Google's March Core Update - Data-Backed Theories & Recovery

Full report: on-page.ai/pages/google-march...
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I share all my research on the Google March Core 2024 update, including data, charts, checking AI content, guest posts, links, on-page metrics and manual review of websites. I uncover a model that seems to be producing incredible results and share it with you.

[@nirleviseo]

00:55 🌍 **Site engagement crucial for recovery** 02:20 🔄 **Shift in Google's metrics focus** 03:01 🕒 **Importance of sustained engagement** 04:11 🚀 **Content quality over backlinks** 04:26 🔗 **Potential new link metrics** 07:00 📊 **Entity density as a ranking factor** 09:30 🏆 **Challenges with short-term content** 17:31 🌐 **New model enhances site engagement** 21:12 🥗 **Diverse resources engage users** 21:41 🔄 **Resource value boosts engagement** 22:07 🎯 **Balance keywords with content depth** 22:35 🚫 **Consider removing ineffective content** 23:02 📈 **Track engagement improvement** 23:14 🌟 **High engagement equals better performance** 23:29 📊 **Engagement drives traffic success** 23:56 🛠 **Tools to enhance on-page optimization**

[@YerainAbreu]

Showing support to all my SEO people out there ❤

[@vutuankiet.hoc2k]

00:02 Recovery from March core update lies in creating a resource that improves overall site engagement 01:54 Google now focuses on overall website metrics for ranking after the March core update. 05:52 Google's March core update focuses on webpage optimization factors. 07:52 Entity density doesn't impact penalties, but is important for recovery. 11:44 Target longer, niche topics for greater user engagement. 13:46 Creating new keywords can push your site in a better direction 17:44 Leveraging social media to drive traffic to a resource section for improved website engagement and ranking. 19:28 Leverage various traffic sources to drive engagement and revenue 23:00 Engagement is key to ranking post March core update Crafted by Merlin AI.

[@jzajzz]

14:00 that theory is logical...however .. thats nit what we're seeing in the SERP.. if you have a highly niche query..Google just ranks vague related content from bigger sites , ecom or forum.. it seems as if once the website is put in that box..they dont rank it for highly relevant keyword even if it s the only one unique to that topic

[@On-page]

Google processes the query with AI to understand what the user wants so if you enter a long tail keyword, it won't always show results from pages with that exact match and instead, it will show pages covering that topic. In fact, it's not uncommon for Google to show pages that don't even contain the words from the query... as long as it thinks it's relevant and it's what the user wants. This doesn't invalidate anything as you still need to write unique content on a site that Google sees as valuable.

[@jzajzz]

@@On-page I understand what you're saying and you're rightcon how Google works but I was making the point that the past 2 major updates have targeted blog sites that have no authority other than Google (as you mentioned) to the point that even if you create content that has no competition Google rather serve the other sites instead of your page that answers the query directly. So Google in my opinion intentionally deepmhasizes more relevant answers and prioritizes authority and brand. So maybe if you try to create new keyword it will work with brand new sites but with sites that Google has deemed as blog sites I think it's a long shot

[@matthewjamestaylorcom]

Excellent video, I agree with increasing user engagement

[@sabiulhoque9816]

This is the best video I have ever seen after the March Core Update. Very very much informative. Thumbs up👍👍

[@On-page]

Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it.

[@Accuface2000]

Google is prioritizing real companies in the serps and sandboxing blogs. Authority sites, forums and companies are being favoured, while niche blogs made for making money are in purgatory. It's really not about AI content. I think giving your website some semblance of a company and ditching the blog theme may do the trick. It's not about quality content. Crap content is ranking in the serps since the HCU and March Update. Google Search has become crappy, try using long tail keywords in a bid to narrow down your search, Google keeps returning generic content from authority sites.

[@ThirtyMinuteMarketing]

Interesting 🤔 thanks for sharing this!

[@proteacher4980]

Thanks for this valuable suggestion 😊

[@daneclarkcollins]

Isn't Google still maintaining that they DON'T use user engagement as a direct ranking signal? I'm not saying they're being honest, but I'd be curious what data we have that shows may be using it.

[@On-page]

They state that they collect the data in Chrome and Android's term of service and said they used user signals in the recent DOJ trial. Google engineers and employees have been saying to "make the users happy" and testing has shown it impacts rankings. I suppose the only way to get more proof is if we were to get the source code.

[@JohnVargo]

What tool are you using to determine Entity Density?

[@On-page]

On-page.ai (I developed it over the past 4-5 years and it uses Google's NLP to process entities so we get the best idea of what Google really thinks about our content).

[@DenisLoncaric]

Hey Eric, it's an interesting approach, I have a couple of questions though. In my niche, 90% of websites went down so it's hard to see what still works. Also, SERP is ridiculous, containing sites targeting totally different search intent, YT, Reddit, and Quora. Do you think the same approach could be applied? Any thoughts about this kind of example in general? I would be happy to share a link with you privately. To sumarize my site is beat by YT, Reddit, Quora not another site the same strength with better content.

[@On-page]

Yeah exactly, if you read the report, I cover exactly that... and how the odds are stacked against you. I'd be focusing on informational gain and creating a resource that can improve overall site user engagement to be able to compete.

[@SaadIqbal-wu7ep]

Yeah at the end of the day the best you can do is to switch and optimize social channels and in the long run it's a win win in terms on engaging users.

