Google has updated its core algorithm guidance, providing new advice on assessing traffic drops and enhancing website content. The revised guide, released alongside the August core update, offers more detailed and actionable steps for websites affected by core updates.

**New Sections Added**
Two significant new sections have been introduced: “Check if there’s a traffic drop in Search Console” and “Assessing a large drop in position.”

– **Check if there’s a traffic drop in Search Console**: This section provides a step-by-step process for using Search Console to determine if a core update has impacted your website. It involves:
– Confirming the core update’s completion via the Search Status Dashboard.
– Waiting at least a week after the update concludes before analyzing Search Console data.
– Comparing search performance data from before and after the update to detect ranking changes.
– Analyzing different search types (web, image, video, news) separately.

– **Assessing a large drop in position**: This section advises websites experiencing significant ranking declines after a core update. It emphasizes evaluating the site’s content against Google’s quality guidelines, particularly focusing on the pages most affected.

**Other Additions**
The update also includes a section titled “Things to keep in mind when making changes,” which encourages website owners to focus on substantial, user-focused improvements rather than quick fixes. It advises that content deletion should be a last resort, as removing content suggests it was created more for search engines than for users.

Another new section, “How long does it take to see an effect in Search results,” outlines the expected timeline for ranking changes after content improvements are made. Google notes that it could take several months for the full impact to be visible and may require waiting until a future core update.

The document concludes by reminding users that rankings can change even without website updates, as new content continually emerges on the web.

**Removed Content**
The updated guide has also seen the removal or replacement of several sections. Notably, the paragraph stating that pages affected by a core update “haven’t violated our spam policies” and the analogy comparing core updates to refreshing a movie list have been removed.