November 2024 Google Core Algorithm Update Rolling Out

Google’s November 2024 core algorithm update is now rolling out.

This November 2024 core algorithm update is the third core update of 2024 and comes 88 days after the August core update. It is expected that the update will take around two weeks to complete.

As always, the update was announced via the Google Search Central Twitter/X account:

“Today we released the November 2024 core update. We’ll add it to our ranking release history page in the near future and update when the rollout is complete.”

What to Expect in the November 2024 Core Update

The below was written on 12th November

At this stage, we do not have any concrete information around what to expect during the November 2024 core update.

If history is anything to go by, November core updates tend to be quite impactful (as we saw last year), however, there is no direct correlation between these events so we are only speculating.

The March 2024 core update which targeted “spammy, low-quality content on search” was one of the most impactful updates that we have ever seen. During that time, countless websites (particularly those flooding their site with AI/programmatic content) saw their site traffic plummet. In relative terms, the August 2024 update was far less disruptive.

If we were to speculate, we would suggest that the November 2024 update will once again look to target sites that are producing low-quality, AI-generated content. Again, this is only speculation based on what we have observed in the search results over the last few months. We will have a better idea of what to expect over the coming days.

The below was written on 13th November – 24 hours after the update

As we wrote above, we never really have a clear indication of what to expect during a core algorithm update.

It is now 24-hours since Google pushed the November 2024 core update live and we are starting to get some early signs of what is being targeted and who will be affected most. Below is a screenshot from the Google Analytics profile of a site that we have recently started working with (~2-weeks).

The client came to us after their traffic has been in free fall since March 2024. Unsure of the problem, we very quickly pointed to the mountain of AI content that they had added to the website in Q4 2023. While they saw short term wins in traffic, since then, the tides have turned. The March core update pulverised their traffic and it has been in a state of constant decline since then.

As we can see below, following the update, their traffic is 51.4% down on the same day last week. Based on what we are seeing, we would suspect that the November core update may well follow the same line as the March core update.

November 2024 Core Update Rundown

The November 2024 update is the third core algorithm update of 2024 and comes 88 days after the most recent August 2024 update.

It’s fair to say that November 2024 core update was expected. October and the first week of November have been extremely volatile in the search results.

Following the precedent set in 2023 and 2021, the November 2024 update will (more than likely) be the final update of the year.

As mentioned by respected search consultant Barry Schwartz, it is unlikely that Google will push out any further updates in 2024 ahead of the impending Black Friday and Holiday periods.

Google usually avoids updates during the final weeks of November and into December to minimise disruptions to what is already an extremely busy period for search.

How Core Updates Work

Core updates tend to happen 3-4 times each year. Outside of these events, Google may push forward other updates (like the Spam Update from June) which target specific aspects of search.

As the name would suggest, a core algorithm update makes changes that affect all websites in all regions. During core updates, Google makes changes to its ranking systems that are used to generate search results. Changes to this algorithm can be seen in the types of results that are presented to users.

• Core updates will typically happen 3-4 each year
• Core updates affect all websites in all languages
• If you notice changes to your traffic, it does not mean that you have been “penalised”, instead, it could indicate changes to Google’s ranking systems.
• Core algorithm updates will typically take around 2 weeks to fully roll out, however, we usually see the biggest changes/impact in the first few days.
• Core updates are intended to improve the quality of search results as part of Google’s ongoing effort to provide the best possible search experience.

What Now?

We would strongly advise site owners to wait until the update has finished rolling out before making any big changes or assumptions about what the November 2024 update means.

Like we mentioned earlier, this is likely to be the final update of 2024 so it’s a matter of waiting to see what happens over the coming weeks before making any conclusions around what the November core update means.