Rebel Insights

Sites Reporting Dips in Traffic After September 2022 Core Update

Sites Reporting Dips in Traffic After September 2022 Core Update

Here’s the latest on Google’s widespread algorithm update

We are now learning more about Google’s September 2022 core update, and the typical volatility in web traffic that accompanies the platform’s major updates has already begun. Since Google announced the update on September 12, 2022, some sites have reported 20–60% dips in traffic. The announcement came on the heels of Google’s helpful content update, which was completed on September 9, 2022, and a fourth product reviews update that was completed in August 2022.

While the details surrounding core updates are mostly a mystery, SEO expert Barry Schwartz was able to put together key points about what he knows so far about the September 2022 core update on Search Engine Roundtable:


  • Name: Google September 2022 Broad Core Update
  • Launched: September 12, 2022 at around 11:25 p.m. ET.
  • Rollout: It will take about one to two weeks to roll out.
  • Targets: It looks at all types of content.
  • Penalty: It is not a penalty, it promotes or rewards great web pages.
  • Global: This is a global update impacting all regions, in all languages.
  • Impact: Google would not say what percentage of queries or searches were impacted by this update, but so far this seems to be a typical core update that reaches wide and the impact is fast.
  • Discover: Core updates impact Google Discover and other features, also feature snippets and more.
  • Recover: If you were hit by this, then you will need to look at your content and see if you can do better with Google's core update advice.
  • Refreshes: Google will do periodic refreshes to this algorithm but may not communicate those updates in the future.

Click here to learn more about the September 2022 core update, including what you can do to make sure your site is ready for any swings in traffic.

Google Purposefully Does Not Overlap Algorithm Updates

The recent back-to-back updates launched by Google were surprising even to SEO experts who monitor the search engine’s every move. Some even speculated that the September 2022 core update was released to bolster the recently completed helpful content update. This is problematic because when multiple updates are rolled out in a short period of time, it can be difficult for site owners to distinguish which update caused dips in their traffic.

However, Google’s Search Liaison Danny Sullivan addressed the issue on Twitter. He said the recent, frequent updates from Google are not coincidental, but actually strategically separated on purpose to better help creators understand any impact.

So while you may never see algorithm updates overlap, they may still appear in clusters. This is especially true since Google also said this year that they have become more transparent about algorithm updates.

Never Worry About Google’s Never-Ending Updates

You can expect another major update from Google in the coming weeks. If you’re a site owner, a content creator, or anything in between, you likely don’t have time to monitor and manage every update from Google, and you shouldn’t let them impact your workflow.

RebelMouse is a modern publishing platform that anticipates major changes from Google, like the September 2022 core update, before they even happen. Our holistic search strategy makes sure that the sites within our network consistently rank highly on search and crush industry standards on site performance.

Request a proposal today to get started.

What Is RebelMouse?
Request a Proposal

Where 
Websites Are Built

The Fastest Sites in the World Run on RebelMouse

Let’s Chat

new!

RebelMouse Performance Monitoring

Real-Time Core Web Vitals

Get Started
DISCOVER MORE

Our Core Features

Our platform is a complete digital publishing toolbox that's built for modern-day content creators, and includes game-changing features such as our:

animate
Layout and Design toolLayout and Design tool on mobile
animate

Why RebelMouse?

Unprecedented Scale

RebelMouse sites reach more than 120M people a month, with an always-modern solution that combines cutting-edge technology with decades of media savvy. And due to our massive scale, 1 in 3 Americans have visited a website powered by RebelMouse.

120M+ Users
550M+ Pageviews
17+ Avg. Minutes per User
6+ Avg. Pages per User

Today's Top Websites Use RebelMouse

Thanks to the tremendous scale of our network, we are able to analyze a wealth of traffic data that informs our strategies and allows us to be a true strategic partner instead of just a vendor.

upworthyindy100Vault12No Film SchoolRawStoryResponsible StatecraftPrideMNI Market NewsPremierGuitarPenskeINN Educate Brand ConnectThe FulcrumGZEROOkayafricaBrit+CoPaper MagazinePowerToFlyNarcityCommonDreamsAllBusiness

What Clients Say

We’re here to help you weigh and understand every tech and strategic decision that affects your digital presence. Spend less time managing everything yourself, and more time focused on creating the quality content your users deserve.

Case Studies

A Team Built Like No Other

RebelMouse employs a unique, diverse, and decentralized team that consists of 70+ digital traffic experts across more than 25 different countries. We have no central office, and we cover every time zone to ensure that we’re able to deliver amazing results and enterprise-grade support around the clock.

Our team is well-versed in all things product, content, traffic, and revenue, and we strategically deploy ourselves to help with each element across all of our clients. We thrive on solving the complex.

Let's Chat