Google March 2024 Core Update: Dates, Impact and What to Do

What was the March 2024 Core Update?

Folded the helpful content system into core ranking and aimed to reduce low-quality, unoriginal results. Core updates are not penalties. They re-assess how well pages meet searchers’ needs, so some sites rise and others fall.

Dates are taken from Google’s Search Status Dashboard and may be off by a day because end dates are calculated from the stated rollout length.

Who was affected?

Visibility changes can show up in rankings, clicks and impressions. Check the rollout window in Google Search Console and compare it with the previous period. Seasonality and tracking changes can also cause movement, so look at several weeks of data.

What to do after the March 2024 Core Update

• Check Search Console to confirm whether your drop or gain lines up with the rollout dates.
• Compare your pages against the top results: are they more complete, original and clearly written by someone with experience?
• Improve the pages that lost most: add first-hand detail, current data, clear authorship and better structure.
• Wait until the rollout has finished before judging results, then compare against a similar period before it.
• Avoid knee-jerk changes; focus on durable quality, not tricks.

Related updates

• Previous: March 2024 Spam Update
• Next: June 2024 Spam Update
• Full Google algorithm updates timeline (2021 to 2026)
• Get an SEO audit after a ranking change

Frequently asked questions

When did the March 2024 Core Update roll out?

According to Google’s Search Status Dashboard it rolled out from 5 March 2024 to about 19 April 2024.

Was the March 2024 Core Update a penalty?

No. It was a ranking system update, not a manual penalty, so there is no reconsideration request to file.

How do I check if my site was affected?

Compare clicks and impressions in Google Search Console before, during and after the rollout, and look at which pages and queries changed.