Google March 2019 Core Update Myth Busting From Google

I felt it was important to make sure you all read my article on Search Engine Land with statements from Google around the March 2019 core update that started on March 12th. In that article, Google responded do a number of questions we sent them and some questions they just saw lingering on the web, including from our speculation post.

(1) A Reversal of the August 1 core update? Google responded saying “We’re constantly improving our algorithms and build forward to improve.” I wrote a more detailed article on my thoughts on this being a reversal or not and I think not but it depends how you look at it and if your specific site saw a reversal.

(2) Penguin related? Nope, it is unrelated to Penguin Google said. Google wrote “This wasn’t a Penguin update, because we no longer have those, as we’ve said before. This was a core update, as we’ve explained. ”

(3) The biggest update ever? No, not even close said Google. Google said “This was a noticeable update that we felt warranted confirming, in keeping with what we’ve said before. But it is far from being the biggest update Google has ever done. We’re not characterizing it beyond that.” Google is saying here, it was a noticeable update but by far not the biggest they’ve done at all.

Of course, if your site was hit by this, it sure feels big to you.

(4) Neural Matching specific? Nope, not in any way shape or form. Google said “Neural matching has been part of our core ranking system for over half-a-year. None of the core updates we have confirmed coincided with some new use of neural matching.”

(5) Many core updates. Google has been doing core updates well before they even confirmed all of them. Google only relatively recently (past year or two) started to confirm them as “core updates.” But As Danny told us, it has been going on for a while now:

Yes. For a long time. Like remember Hummingbird? Or these:

That’s why I’m not in favor of a numbering system like Core 3. My preference would just be “March 2019 Core Update” — it’s says what it is, and there’s no confusion.

— Danny Sullivan (@dannysullivan) March 14, 2019

Lastly, don’t forget to take our survey on this update – we currently have over 400 responses.

Forum discussion at Twitter.