As we say goodbye to 2024 and welcome 2025 with optimism, we are thrilled to continue our Google update series. This series will first look at the Google Core Update and then continue with the Google Update. Let’s explore the Google Core update and December month update and discover the new changes it has in store for us.
Table of Contents
ToggleGoogle Core Update:
As the Google Core update was released in November 2024 and took three weeks to roll out, there may be a significant change in the ranking and traffic of the website. These changes may not be noticed initially by many websites but will significantly affect some.
Before you make any changes to the website, you must check out some recommendations:
- Check and confirm if the update rolled out has been completed.
- To know the website’s status, it is recommended that you wait and return after a week for the core update result in the Search Console. Try comparing the data before and after the core update has been rolled out to get exact changes.
- It is recommended that you review your website’s top pages and queries. Also, check the ranking before and after the core update.
If there is a small drop in position, like 2 to 4, then there is no need to take any drastic steps or avoid making any changes.
You need to assess your website if there is a significant drop in the position from 4 to 29.
If there is a significant drop in position, it is recommended to check the overall website content and whether it’s helpful, reliable and readable. You can also look closer to the drops and evaluate those significantly impacted pages.
It is also recommended to check if the drop is in web Search, Google Images, Video mode or News tab.
Things to Keep in Mind:
Below are some recommendations that have to be kept in mind while making changes:
- It is recommended to avoid doing quick fixes, such as deleting a page element just because you know it’s bad. Instead, concentrate on making changes that benefit your users and will last in the long run.
- It is recommended that your content be improved by rewriting or reorganizing it to make it more reader-friendly and easier to navigate.
- It is recommended that content be deleted if necessary and it can’t be improved. If you think of removing large sections, it might be because they were made for search engines instead of people. Deleting these sections can help the good content on your site perform better.
It’s essential to keep in mind that changes to your website might not immediately reflect in search results. While some improvements can be seen within a few days, it could take several months for Google to recognize your site consistently offering valuable content. If you do not see any changes after a few months, you must wait for the following core update.
Google Update for December Month
Now that we have looked into the Google Core Update let’s see what December holds for us:
December 9
This update is about Documentation for cache control support of Google’s crawlers.
Google recently updated its documentation to clarify how its crawlers handle cache control headers. This includes explaining how various types of crawlers, such as Googlebot, AdsBot, and user-triggered fetchers, adhere to caching instructions set by websites.
Why It Matters:
Although this information was previously shared in blog posts, it wasn’t officially included in Google’s documentation until now. This update simplifies things for webmasters, making it easier to grasp how Google’s crawlers interact with cache control settings and preventing any potential confusion.
December 17
This update is about Documentation for managing the crawling of faceted navigation URLs
Google has recently released updated documentation on effectively managing faceted navigation URLs. Faceted navigation, such as filters for color or size, can lead to duplicate or unnecessary URLs. This can slow down search engine crawling and indexing.
Why It Matters:
This update is because while this information was previously shared in a blog post, it is now officially documented. The new guide is designed to help webmasters avoid issues like over-crawling and slow discovery. It offers best practices for handling faceted navigation and making sure search engines only crawl the most useful pages.
December 18
This update is about consolidating the robots.txt error-handling documentation
Google has updated its documentation on robots.txt errors to make it easier to understand how these errors are handled. All the information is now consolidated into one place, eliminating the need to search through multiple resources like HTTP status codes and Search Console documentation, which was often confusing.
Why it matters:
This update organizes everything into a single, clear guide so you can quickly find what you need. It doesn’t change how Google handles robots.txt files, it’s just about making the information easier to access and understand.
Wrapping Up
The Google Core Update for 2024 ensures you get the best search results by putting high-quality, user-focused content first. The latest update in December takes things further by fine-tuning cache control, improving how faceted navigation URLs are crawled, and making robots.txt error handling smoother.