Last month in May of 2022, Google made some highly impactful changes to their core algorithm that had many businesses in a flutter trying to deduce what caused dips and increases in traffic by as much as 70%. Many businesses using low quality links and failing to provide well-written content with proper On-Page SEO signals have seen the greatest drop in rankings.
If your small business website was hit negatively by the latest Google Core Update then your SEO company has most likely been skating by with low-quality backlinks, lazy SEO work, and lackluster internal linking.
Let’s look at the breakdown of what has been working so that we can discuss the changes your business needs to make.
Google’s May 2022 Broad Core Update was a global, multi-week algorithm refresh designed to improve how well search results match user intent. Unlike narrow updates that target a specific element (like spam or reviews), broad core updates recalibrate many signals at once. The outcome is a visible reordering of winners and losers, where some sites gain traffic because their content aligns better with user expectations, while others decline because competitors provide more comprehensive or trusted answers.
Crucially, this wasn’t a penalty-based event. Sites that dropped weren’t “punished”; they were outperformed. Google essentially took another look at the web and decided which pages deserved more prominence. That means recovery is less about finding an error to fix and more about building a stronger case for your content’s usefulness, expertise, and authority relative to others in your space.
Sites in highly competitive informational and transactional niches—health, finance, legal, local services, and product-led content—often felt the most movement. These SERPs rely on nuanced intent-matching and trust signals, so when Google rebalances, ripple effects are amplified. Publishers with thin, redundant, or over-templated pages typically saw volatility, while brands with well-structured, in-depth resources gained.
Signals that likely mattered included topical depth, E-E-A-T (experience, expertise, authoritativeness, trust), internal linking that supports topic coverage, and page experience factors like mobile performance and Core Web Vitals. None of these work in isolation; the update rewarded sites that holistically help users complete a task—learn, compare, decide, or contact—better than competing results.
Start by segmenting traffic and rankings before, during, and after late May 2022 to isolate change windows by page type, template, and intent. Look beyond vanity metrics: which queries slipped, which gained, and what’s different about the pages replacing you? Often, pages that outrank you demonstrate superior topical breadth (covering sub-questions comprehensively), clearer expertise (authorship and sources), and stronger UX (scannable structure, visual aids, and fast loads).
Then, map keywords back to intent. If an informational query now shows more beginner-friendly explainers and you’re offering a bottom-of-funnel sales pitch, you’re misaligned. Conversely, if a commercial query surfaces comparison tables and trust indicators, your page needs to match that decision stage with richer proof and clearer CTAs.
Think in terms of “best answer” instead of “better keyword.” Expand shallow pages into complete resources that anticipate follow-up questions, show first-hand experience, and present solutions visually with images, checklists, and tables where helpful. Strengthen entities: clarify who wrote the piece, why they’re qualified, and how the page is kept current. Tie related articles together so users (and crawlers) can traverse a coherent topic cluster rather than isolated posts.
Don’t overlook page experience. If two pages offer similar value, the faster, easier-to-use page wins. Compress images, improve CLS and LCP, and remove intrusive elements that slow or distract. Finally, refresh older winners: updates often reward recency and completeness. Add new sections, cite updated data, and realign headings with the questions users actually ask today.
Treat this as a rolling improvement program, not a one-time fix. Core updates re-run periodically; the sites that compound gains invest in content quality, authority building, and UX every quarter. Track with annotated timelines, compare against peer sets, and measure success by query coverage, engagement, and assisted conversions—not just rank snapshots.
For local brands, align service pages to the real questions prospects ask: scope of service, pricing ranges, availability, process, and proof. Elevate trust with genuine reviews, practitioner bios, location-specific content, and media that demonstrates work quality. Build a hub-and-spoke structure where each service hub links to detailed subpages and supportive blog posts that answer pre-sale objections. Pair this with a tight Google Business Profile strategy so your on-site authority and off-site signals reinforce each other.
For multi-location providers, avoid thin location pages. Provide unique staff details, photos, neighborhood cues, and localized FAQs. Internally link locations to relevant service guides and case studies so each page earns topical and geographic relevance, not just a city name stuffed into a template.
Broad core updates remind us that rankings are relative and earned across many dimensions. The durable strategy is to build the most trusted, complete, and easy-to-use resource in your niche, keep it fresh, and demonstrate real-world expertise at every turn. When the next recalibration arrives, your site isn’t scrambling—it’s poised to benefit because you’ve made users the centerpiece of your SEO program.
If you’re looking for a data-backed plan to strengthen your site after core updates, Nickel SEO can run a comprehensive audit, prioritize high-impact fixes, and rebuild key pages to win back visibility and conversions.
We specialize in web design, SEO services, and many other digital marketing services to help businesses attract more customers and increase revenue. We focus on creating effective strategies that drive traffic, improve search rankings, and build trust online. Our efforts are entirely dedicated to increase your sales with results driven and award winning digital marketing service.
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