December 13, 2024
Google’s surprising core update, the December 2024 core update, is officially complete. The update was expected to last around two weeks but has ended considerably earlier, taking just six days to roll out.
The update began on 12 December, just one week after the November 2024 core update completed, and ended on 18 December.
Google Search Central notified us of the update via X:
The announcement of another update initially came as a bit of a surprise, with most people thinking the November update would be the last of 2024.
The speed in which the December update finished rolling out was another shock for many and some are concerned Google could squeeze in another update before the year is out.
In response to John Mueller’s comment in LinkedIn, Dani Leitner replied:
Google releases core updates multiple times throughout the year to ‘make significant, broad changes to our search algorithms and systems.’
In 2023, Google rolled out four core updates. This has now been matched in 2024:
A few weeks prior to the November 2024 update, we were given forewarning from Google of the impending update. They told creators at the Search Web Creator Conversion Event that an update was coming, but that neither this update nor the next one would help sites affect the helpful content update.
As usual, no specific details were provided about the update. Google has stated before that they have different core systems that they’re always improving, but it seems this update was more of the same.
The update is part of Google’s aim to reduce content that is there purely to perform well in the search results and increase high-quality content that provides genuine use to its audience.
Whilst this update had a fast turnaround, it didn’t stop it from wreaking havoc in the SERPs. By 14 December, we were seeing very high levels of volatility, more so than during the November 2024 core update.
As expected many sites were hit hard by this update and some who had slowly been regaining traction in the SERPs lost almost all progress.
Lil Ray responded to Barry Schwartz on X:
Niche Site Lady showed the effects of the update on X:
Bill Rowell responded, showing a similar experience:
At the Google Search Central Live event in Zurich held on 12 December, a Google representative said there will be more core updates, more often.
Kenichi Suzuki posted from the event on X:
It’s likely that 2025 will be an interesting year for digital marketers with an increasing number of core updates to keep up with.
As always, core updates can create volatility in the SERPs and it’s not unusual for sites to see changes in traffic and rankings. If you notice a significant drop in either, try not to worry and continue to follow Google’s guidelines.
Google has said that a negative impact after a core update doesn’t necessarily indicate anything wrong with your site and the best thing you can do is to carry on creating user first, high-quality, and helpful content.
If you’re worried about this core update affecting your site or you have already been impacted by the previous update, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us today.
