 2021 Google Core Update?

The last official core update was rolled out on June 2nd, 2021.

This broad update is part of a number of more specific updates such as:

• 08/04 – Product reviews update (completed on April 22nd)
• 10/06 – Slander update
• 15/06 – Page experience update (ongoing until August)
• 23/06 – Spam update part one
• 28/06 – Spam update part two on

For more info, check this article by Search Engine Land((Schwartz, B. ‘Google July 2021 Core Update Rolling Out Now’, 1 July 2021 – Searchengineland.com)).

Timeline of the July 2021 Google Core Update [IN PROGRESS]

• 01/07 – In a tweet, Google Search Liaison announces the rolling out of the July 2021 core update
• 02/07 – The Google core update is live and kicking. Most of the tools monitoring search rankings flag high volatility rates via SEroundtable.com
• 12/07 – According to Search Engine Roundtable, a spike in volatility was detected on July 9th
• 12/07 – Google confirmed the rolled out of the July core update is now completed

What Are the Effects of the July 2021 Core Update?

Core updates mostly generate volatility, fluctuations, spikes and drops, in the ranking of web pages.

For monitoring the volatility in the rankings, you can check this post by the guys at Search Engine Roundtable((Schwarz, B. ‘June 30th Google Search Ranking Algorithm Update & Fluctuations’, 1 July 2021 – Seroundtable.com)).

Great Tips for Websites Impacted by the July 2021 Google Core Update

If your website has been impacted by the recent update, focus on:

1. Content
2. Quality rater guidelines and E-A-T

To learn more about this, please refer to my other article, which I have already quoted in this post((Mellone, P. ‘June 2021 Google Core Update: Great Guide + Timeline’, 3 June 2021 – Increasily.com)).

How Long to Recover from the July 2021 Google Core Update?

According to Google, content that has been impacted by a core update might not recover until the release of the next one.

A comment on the Search Engine Roundtable article, which I have already quoted, seems to confirm the statement above:

Looks like a reversal of the May 4th 2020 update to me. 1 year too late, but better than not.

Conclusion

The July 2021 core update is the second part of the broad update rolled out in June 2021.

These broad updates are being rolled out regularly by Google, along with other more specific updates targeting spam, product reviews and slander.

The main consequence of these updates is a higher level of volatility and fluctuations in the ranking on web pages on Google.

If your website has been hit, the main recommendation is to review your content and focus on quality.

I hope you liked this article. If so, please let me know in the comments. You can also show your support by sharing the article on social media.

Featured image by Ialo Hernandez on Unsplash.