Google Reduces Unhelpful Content with the March 2024 Core Update

At a Glance

Google’s March 2024 Core Update: What You Need to Know

• Google’s March 2024 Core Update focused on improving the quality and helpfulness of search results.
• Google deindexed hundreds of websites as part of this update which targeted low-quality content and spam generated by AI.
• The impact of this update was felt immediately by the websites that were deindexed, but even websites that were not immediately affected may still be at risk.
• The main takeaway, as always, is that Google values quality over quantity, and sites that do not adapt will be penalized.

Google rolled out the March 2024 Core Update which targeted websites that were offering low-quality, unoriginal, or AI-generated spam. This reduction of unhelpful, unoriginal, and irrelevant content led to the immediate deindexing of hundreds of websites, and sites that are deemed to have this low-quality content that were not immediately penalized are still at risk of future deindexing.

Franchise owners may be wondering how this will impact their franchise SEO strategy and how they can adapt to make sure their websites are in line with the new update. Let’s take a look at what Google focused on in this update, and how you can ensure your website is optimized to satisfy their current standards.

Two Key Changes in the March 2024 Core Update

The March 2024 Core Update focused on two key changes to improve the quality and helpfulness of Google search results:

1. Improved Quality Ranking

Google’s goal is to provide the most accurate and useful information to its users. By implementing algorithmic enhancements to their core ranking systems, they are working to provide the most informative and helpful content on the web while also reducing the presence of unoriginal and low-quality content in search results. With these improvements, users should receive the most relevant and reliable information available.

2. New and Improved Spam Policies

Google updated their spam policies in order to keep the lowest-quality content out of search results. This includes AI-driven spam and generally low-quality content.

Sites Should Focus on Creating Content for Users, Not Search Engines

This core update focuses on identifying websites that are created to target specific search queries, rather than sites that were created to provide usefulness to the user. Websites shouldn’t focus solely on keyword optimization. Instead, they should focus on the user experience, including its appearance, ease of use, load speed, and mobile friendliness. In short, websites should be created for the user, not the search engines.

We can Help Optimize Your Franchise SEO to Comply with Google’s Standards

Google regularly releases updates, with each one focusing on distinct aspects of website content. It can be hard to keep up with these updates and continuously apply them to your franchise SEO strategy, and that’s where the SEO experts at Enspire for Enterprise come in. Contact us to learn how we can assist your franchise business with your SEO strategy.