Explore the distinct features of the March 2024 core update, from its extended rollout period to its significant impact on certain websites.

Google’s March 2024 core update is set to become one of the most discussed SEO topics of the year, if not the past several years.

This update has a lot to discuss, from its extended rollout to the end of the helpful content update (HCU) and all the quality issues we see in the search results (we’re looking at you, Reddit).

Plenty will be said about this update, but here are some insights I’d like to share. These are based on data provided by Semrush, extensive analysis of hundreds of SERPs, and examination of ranking trends across various sites.

1. Analyzing This Update Is Challenging

The Google March 2024 core update is difficult to analyze for several reasons. Just figuring out what happened with the helpful content update (HCU) and whether it was integrated into the core—or not—is a complex puzzle.

Another major complication is how long it took for the update to roll out. This isn’t your typical update with a brief burst of intense algorithmic changes; instead, it was a protracted period of algorithmic adjustments that unfolded over many moments.

This lengthy rollout complicates traditional analysis methods. Trying to find a “peak” moment to examine—one day or a week—isn’t suitable for an update that spanned 45 days with varying degrees of activity.

The same challenge applies to volatility change, a standard metric for gauging SEO impact. This metric compares the level of rank fluctuations during a baseline period to the level of fluctuations during the update. Given the drawn-out nature of this core update, volatility change data requires a different perspective to understand the full impact.

2. Significant Movement in the Lower Half of the SERP

Across the Web I examined about 300 SERPs and analyzed the ranking patterns for the top 20 results throughout the update.

One of my early observations was that there was a lot of movement in the bottom half of “page one of the SERP,” but the top results didn’t exhibit the same level of volatility that I’ve seen in other updates.

That doesn’t mean sites at the top of the SERP weren’t affected by notable ranking drops. Overall, I expected to see more movement in the top positions, but it wasn’t as pronounced.

3. The Aggregate Data Tells Only Part of the Story

Regarding this update, you can rely on more than just a broad analysis of the entire web using high-level data. It’s too homogenized to provide clear insights.

A horizontal view that includes sites that both lost and gained rankings typically encompasses many sites that experienced little to no change.

To understand the impact of this update, you need to focus on those who were indeed affected and examine the nature of that impact. This requires a more vertical and qualitative approach.

Based on what I’ve seen (and remember, this is my observation and anecdotal), the March 2024 core update had a bite to it that you don’t always expect from a core update.

Take, for example, a site that began to see gradual growth in September 2023 (ironically, around the same time as the September 2023 helpful content update), surging in Q4 2023. Although it seemed suspicious, I needed to dig deeper to say why it happened with any certainty.

However, the March 2024 core update devastated this site. It suffered significant ranking losses, reinforcing the need to look beyond aggregate data to understand the real impact of these algorithmic changes.

How significant was the March 2024 core update?

Estimating the impact of any algorithm update is tricky, and the March 2024 core update is no exception.

The effect of the update can vary depending on your perspective.

If you measure the impact of the March 2024 core update by its reach across the internet, it has had a more significant effect than the typical update, though not overwhelmingly so.

However, if you assess the update’s impact based on its severity and tendency to be harsh, it seems to have been more aggressive. Many reports indicate that the March 2024 core update caused considerable disruption, with increased rank fluctuations and notable shifts, especially in positions 6 through 10.

This update felt different. It carried a heavier punch, affecting sites more strongly and causing greater rank volatility than usual, leading to what many would consider a uniquely impactful update.

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