In short: A core update is a broad change to Google’s ranking systems which, according to Google itself, does not target specific sites or pages. If your rankings fall, wait at least one full week after the update completes, compare periods in Search Console by page and query, and check whether the drop is really down to seasonality or a technical problem. Recovery comes through helpful, reliable first-hand content, and it can take months, with no certainty of a result.
What is a Google core update, really?
Google describes core updates as significant, broad changes to its search algorithms and systems, made several times a year. Their aim is for results overall to be helpful and reliable. In its documentation, Google stresses that these updates do not target specific sites or individual web pages.
That is the difference from a penalty. With a manual action or a spam update there is a specific violation. With a core update, the systems reassess content across the web, and other pages may simply have been judged more helpful than yours. So in most cases there is no single “mistake” you can fix with one action.
Google also offers some reassurance: most sites do not need to worry about core updates and may not even notice one has happened.
There is one more connection to keep in mind. According to Google, its generative AI features in Search, such as AI Overviews and AI Mode, are rooted in the core ranking and quality systems. The logical consequence, which Google does not spell out, is that a major update may also change which pages are cited there. You can read more about that in our article on AI search optimisation.
Which updates have there been in 2026?
As of September 2026, Google has confirmed the following updates this year. The dates matter, because a drop has to be compared against the right period.
| Update | Start | End |
|---|---|---|
| Discover core update (initially Discover only, English-language users in the US) | 5 February 2026 | 27 February 2026 |
| March 2026 spam update | 24 March 2026 | 25 March 2026 |
| March 2026 core update | 27 March 2026 | 8 April 2026 |
| May 2026 core update | 21 May 2026 | 2 June 2026 |
| June 2026 spam update | 24 June 2026 | after about 2 days |
| August 2026 spam update | 18 August 2026 | after about 2 days and 16 hours |
The May update finished on 2 June 2026, and as of September 2026 no core update has followed it, only the two spam updates in June and August. The official list of updates is kept on the Google Search Status Dashboard. Check it before you link a drop to a particular update.
How should you analyse the drop?
1. Wait for the update to finish, then one more week
Google recommends waiting at least a full week after a core update completes before analysing your site in Search Console. While the update is rolling out, rankings move around, and conclusions drawn in the first few days often do not hold.
2. Compare the right periods
Once at least a full week has passed since the update completed, compare a week from that point with a week before the update started. For the May update, that means a week after 9 June against the week before 21 May. Compare the same days of the week, because many businesses see different traffic on weekdays and weekends.
3. Look at pages one by one
Open the Performance report and sort pages by lost clicks. The drop is often concentrated in a few sections or page types rather than spread evenly. Google distinguishes between two kinds of drop:
- A small drop: for example from position 2 to 4. Here Google advises against drastic action and against changing content that is already performing well.
- A large drop: for example from position 4 to 29. This calls for a deeper assessment of the affected pages.
4. Split queries by type
Divide searches into at least three groups: brand queries, commercial queries where someone wants to buy or ask for a price, and informational queries. A drop only in informational articles is a different problem from a drop on service and product pages. The second hits enquiries directly and takes priority.
5. Rule out other causes
Not every drop in the weeks around an update comes from the update. Check:
- Seasonality: compare with the same period last year.
- Technical problems: indexing errors, a noindex tag added by mistake, changes to robots.txt, problems after a new version of the site went live.
- Tracking: whether the drop shows in Search Console as well, or only in GA4, for example after a change to cookie settings.
If enquiries are falling across other channels too, not just from search, also review the signs your marketing strategy is not working.
ScaleLab tip: Keep a simple spreadsheet with the dates of every change to the site: new pages, redesigns, migrations, plugin changes. When traffic moves, look there first. The cause is often there rather than at Google.
What should you not do in a panic?
The first days after a drop are when the expensive mistakes get made. Avoid the following:
- Do not delete content in bulk. Google calls deleting content a last resort, only for content that cannot be salvaged.
- Do not change article dates to make them look fresh without substantially changing the content. In its guidance on helpful content, Google lists this as a sign of content made for search engines rather than for people.
- Do not rewrite pages that are still performing well. For small drops, Google recommends avoiding drastic changes.
- Do not buy links or look for quick tricks. They do not address whether the content is helpful and can create a new problem.
- Do not change everything at once. If you change the structure, copy and templates at the same time, you will not know what helped.
What does a recovery plan look like?
Google does not provide a recovery checklist, but it does provide self-assessment questions in its guide to helpful, reliable, people-first content. Here is how we turn that into a plan. This is our recommendation, built on Google’s guidance.
1. Assess the affected pages honestly
For each page with a large drop, compare its content with what now ranks at the top. Google suggests asking whether other pages on the web are doing a better job for the user. Work through the questions in the guide: does the page offer original information or analysis, is it written by someone who knows the topic well, and will the reader leave satisfied?
2. Add first-hand experience
Google gives weight to content that shows experience from actually using a product or service. For a business, that means your own examples, data, photos, real customer questions and clear answers to them. Content like this is hard to copy.
3. Show who is behind the content
Google’s guide points to the questions of “who”, “how” and “why”: is it clear who created the content, how it was created, and whether it was made to help people rather than only to attract visits from search engines?
4. Start with commercial pages
Prioritise the work by business value. Pages that bring in enquiries and orders come first, informational articles after them.
ScaleLab tip: For every page you change, note the date and exactly what was changed. In two or three months, that is the only way to tell which changes made a difference.
How long does recovery take?
Google says some changes can take effect within a few days, but it could take several months for its systems to confirm that the site as a whole is producing helpful, reliable content over the long term. You do not necessarily have to wait for the next major update, because Google makes continual changes, including smaller core updates.
There is an important caveat: Google states that changes to your site will not necessarily have a noticeable impact. So track progress by enquiries and orders from organic search, not only by rankings. If you would like an outside view before deciding where to start, use the free website and marketing audit.
A similar logic applies in SEO work: technical problems are fixed first, and then pages and copy are organised around real searches.
Frequently asked questions
Is a drop after a Google core update a penalty?
No. Google states that core updates do not target specific sites or pages. A drop usually means the systems have judged other pages more helpful for the same searches, not that your site has broken a rule.
How long should I wait before analysing the drop?
Google recommends at least one full week after the update completes. Then compare a week from that point with a week before it started. For the May 2026 update, that is a week after 9 June against the week before 21 May.
Should I delete pages that lost rankings?
Usually not. Google describes deleting content as a last resort, only when you believe it cannot be salvaged. Try to improve the pages first.
Will traffic come back after the next update?
Not necessarily. Some changes take effect within days, but assessing the site as a whole can take months. You do not have to wait for a major update, because Google also makes smaller changes all the time.
Sources
- Google Search Central: Google Search’s core updates and your website
- Google Search Central: Creating helpful, reliable, people-first content
- Google Search Central: Optimizing your website for generative AI features on Google Search
- Search Engine Journal: Google Confirms March 2026 Core Update Is Complete, 8 April 2026
- Search Engine Journal: Google’s Discover Core Update Finishes Rolling Out, 27 February 2026
- Search Engine Roundtable: Google May 2026 Broad Core Update Is Done Rolling Out, 2 June 2026
- Google Search Status Dashboard: Ranking updates history