[@GeorgeNicola]

Very on point

[@ShortFactsForYou-vy3nw]

GOOD JOB!!!

[@blackholesupersloth3276]

The update is still being rolled out...

[@On-page]

As I mention multiple times in the full report.

[@blackholesupersloth3276]

@@On-page So why are you advising people on recovering from something that is not finished rolling out? Why not just wait a couple more weeks?

[@Movut]

@@blackholesupersloth3276 The March 2024 Core Update wrapped up on April 19.

[@blackholesupersloth3276]

@@Movut And?

[@JimsworldSanDiego]

"new keywords that no one has covered before" This is not really possible in 2024 (unless it's maybe some extremely esoteric subject)... But I get the gist of what you are saying. Thoughts?

[@On-page]

This is always possible. Every day millions of new keywords are being created. For example, the keyword: "march core update" didn't exist last month. Now? There are dozens and dozens of keywords derived from it, for example "march core update recovery", "march core update eric lancheres", "march core update ai", "can you recover from the march core update", And there are likely 100s more just for the march core update! You can do that with any topic, news event, anything!

[@GiacomoSovrano-yd4gv]

True, I have a week old blog and with an article I'm already in position 6 in the SERP. It's a super niche keyword that hopefully will grow

[@DanielKrolldesign]

The besta vídeo that i Saw só Far. Congratulations!!!

[@JesperNissenSEO]

Hi Eric, thats an entire seo strategy course in one video. Im impressed, its very inspiring to follow your work!

[@On-page]

Happy to hear that!

[@vinces5761]

How can you think about recovery when it's not even over yet?

[@On-page]

I'm presenting the data we've accumulated and seen throughout the month of March and April. I also explain that it's likely that it's not 'over yet' for 2 reasons: The first is that link changes take a very long time to fully roll out as one link node affects the score of a subsequent link node. The second is that they announced a rollout on May 5th of a second part to address parasite SEO.

[@bobtarmac1828]

Ai jobloss is the only thing I worry about anymore.

[@On-page]

It's not job loss, it's just job change. AI creates new jobs as it makes old boring jobs easier.

[@ambitiouslynch]

Time Stamp 0:28, you show March Core Update traffic having an inflection point at roughly 35k organic visitors. Time Stamp 0:40, you show recovery, but that is not the same site, as the traffic is exponentially higher at the same time frame you showed in the previous slide. Is this bait and switch? It looks like you want people to think the previous site recovered when, in reality, you just showed an entirely different site that was already doing better. Is this the case?

[@On-page]

I'm showing a collection of different sites, showing sites that are successful and sites that aren't successful. I'm not entirely sure how you want me to do this. Do you want to only look at sites that are performing well? Or perhaps do you want to only see sites being penalized? Are you against having a video that shows both types of sites (rewarded and penalized?). I never claim that the site that you see at 28 seconds is the same as the site as 40 seconds (it's not). Nor do I say: "This is a recovery! Look at this!" Instead, I'm saying I want you to go from a penalized site to a site that's being rewarded. Bait and switch would be showing one thing and then presenting another. This is: "Do you want to be in group A (penalized one) or do you want to be in group B (rewarded group).

[@paulotheurbanfarmer5982]

great video but nothing new here and my sites all behaved differently to extremes and this hasn't explained anything.

[@On-page]

Perhaps you can read the report. I refuse to believe you can go through it and feel that way.

[@indepartures]

The update is still being rolled out. So how can you theorise anything about it when you don't have all the information about it yet. 🤔

[@On-page]

I'm presenting all my data (including charts, changes we've already seen), research and theories based on the changes we've seen throughout the month of March and April. The full written report is being updated as things change.

[@Movut]

The March 2024 Core Update wrapped up on April 19.

[@indepartures]

@Movut true, but at the time I viewed the video, it hadn't been announced that it was finished. When they announced it, they said the roll out had finished a week earlier yet it wasn't made public knowledge/officially announced until just a few days ago.

[@sujiiii78]

This does not goes with eavery niche

[@sat4ever1]

Ai sites getting Wipeout this guy don't know what he talking about

[@On-page]

That's true, generic low quality AI sites ARE being penalized. You can read the full report where I show the exact data. This isn't a hidden thing here... I'm publishing all my research/data. However, high quality content (regardless of if an AI or a human wrote it), is still ranking just fine. Almost all sites have some level of AI and Google cares about the user experience... and not how the content was written. (Otherwise we wouldn't have several full AI sites increasing in traffic after the March Core update) I have been a big advocate of quality content and warning people about generic, low quality AI content for almost a year now. There's a HUGE difference between using AI to spam the web and using AI to create amazing content. I use it to create amazing content and then monitor/measure the engagement levels.

[@V12BHP]

You obviously don't know this "guy" or you wouldn't be making such a comment. Oh, and I've got two featured snippets for a law firm website in the last 48 hours using ai content. Quality ai content.

[@Movut]

We've used AI content for several of our sites. And they showed a hundred percent growth. AI content is not the problem. The problem is the approaches that not very smart people are using.

[@sat4ever1]

Lol nice "story" I'm link builder we analyze 10000s of them 80% went down People had millions traffic per month down to 0 over night;)

[@badassoptic]

I mean there is some truth to engagement. For example, just scrolling on the page reading content isn't enough. Adding some interactive features like calculator, slider, comparison table.... maybe needed.