Google Updates: How to Adapt Your SEO to the New Rules

Anyone who works with SEO knows that being among the first results on Google is essential, but increasingly challenging.

With the arrival of artificial intelligence in search results, such as the AI-created Overview (SGE), and frequent algorithm updates, Google is changing the way content appears and impacts users.

Instead of just ranking well, today you need to respond accurately, be trustworthy and deliver a great reading experience. And this requires extra attention to SEO practices, content structure and audience behavior.

In this article, you will understand how Google's algorithm has evolved, what has changed in the latest updates and how to prepare your website to remain competitive in search results.

In this post you'll see:

• How does Google's algorithm work?
• How these updates can impact your site?
• How to rank your content according to the updates?
• Invest in rich content
• Bet on friendly URLs
• Use keywords
• Be careful with the organization of your content
• Make your site responsive
• Do link building
• What about old blogs after this update?
• Check for accuracy
• Provide a new perspective
• Remove invalid links
• Update data

Before we talk about the changes coming, you first need to understand how Google's algorithm works. In the next topic, we'll explain how it works in depth. Let's go?

How does Google's algorithm work?

Do you know what SERP is? In short, SERP is the search engine results page. If you work with SEO techniques, you know that for a page to appear on Google's SERP, it's not enough just to produce good text.

To achieve a good position, you need to show Google's algorithm that your content is relevant. But what is this algorithm that we've been talking about so much?

In practice, Google's algorithm is a sequence of logical decisions, which searches for results taking into account more than 200 ranking factors. Okay, so how does Google work?

Before your page ranks on the search engine, your content goes through a few stages, such as crawling, indexing and ranking. At first, Google crawls all the content on the internet. It then indexes the pages in its database, where it organizes the content according to its relevance.

Finally, the engine takes into account ranking factors such as:

• Content length;
• Quality of backlinks;
• Use of keywords;
• Responsive site;
• Usability;
• Page loading speed;
• Image optimization.

This is the stage where Google's algorithm comes into play to rank websites and deliver quality content to the user. Of course, to meet the algorithm's requirements, your content needs good On Page SEO techniques, which can help with the organic results of your content, as well as Off Page SEO.

Caption: Google's updates redefine SEO: understand the impact on results and how to keep your strategy in line with the new criteria.

How can these updates impact your site?

Since September 2022, Google has implemented several significant updates to its search algorithm. The most recent include:

• March 2025: This update caused notable changes in search visibility in various sectors, with significant fluctuations in rankings.

• December 2024: Focused on improving the quality of search results, this update had a moderate impact, affecting sites from different niches.

• November 2024: Completed after three weeks of implementation, this update had a moderate impact on global search results.

• August 2024: Aimed at promoting high-quality content and downgrading materials focused exclusively on SEO.

• March 2024: This update aimed to reduce low-quality content by 40% and introduced new policies against spam, including abuse of content at scale and misuse of expired domains.

This is because, with this algorithm upgrade, Google becomes even more precise, it understands users' questions better and offers more specific content.

Google 's main objective is precisely this: to make its results more useful to those who browse the internet. This is also a way for the platform to always present the most up-to-date and relevant content.

While some lose positioning, others gain with Core Uptade. As Semrush Sensor data shows, several Brazilian sites have been impacted by the new update and have improved their performance.

An example of this is the Shopee website, which saw a difference in organic traffic from April to May of around 60,968,373.00 after the latest update.

To avoid having your positioning affected and achieve good results like in the example above, it's time to pay attention to SEO strategies and improve the user experience on your site more and more, from layout to quality.

In addition to the algorithm changes, another point of attention for those looking to improve their positioning on Google are the visual and functional transformations on the results pages, such as the People also ask section and the new AI-generated Overview (SGE).

The "People also ask" feature occupies prime space on the SERP and influences user behavior, causing many to click on quick answers without visiting the original site.

Search Generative Experience (SGE) delivers instant answers based on artificial intelligence, reducing the number of clicks on traditional links. This reinforces the importance of producing content that responds directly to the public's questions, with clear language, an optimized structure and up-to-date information.

In the next topic, we'll give you six tips on how to apply good SEO tactics following these new updates.

How to rank your content according to the updates?

Okay, now that you've understood that these updates can reflect on your positioning, I imagine you're worried about your content production. Am I right? Next, we're going to give you six tips for continuing to rank your content according to the new version of the algorithm.

1. Invest in rich content;
2. Bet on friendly URLs;
3. Use keywords;
4. Be careful with the organization of your content;
5. Make your site responsive;
6. Perform link building.

We've listed six tips above and below we'll go into detail on each one so that you can put them into practice in your company.

In addition to the practices already mentioned, it is essential to consider Google's updated guidelines for maintaining or improving positioning in search results:

• Avoid Low-Quality AI-Generated Content: The March 2024 update highlighted the penalization of content generated by artificial intelligence that does not add real value to the user.

• Bewareof Website Reputation Abuse: Publishing low-quality third-party content on subdomains or folders of trusted sites can result in penalties.

• Avoid Misuse of Expired Domains: Reusingexpired domains to promote irrelevant or low-quality content is discouraged.

See also:

• How to improve a site's SEO? The 6 essential tips!
• How to use SEMrush to obtain strategic SEO data?
• What is link building? Find out how to do it successfully!

1. invest in rich content

As we mentioned earlier, the relevance of your content is important to Google, so if you want to know how to rank on Google after this update, the first step is to invest in quality content.

