What Google updates have been done this year 2024?

In 2024, Google rolled out several significant updates to its search algorithms, reflecting its ongoing efforts to improve the quality and relevance of search results. Here are the key updates:

1. March 2024 Core Update: This update was a major shake-up in the SEO world, focusing on enhancing content quality and user experience. It particularly targeted websites with low-quality, spammy, or deceptive content, and introduced stricter spam policies. Sites that relied on scaled content abuse, such as using AI to generate large volumes of low-value articles, were heavily impacted. Additionally, the update marked the end of separate “Helpful Content Updates” as these elements were integrated into the core algorithm​(Search Engine Land,Influencer Marketing Hub).
2. August 2024 Core Update: This more recent update continued the trend of prioritizing high-quality content. It affected many sites, especially those hit by previous updates like the September 2023 Helpful Content Update. The update aimed to surface more useful and relevant information while demoting content that was overly focused on SEO rather than user value. This update also introduced new ranking bugs, making the search environment particularly volatile during its rollout​(Search Engine Land).
3. Spam Policy Enhancements: Throughout 2024, Google has also made ongoing adjustments to its spam detection mechanisms. These updates aim to reduce the visibility of low-quality, unoriginal content, such as expired domains repurposed for spam, and penalize sites that misuse AI for content generation without adding value​(blog.google,Neil Patel).

These updates collectively underscore Google’s emphasis on content quality, user experience, and the integrity of search results, pushing site owners to focus more on providing genuine value rather than merely trying to game the system.