Google September 2023 Helpful Content Update Current Impact & Volatility - Search Engine Roundtable

Google started to roll out the Google September 2023 Helpful Content Update last Thursday afternoon and I've been seeing mixed signals about how strong and widespread this update is. There are definitely site owners and SEOs claiming some of their sites were hit hard but the tracking tools are reporting relatively calm weather since the update started.

The chatter is pretty heated in the various forums however I am not seeing much talk on Twitter of this update. The weird thing is the chatter is not matching up with the tracking tools.

Since we are now over five days since it started rolling out, I wanted to cover what I am seeing.

Again, there is a lot chatter and SEOs are claiming traffic drops (or gains) from Google Search after this began rolling out. But again, most of those tracking tools have been pretty calm.

Many are reporting drops in traffic and visibility from 40% to upwards of 80% after being hit by this helpful content update.

SEO Chatter

Let's look at what the chatter is showing in the WebmasterWorld forums and the comments here. The chatter did slowly start up a day after the update was announced.

Huge drop 10am sharp...traffic was very high this morning then right off the cliff. Hopefully temporary...

I love Google. I am now -30%. Destroy my site more G! Keep those downward spirals coming! They have a monopoly going but want to destroy their SERPS instead. Really hope this is temporary.

Mine was UK 19.00, exactly the same and has continued into today. It...

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