If your rankings or traffic started moving this week, the most likely cause is the March 2023 core update. Google released it on 15 March 2023, and it is still rolling out. My short advice: don’t panic, and don’t start rewriting pages yet. Watch your data closely, write down what changes, and wait for the rollout to finish before you decide anything.
In this article, I explain what Google has confirmed so far, what a core update actually changes, and the checks I run during and after a rollout. I also cover the other recent updates that could muddy your data, so you can blame the right one.
What Google Has Confirmed About the March 2023 Core Update
Google kept the announcement short, as it does with every core update. Here is what we know for sure.
- Start date: Google announced the release on 15 March 2023.
- Rollout time: Google said the rollout should take about two weeks. It will update its ranking release history page when the rollout is complete.
- Scope: It is a broad core update. That means it is not aimed at one type of site, one language or one niche.
- Position in the year: This is the first broad core update of 2023. The one before it was the September 2022 core update, which began on 12 September 2022.
That is all Google has said. Google has not named any specific signal, topic or type of site as a target. If you read claims that this update “targets AI content” or “targets affiliate sites”, treat them as guesses. They are not from Google.
What a Core Update Actually Is
A core update is a change to Google’s main ranking systems. It changes how Google weighs and judges content across the whole web. It is not a penalty, and it does not single out your site.
Google has a helpful way to explain this. Think of a list of the 100 best films, made a few years ago. If you redo the list today, some new films join it and some old ones move down. The films that moved down did not become bad. Other films were simply judged as better fits now.
Core updates work in a similar way. When your page drops, it often means other pages are now seen as more useful for that search. It does not always mean your page did something wrong.
How a Core Update Differs From Other Updates
Google runs several kinds of named updates. It helps to know which is which, because the fix is different for each one.
| Update type | What it looks at | Typical response |
|---|---|---|
| Core update | Overall quality and relevance across all sites | Review content quality and usefulness as a whole |
| Product reviews update | Pages that review or compare products | Show real testing, first-hand use and original evidence |
| Helpful content update | Sites with a lot of content made mainly for search engines | Remove or improve unhelpful pages site-wide |
| Spam or link spam update | Spam tactics and unnatural links | Stop the tactic; clean up where needed |
In my experience, many people treat every drop as a core update problem. That leads them to fix the wrong thing. So the first job is always to match your dates to the right update.
Other Recent Updates That Could Confuse Your Data
The March 2023 core update did not arrive in a quiet period. Several other changes landed in the months before it, and some ended only days ago.
- February 2023 product reviews update: This started in late February and finished on 7 March 2023, just eight days before the core update began. It expanded product reviews ranking to more languages. I covered it in my February 2023 product reviews update guide.
- December 2022 helpful content update: This added new signals to the helpful content system and expanded it to all languages. It finished rolling out in January 2023.
- December 2022 link spam update: This used SpamBrain, Google’s AI-based spam system, to find sites buying links and sites built to pass links.
If your traffic moved before 15 March, the core update is not the cause. That sounds obvious, but I see this mistake all the time. A site drops on 1 March and the owner blames whatever update is in the news that week.
How to Check If the March 2023 Core Update Affected Your Site
You need clean daily data and clear dates. Here is the process I use whenever a core update starts.
- Write down the key dates. Note 15 March 2023 as the start. Also note 7 March (end of the product reviews update) and any changes you made to your own site in the last month.
- Open the Search Console Performance report. Set the date range to the last three months so you can see your normal pattern. Look at clicks, impressions and average position by day.
- Compare like with like. Use the compare option to put the days after 15 March against the same days of the week before it. Weekends and weekdays often behave differently, so match them.
- Find which pages moved. Switch to the Pages tab and sort by the change in clicks. Then do the same on the Queries tab.
- Look for a pattern. Did one section of the site move? One topic? One page type, like blog posts or category pages? A pattern tells you far more than a site-wide total.
- Rule out other causes. Check for tracking problems, server errors, indexing drops, seasonal demand and recent site changes before you blame Google.
When I do this, I start with the Pages tab, not the site total. A site can look flat overall while one important section has dropped hard and another has grown.
Use Google Analytics Too, but Carefully
Search Console shows you Google search data only. Your analytics tool shows what visitors did once they arrived. Use both, but filter analytics to organic Google traffic so other channels don’t hide the change.
If you are still on Universal Analytics, remember it stops processing data on 1 July 2023. I’d make sure GA4 is collecting data now, so you have a year-on-year comparison ready for the next core update.
Check the Search Status Dashboard
Google lists ranking updates and known search problems on its Search Status Dashboard. Before you assume a drop is ranking related, check that there was no crawling, indexing or serving issue on the same days. I explained how it works in my article on the Google Search Status Dashboard.
What Not to Do While the Update Is Rolling Out
Rankings often swing up and down during a rollout. A page can drop on day three and come back on day nine. That is why I avoid big decisions in the first two weeks.
- Don’t rewrite pages in a hurry. If you change content now, you won’t know whether the update or your edits caused what happens next.
