Google’s November 2024 core update has begun rolling out, marking yet another significant event in the SEO world. These updates happen multiple times a year, with each one potentially reshaping search rankings and traffic.
The current November 2024 core update, announced via LinkedIn and other official channels, is set to take two weeks to complete.
According to Google:
“This update is designed to continue our work to improve the quality of our search results by showing more content that people find genuinely useful and less content that feels like it was made just to perform well on Search.”
Let’s explore the update’s context, how it fits into the broader trends, and the key insights from early data that every marketer and business owner should know.
Understanding Google’s core updates
Core updates are broad changes to Google’s search algorithm designed to enhance the relevance and quality of search results. They often affect rankings and traffic significantly.
Businesses should note that these updates do not target specific sites or industries but aim to assess content quality holistically.
Key characteristics of core updates:
Frequency: Core updates occur several times a year.
Purpose: To show users better and more relevant search results.
Impact: These changes may reward helpful content while downgrading shallow, outdated, or manipulative content.
It is also worth noting that the “Helpful Content Updates” are now a part of Google’s core algorithm updates.
For those affected by core updates, Google advises focusing on creating "helpful, reliable, people-first content." If your rankings drop, it might not indicate an issue with your pages but rather changes in how Google evaluates content relevance and quality.
Key highlights from previous updates
To put the November 2024 core update in perspective, here’s a quick look at some recent updates:
August 2024 Core Update: Rolled out from Aug. 15 to Sept. 3.
March 2024 Core Update: The largest ever, taking 45 days to complete.
November 2023 Core Update: Completed on Nov. 28 after nearly a month of volatility.
October 2023 Core Update: It started rolling on Oct. 5 and ended on Oct. 19
August 2023 Core Update: Rolled out on Aug. 22 and ended on Sept. 7.
March 2023 Core Update: Started on March 15 and ended on March 28.
With each update, we see trends in how Google prioritizes content. For example, content depth, freshness, and user intent alignment are becoming increasingly critical.
Early data on the November 2024 update
Enterprise SEO platform BrightEdge has analyzed millions of search queries to monitor real-time changes triggered by the November update. These early insights can provide valuable information to website owners and content publishers about the direction this core update is taking.
It can also provide a sneak peek into how to tackle this update and the challenges that may come after it.
Here’s a breakdown of the 6 critical insights from their findings, along with actionable advice:
1. Overlap between organic results and AI Overview citations
BrightEdge observed a significant overlap between organic search results and citations in Google’s AI Overviews (AIO). Websites ranking highly in organic search have a strong likelihood of appearing as citations in AIO summaries.
What this means for you:
Focus on creating content that ranks well organically, as it increases visibility in both search results and AI-generated summaries.
Ensure your content is comprehensive, authoritative, and answers user queries thoroughly to improve its chances of being cited.
2. Diverging trends in shopping queries
Unlike other categories, shopping-related queries show minimal overlap between organic search results and AIO. Google seems to be decoupling these results, possibly to prioritize additional supporting content in AIO.
Takeaway for e-commerce brands:
Optimize product pages for organic rankings but also create supporting content that addresses common questions or buyer intent to appear in AIO.
Consider investing in FAQs, how-to guides, and customer reviews to improve topical authority.
3. Shifts in ranking overlap before and after the update
Leading up to the November core update, ranking overlap between organic results and AIO saw minor volatility (+2.3%). However, this trend reversed (-3.7%) in the days following the update.
Why this matters:
Such fluctuations suggest redistribution in how search rankings and AI citations interact.
Monitor these changes closely, as they could hint at broader shifts in how content is evaluated for relevance and authority.
Actionable step: Use analytics tools to track ranking shifts and refine your content strategy based on new patterns.
4. Volatility spikes across search positions
Post-update, volatility increased significantly, especially in lower-ranking positions (21–30), where it surged by +23.3%. Meanwhile, positions 11–20 experienced a decline in volatility (-5.9%), and the top 10 saw a notable rise (+10.6%).
How to respond:
Top-performing pages: Maintain high-quality content and monitor competitors in the top 10.
Pages outside the top 20: Identify opportunities to improve content relevance, depth, or backlink profiles to climb the rankings.
5. Industry-specific impacts
BrightEdge identified notable shifts across industries:
E-commerce: A 22.1% drop in top citations reflects higher volatility.
Education: Moderate adjustments (-7.3%) show potential content alignment changes.
Healthcare: Minimal shifts (-1.5%) indicate stability.
B2B Tech: Slight changes (-0.4%) suggest this sector remains relatively unaffected.
Strategies for industries seeing changes:
Audit your content to ensure it meets Google’s quality benchmarks, especially in volatile sectors like e-commerce.
Emphasize user-centric content with clear experience, expertise, authority, and trustworthiness (E-E-A-T).
6. Patterns in AIO citations
Google seems to prioritize certain types of content in AIO:
Educational content shows greater stability.
Product-focused content experiences higher volatility.
Research-oriented and expert-led content demonstrates resilience.
What publishers should do:
Prioritize long-form, in-depth content for educational or research-oriented topics.
For product-focused content, ensure it provides unique value beyond standard descriptions.
Takeaways for online businesses and marketers
The November 2024 core update reinforces Google’s push toward high-quality, user-focused content. Here are practical tips to navigate this evolving landscape:
User value above all: Content that solves real problems or answers specific questions is more likely to succeed.
Monitor changes in AIO citations: Even if your content isn’t ranking on page one, it could still be cited in AIO.
Adapt to industry trends: If your sector is experiencing volatility, analyze competitor strategies and refine your approach.
While this update may introduce challenges to many publishers, it also presents opportunities to align your content strategy with Google’s emphasis on relevance and usefulness.
This exercise can help you improve the quality of your content and make it more user-friendly, which can increase your business’s credibility, helpfulness, conversions, and revenue potential.
Closing thoughts
Google’s November 2024 core update is another step in its journey to improve search results for users. Businesses and SEOs must stay agile, monitoring real-time changes and adapting strategies accordingly.
By prioritizing genuinely valuable content, brands can thrive amidst the volatility.
As always, keep an eye on your analytics, learn from the data, and continuously refine your content to meet evolving user needs. The updates may be disruptive, but with a user-first approach, they can also be a gateway to greater search visibility and success.
