March 2018 core update: what Google confirmed and what to do

What Google changed#

Google described this only as a broad core algorithm update. On 12 March 2018, its Search Liaison account on Twitter wrote: “Last week, we released a broad core algorithm update. We do these routinely several times per year.” It explained that Google usually releases one or more changes each day, some focused on specific improvements and some broad.

Google’s message to sites that lost rankings was unusual in its detail. It said “there’s nothing wrong with pages that may now perform less well,” and that the changes were “benefiting pages that were previously under-rewarded.” Danny Sullivan added that the update had no official name, because it was a core algorithm update.

When it rolled out#

Google gave no exact date, saying only that the update was released the week before 12 March 2018. Search Engine Roundtable reported ranking changes starting around Friday, 9 March, and continuing through that weekend. The date used here is that first reported day, so it is approximate. Google stated no completion date.

What is known about its impact#

Google published no impact figures. It said only that, as with any update, some sites may see drops or gains. Treat any percentage attributed to this update as a third-party estimate.

What site owners should do#

Google’s advice in March 2018 was that “there’s no ‘fix’ for pages that may perform less well other than to remain focused on building great content,” and that such content may rise relative to other pages over time. Its current core update guidance says the same in more detail:

• Wait until the update has finished, then compare a week after it with a week before.
• A small drop needs no drastic action; a large, sustained drop warrants a site-wide review against Google’s helpful, reliable, people-first content questions.
• Avoid quick fixes, and treat deleting content as a last resort.
• Improvements can take several months to show, sometimes not until a later core update.

How to check whether it affected you#

This is historical. Search Console keeps only 16 months of data, so March 2018 is not in it. If you kept analytics from the time, compare Google organic traffic in the first week of March 2018 with the week of 19 March. The Google Algorithm Updates timeline lists the updates around it.

Related updates#

• The December 2017 updates were the previous confirmed algorithm changes.
• The April 2018 core update was the next broad core update.
• The August 2018 core update, nicknamed Medic, followed later that year.