- Don’t delete content yet. Removing pages is hard to undo. Wait until you can see the final picture.
- Don’t chase “quick fixes”. Changing title tags, adding keywords or buying links will not undo a core update.
- Don’t trust one day of data. Look at trends over several days, and keep in mind that Search Console data has a short delay.
What you should do is keep notes. Write down when you saw changes and on which pages. Those notes become very useful once the rollout ends.
What Google Says to Focus On After a Core Update
Google has been clear for years that there is no specific fix for a core update drop. Instead, it points site owners to a set of questions about their content in its guide on what site owners should know about core updates. I find these questions much more useful than any checklist.
Here is how I group them when I review a site.
Content and Quality
- Does the page give original information, research or analysis?
- Does it cover the topic fully, or does it leave the reader needing to search again?
- Does it add real value beyond what other pages on the same topic already say?
- Is the title an honest summary of the page, or is it exaggerated?
Expertise and Trust
- Would a reader trust this page? Is it clear who wrote it and why they know the subject?
- Is the site known as a good source on this topic?
- Are there easy-to-check factual errors?
This links closely to E-E-A-T, which stands for experience, expertise, authoritativeness and trustworthiness. In December 2022, Google added “experience” to its search quality rater guidelines. Those guidelines are used by human raters to check Google’s results; they do not set rankings directly. But they show what Google wants its systems to reward. I wrote about this change in my piece on how E-A-T became E-E-A-T.
Presentation and Usefulness
- Is the page free of spelling and style problems?
- Do ads or pop-ups get in the way of the main content?
- Does the page work well on mobile?
- Was it made with care, or does it look mass-produced?
Comparison With Other Results
This is the check most people skip. Search the queries you lost and read the pages that now rank above you. Ask honestly: is their page more helpful for that search?
I usually see one of three patterns. The new top pages answer the question faster. Or they show more first-hand experience. Or Google now thinks the searcher wants a different type of page, such as a product page instead of a guide.
A Note on AI-Written Content
With ChatGPT launched in late 2022 and Bard announced in February 2023, many site owners are asking if this update targets AI content. Google has not said that about this update.
In February 2023, Google published guidance saying it rewards high-quality content however it is produced. What it does not want is content made mainly to manipulate rankings. Using automation for that purpose is against its spam policies.
My honest view: the tool matters less than the result. If you published a lot of thin pages quickly, with or without AI, a core update is exactly when that kind of content tends to lose ground. If your pages are accurate, original and checked by someone who knows the topic, you are in a much better position.
How Long Recovery Can Take
This is the question I get most after any core update. The honest answer is that it can take a while.
Google has said that a site hit by one core update may not fully recover until the next broad core update, even after making good improvements. Google also makes smaller core changes between the big ones, so some sites see gains earlier. But there is no fixed timeline.
Core updates have usually come a few months apart. The last one was in September 2022, so this one came about six months later. That gap is a useful reminder: improvements you make in the next few weeks may need time to show.
Also keep in mind that recovery does not mean returning to exactly where you were. The web keeps changing. Other sites keep improving too.
My Plan for the Next Few Weeks
Here is how I’d split the work, based on where you are in the rollout.
During the Rollout
- Check Search Console every few days, not every hour.
- Keep a simple log of pages and queries that move.
- Fix only clear technical problems, such as broken pages or server errors.
After Google Confirms It Is Complete
- Compare two full weeks after the rollout with two weeks before it.
- List the pages and sections that dropped the most.
- Review those pages using Google’s questions above, and compare them with the pages that now outrank you.
- Improve the pages that matter to your business first. Add missing detail, first-hand experience, clear authorship and better answers.
- For pages with little value and no traffic, decide whether to improve, merge or remove them.
For step 5, I keep it simple. If a page has no traffic, no links and no clear purpose, I’d merge it into a stronger page or remove it. If it covers a topic your readers care about, I’d improve it instead.
If Your Traffic Went Up
Good news is still worth studying. Find which pages gained and why. Those pages show you what Google currently values on your site, and they are a good model for the pages that dropped.
Three Myths About Core Updates
Myth: A Drop Means a Penalty
A core update is not a manual action. If you had a manual action, you would see it in the Manual actions report in Search Console. Core update changes never show up there.
Myth: Only Search Results Are Affected
Google has said core updates can affect Discover traffic as well as search results. If you get a lot of Discover traffic, check that report in Search Console separately, because it often moves more sharply than search.
Myth: Small Sites Always Lose
Core updates are about how useful pages are, not about site size. I have seen small, focused sites do well in core updates when their content is clearly written by people who know the subject.
Conclusion
The March 2023 core update began on 15 March 2023, and Google expects it to take about two weeks. Right now, the smartest move is to watch, take notes and avoid rushed changes. Once Google confirms the rollout is complete, compare your data, study the pages that now rank above you, and improve the content that matters most.
For a useful next step, look back at how your site did in the last broad update. My article on the September 2022 core update covers the same checks, and comparing both updates can show you whether a drop is a one-off or a longer trend.
