Google released two core updates in the first half of 2026. The first started on 27 March and the second on 21 May, and each took around 12 days to roll out. If your traffic fell sharply around either date, this post explains what Google says to do.
Why Has My Website Traffic Dropped?
A sudden drop in traffic doesn’t always mean a core update. Before you change anything, rule out the other common causes:
- A technical problem, such as a noindex tag or a robots.txt rule blocking pages.
- A tracking problem, such as an analytics tag that stopped firing after a site update.
- A seasonal dip, which you can spot by comparing with the same months last year.
- Two of your own pages competing for the same search.
If none of those explain it and the drop lines up with a core update, the rest of this post is for you.
We saw why this check is important on our own Sussex pages. In mid-April 2026, just as the March core update finished, our Local SEO Sussex page fell from around position 15 to between 45 and 55 for “seo sussex”. It would have been easy to blame the update, but our SEO Sussex page rose over the same days. That pattern pointed to two of our own pages competing, not to the update.
What a Core Update Is
Core updates are broad changes to how Google ranks results. Google says they don’t target particular sites or pages. Instead, they reassess content across the web, so some pages rise and others fall.
A drop doesn’t necessarily mean your site did something wrong. It can mean that other sites are now judged more helpful for the same searches.
Check the Drop Properly First
Google recommends a careful check before you change anything:
- Wait until the update has finished rolling out. Google lists start and end dates on its Search Status Dashboard.
- Wait at least a week after it finishes, then compare a week after the update with a week before it started.
- Look at your top pages and queries to see how big the drop is.
- Check web, image and other search types separately.
Google also separates small drops from large ones. Falling from position 2 to 4 doesn’t call for drastic action, and Google advises against changing content that is already performing well. Falling from position 4 to 29 does call for a closer look.
A small drop is normal movement. A large, sustained drop is a reason to look hard at your content.
What to Look At After a Large Drop
Google points site owners to its self-assessment questions on helpful, reliable, people-first content. It suggests looking at your site as a whole, and asking someone unconnected with your business to review it objectively.
Start with the pages that lost the most. Search for the queries they used to rank for, and compare your page with what now ranks above it. Ask yourself these questions:
- Does the page answer the question better than the pages above it?
- Does it show first-hand experience, such as your own examples, photos or results?
- Is it up to date?
- Would a customer trust it, or does it read as if it was written to rank?
What to Change, and What to Avoid
Google warns against quick fixes, such as removing a page element because someone said it was bad for SEO. It recommends lasting improvements that make sense for your readers, such as rewriting or restructuring content so it’s easier to read and use.
Deleting content is a last resort. We covered how to decide what to keep, improve or merge in our post on content pruning.
How Long Recovery Takes
Google says some changes can take effect within days, but it can take several months for its systems to recognise that a site as a whole has improved. In some cases, you may need to wait for the next core update. Google also makes smaller core updates that it doesn’t announce, and these can pick up improvements in between.
There’s no guarantee of recovery. What you can control is the quality of your site, and that’s where we focus when we help businesses after a drop. If you’ve lost rankings and want a second opinion, take a look at our Sussex SEO services.
Sometimes a drop has nothing to do with content, because a technical problem is stopping Google from crawling or indexing your pages. In the next post, we look at what a technical SEO audit finds.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Do I Know If a Core Update Caused My Traffic Drop?
Check whether the drop started during a core update listed on Google’s Search Status Dashboard. Then compare a week after the update finished with a week before it started in Search Console. If the timing matches and you’ve ruled out technical and tracking problems, the update is the likely cause.
How Long Does It Take to Recover From a Google Core Update?
Google says some improvements can show within days, but it can take several months for its systems to recognise that a whole site has improved. Sometimes recovery only comes with the next core update.
Can I Ask Google to Review My Site After a Core Update?
No. Core updates aren’t penalties, so there’s no review to request. Reconsideration requests are only for manual actions, which Search Console shows in its Manual actions report.
When Is the Next Google Core Update?
Google doesn’t announce core updates in advance. It lists them on its Search Status Dashboard once they start, along with the date they finish.