The ‘Medic Core’ Algorithm Update: Affecting Website Rankings

If you’ve been in the digital marketing industry for a while now, then Google’s regular changes to the system should be something you’re familiar with. For a rookie, however, these revisions may come as a surprise. And the latest revision? The ‘Medic Core’ Algorithm Update.

The ‘Medic Core’ update was released on the 1st of August 2018, making it the third one in just this year alone. Many have referred to this algorithm as the most major change since the Penguin update in 2012. In turn, the introduction of ‘Medic Core’ has led to fluctuations in site rankings on Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs) for many businesses, prompting concern over the maintenance of website visibility.

Unfortunately, however, Google is not always forthcoming about the ways in which you can modify your site in order to better suit the new algorithm. But that doesn’t mean you should remain stagnant in this time of change. If you’re looking to improve your site’s ranking, then you should consider reviewing your website’s status with regards to the elements listed below:

  1. Is your site error-free?

An example of a common error that is often left unnoticed or unmanaged by many is the presence of duplicate content. But not resolving these issues could be a major reason why one’s website ranking is suffering. On the other hand, cleaning up your website will most certainly take it up a few notches, making it essential for one to conduct periodic checks on their website content.

  1. Make sure your website is responsive.

Take a look at your site. How long does it take for a page to load? If it’s taking more than a few seconds, then the lack of responsiveness may be playing a part in damaging your site’s visibility. Further, mobile optimisation is key in clinching a top spot on SERPs. It’s important for a website to be responsive on not just computers, but across all platforms as well.

  1. Like. Share. Retweet.

Getting your content out there is the first step to garnering higher volumes of traffic. And in order to do that, you need to ensure that your posts are shareable. Placing your social media icons in prominent positions on your site is a sure-fire way to encourage the sharing of your content on social media platforms.

  1. Continue to publish fresh, good-quality content.

Publishing fresh, good-quality content at least once a week. Setting up a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page. Including visual and video content on posts. These are just a few of the effective yet easy-to-implement methods available for increasing visibility and improving reach – don’t miss out on them.

Ensuring your website is optimal on these fronts should aid in giving it a boost in terms of visibility. However, if performance remains lacklustre despite already having made the appropriate changes, then the next step would be to conduct an in-depth examination of your brand. What is your brand reputation like? What about the products/services you are offering?

With the ‘Medic Core’ update comes an increased focus on both lifestyle and health issues. As such, websites that have a negative reputation will find themselves in trouble. This is because Google now pays greater attention to one’s standing – and having a bad reputation could indicate that a website is of less-than-stellar quality.

Additionally, if a website advocates a medical treatment which is against the general consensus, then that could be another potential reason for a drop in ranking. Selling products or services that have a lack of medical backing will also adversely impact one’s position on SERPs under ‘Medic Core’.

In general, the ‘Medic Core’ update appears to be geared towards making websites more authoritative. And whilst this does make things harder for those who engage in Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) to obtain a good ranking for their websites, the consumer search experience is sure to improve.

Ultimately, the importance of being adaptable has been made apparent. And whether one is able to respond efficiently and effectively to such updates will be crucial in determining whether a brand will succeed in the future.

A useful infographic on how to maintain website visibility after Google’s ‘Medic Core’ update.