Remember that Google's algorithm is increasingly accurate and can identify irrelevant material. So prioritize your persona's pain points and try to answer their questions with useful content. Keep your website constantly updated with rich material.

2. Bet on friendly URLs

How is the URL of your latest blog? When it comes to producing good content, remember to create a user-friendly URL. To do this, insert keywords, keep it short and avoid symbols. Also use hyphens as an ally to separate words and make them easier to read, as Google doesn't read spaces.

3. Use keywords

And while we're on the subject of keywords, this is another extremely important element for good positioning on Google. The keyword summarizes the content of your blog and guides website optimizations.

So if you want to attract more visitors, invest in keywords throughout your content. Remember that Google's refinement is becoming increasingly precise and this will make all the difference!

4. Be careful with the organization of your content

Another point in the midst of Google's updates is the organization of your content. Remember when we said that the platform analyzes your blog? Well-structured material makes it easier for search engines to understand.

What's more, it can contribute to the user experience, making them stay longer on your page.

An organized structure also increases the chances of your content appearing in highlights such as snippets and the 'People also ask' section.

To do this, create paragraphs with direct, clear and objective answers to common questions on the subject of your article. Use subheadings in the form of questions whenever possible and organize the text with short sentences and accessible language.

This practice is fundamental to gaining strategic positions that increase your page's visibility without relying exclusively on first place in the SERP.

To organize your text, invest in Headings, which are elements that indicate the textual hierarchy. Use Headings 1 through 6 to structure your text. H1 should be applied to the title and the others to subheadings according to their hierarchical order.

Also remember that your title should contain the keyword and avoid going on too long: a good title has a maximum of 60 characters.

5. Make your site responsive

You don't have to look very far to see that more and more people are consuming content on their mobile devices. And let's face it, reading a blog that doesn't adapt to that screen can be very uncomfortable and cause the user to quickly leave your page.

That's why nowadays it's essential for a website to be responsive, i.e. adapt to any type of device without distortion, so that the user has the same experience when accessing it on a cell phone, computer or tablet.

6. Perform link building

External links can be a great way of adding more authority to your site and showing Google's algorithm that your content is relevant. Link building is a way of acquiring qualified backlinks to your page.

The more qualified sites that link to yours, the better your relevance in the search engine. The tip here is to invest in relationships with other companies that produce useful content and have a good position on Google.

What about old blogs after this update?

With the recent updates, it is essential to review old blogs to ensure that they are in line with the current guidelines:

• Re-evaluate Existing Content: Make sure old articles still offer value and up-to-date information to readers.

• Update Data and Statistics: Replace outdated information with recent and relevant data.

• Improve User Experience: Adjust layout, loading speed and responsiveness to meet current user expectations.

1. Check accuracy

If you've been blogging for a long time, you know that a lot has changed since you wrote your first piece of content. New information, tools, cutting-edge technologies. So perhaps your content, which seemed so accurate, is no longer so today.

At this point, you need to analyze all your older publications and see if they are still useful today. If you notice some outdated information, it's time to rewrite some parts and make your content more up-to-date.

2. Provide a new perspective

Even if you have very precise content, it doesn't stop you from giving your blog a new lease of life. You can add new paragraphs with a different perspective and more current topics. You can also insert images and videos to enrich the content and add even more value.

3. Remove invalid links

Another point that can affect your performance is broken links. Over the years, it is common for some pages to go offline or change their address, and consequently the links you had directed to your site may be invalid.

So check the links to your old publications, remove the broken ones and add new ones, link internally and externally to more recent publications.

4. Update the data

And while we're on the subject of updates, it's important to keep an eye on the data in your content. After all, if you want to show Google that your content is still useful, you need to have up-to-date information.

That's why it's time to review all your older blogs and update the data with the latest ones. This is also a good opportunity to link your content to more recent publications.

Summary: With frequent updates to Google's algorithm, such as the Core Update in March 2024, it is essential to review old content and apply good SEO practices. Invest in rich content, friendly URLs, responsive websites and link building. Updating data, removing invalid links and adapting texts to the new guidelines guarantees relevance and better positioning.

By applying all these tips, you'll be able to pass Google's updates without suffering from poor performance. And if you want to improve your positioning even more, we have the right content for you, the blog: CRO, SEO AND UX: Learn about these optimization techniques. Follow the link below to find out more about SEO and how to improve the organic positioning of your content.

How to keep your content relevant in Google's updates?

What changes with Google's algorithm updates?

Google is increasingly focused on delivering useful and relevant content, based on the user's search intent. The latest updates prioritize quality, user experience and penalize practices such as excessive use of AI and expired domains.

How can I adapt my content to the new algorithm?

Apply good SEO practices, such as creating rich, up-to-date content, using keywords strategically, organizing texts well and ensuring that the site is responsive and fast. It is also essential to review and update old blogs.

What to do with old blogs after updates?

Check the accuracy of the information, update data, fix broken links and, if possible, add new insights or perspectives. This shows Google that your content is still relevant and reliable.

Can the use of AI in content affect ranking?

Yes. Google penalizes AI-generated content that doesn't add real value to the user. It is important to ensure that texts are original, informative and relevant, even when created with the support of automated tools.

How do SGE and snippets impact my traffic?

Search Generative Experience (SGE) and snippets provide direct answers in the SERP, reducing clicks on traditional links. To stand out, produce content that responds clearly and objectively to user queries.