Impact of the 2023 Google Core algorithm updates on Adult SEO

Google, regularly updates its algorithms to refine search results and provide users with the most relevant and high-quality content. These Google core algorithm updates can significantly impact the strategies and efforts of SEO professionals and website owners alike.

Understanding Google’s Algorithm Updates

Google’s algorithm updates are aimed at improving user experience by delivering more accurate and useful search results. While the core principles of SEO remain consistent, the specifics of what Google prioritizes can shift over time. Historically, these updates have targeted various aspects such as content quality, relevance, user experience, and technical aspects like site speed and mobile-friendliness.

There were four core updates of 2023 – starting in March and finishing in November. Google rarely provide too much detail on what is in their algorithm changes.

What is the difference between a Google Update and a Google Core Update

Google updates tend to be smaller modifications to the existing algorithms used to address a specific issue and generally don’t have a big SEO impact.

Google Core Algorithm updates are used to fundamentally change the way the algorithms work, these can have a huge impact on your rankings.

How do Google core Algorithm updates affect your SEO ranking?

Google updates can have a significant impact on your SEO overnight. These fluctuations can be temporary but sometimes are permanent if your site falls foul of something Google was specifically targeting.

However, a negative impact doesn’t have to have a lasting impact for your business if you address the issues.

Typically the Google updates are aimed to target the following areas:

• Poor content quality
• Bad user experience
• Spammy content and/or back links
• Poor website build
• Site speed
• Lack of mobile-friendliness

Some of these areas are particularly pertinent to the Adult SEO industry, such as spammy backlinks which has previously been a strategy for adult websites. However, not only does this not work, it can have a huge negative impact on your site.

It’s imperative for any site in the adult sector to have a strategy for effective and sustainable link building. This will really set you apart from your competitors and keep you in Google’s good books.

Google 2023 Core updates explained

The 2023 updates were all about emphasising valuable, quality content. Google is trying to distinguish between quality content aimed at improving the user experience, rather than content that is created for the purpose of SEO and is unnecessarily packed with keywords.

Google launched new “spam detection systems” designed with the purpose of targeting spam across multiple languages and multiple spam types such as Cloaking, Hidden links, Scraped content.

With the explosion of AI generated content from the likes of ChatGPT, Google is looking to weed out this kind of low value, low effort content and prioritise content specifically created to improve user experience.

Adult websites often have a very high proportion of low quality, spammy content and are very often targeted by bots to flood them with spam. It’s imperative that adult sites have a strategy and system to not only create good content but to make sure no spammy content leaks onto the site.

A key part of the 2020 core updates is Google’s focus on the E-E-A-T acronym.

Adult SEO strategy – E – E – A – T

What is E-E-A-T in the first place?

Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness. These are the values that Google is looking to promote with it’s core updates and are particularly important in the adult SEO industry.

Let’s take a deeper dive into E-E-A-T:

• Experience: Google is showing a preference from someone having first hand experience of what they are talking about. So it could be experience of actually using a product or service that is being discussed.
• Expertise: Can you actually establish you have expertise on the topic? For example, if you are selling crypto services, can you demonstrate a deep level of domain expertise?
• Authoritativeness: Is your site a trusted authority on the topic? Rather than trying to be all things to all people. It can take time to built up authority but the key is to continuously add quality, knowledgeable content.
• Trustworthiness: Can you be trusted? Does your site contain accurate, up-to-date information?

Summary

Adapting to latest Google’s core algorithm update requires a holistic approach that encompasses content strategy, backlink acquisition, user experience optimization, trust building, and technical SEO.

By focusing on E-A-T principles and prioritizing quality over quantity, adult businesses can maintain and improve their organic search rankings in the ever-evolving landscape.

Ultimately, staying informed, agile, and proactive is key to navigating the waves of change in the world of Adult SEO.

If you would like our help in shaping and managing your strategy then please get in touch with us.