Google August 2024 Core Update (15 August 2024): What Changed and How to Recover

The Google August 2024 core update started on 15 August 2024 and finished on 3 September 2024, a rollout of 19 days and 4 hours. Google said it took creator feedback into account and aimed to surface more useful, original content from small and independent sites. If you were hit by the September 2023 helpful content update or the March 2024 core update, this was the update many people hoped would bring traffic back, and for most it only partly did.

This article covers what Google said, what was reported, how to check your own data against the dates, and what to do next. For the bigger picture, see my full list of Google algorithm updates.

What the August 2024 core update changed

Core updates are broad changes to how Google assesses content overall. They are not aimed at one tactic. What made this one different was the framing. Google said it had listened to feedback from creators after the March 2024 update, and that the aim was to show “a range of high quality sites, including small or independent sites that are creating useful, original content.”

That language mattered because many small publishers, especially in niches like travel, recipes, hobby reviews and home improvement, had lost large amounts of traffic since September 2023. The reported context is that this update was partly a response to that criticism.

Google also updated its core updates documentation alongside the release. The key points it repeats there are worth keeping in mind:

• there is no specific fix for a core update;
• a drop does not necessarily mean a page has something wrong with it, other content may simply be judged more relevant;
• improvements should be broad and lasting, and may show at a later update.

Timeline

The overlapping bug is the detail people forget. If you saw a sharp dip in the first days after 15 August that then corrected itself, it may have been the bug rather than the core update. Judge this update on data from after 3 September.

Who was affected

Google did not name winners or losers. Industry reporting described:

• some sites hit in September 2023 and March 2024 seeing partial recoveries;
• most sites affected by the helpful content update not seeing meaningful recovery;
• mixed results for the small, independent publishers Google said it wanted to reward.

So the honest summary is: a small number of previously hit sites came back somewhat, many did not, and the promise to small sites was only partly visible in the data third parties reported.

How to tell if the August 2024 core update hit your site

Because of the overlapping bug, I check this update a little differently from others.

1. Use clean comparison windows. In the Search Console Performance report, compare 1 to 14 August 2024 with 4 to 17 September 2024. Skip the rollout period itself.
2. Compare with your September 2023 and March 2024 history. If you lost traffic in those updates, check whether August 2024 reversed any of it. Partial recovery on some page types and none on others tells you where Google sees value.
3. Segment by page type. Filter by URL patterns: reviews, guides, category pages, tools. Losses that cluster on one template point to a content type problem rather than a site-wide one.
4. Look at queries, not just pages. If you lost informational queries but kept branded and transactional ones, Google is preferring other sources for those questions.
5. Rule out non-update causes. Confirm analytics tags, check seasonality against August 2023, and look for technical changes you made in the same weeks.

How to recover from the August 2024 core update

Recovery from a core update is about the quality and usefulness of the pages that lost visibility. Here is the order I work in.

1. List the pages that lost the most clicks. Work from data, not assumptions. The top 20 to 50 losers usually tell the story.
2. Read each one as the searcher would. Open the search results for the main query. What do the pages that now outrank you offer that yours does not? Often it is first-hand experience, original photos, clearer answers or better coverage of the full task.
3. Apply Google’s self-assessment questions. Does the page provide original information or analysis? Would you trust it? Is it written by someone who knows the topic? Was it produced mainly to attract search visits?
4. Show who is behind the content. Small sites often hide their author. Add real author information, explain how you tested or researched things, and show your experience. This is the practical side of E-E-A-T.
5. Consolidate thin or overlapping pages. Several weak posts on near-identical topics compete with each other. Merge them into one strong page and redirect the rest.
6. Fix intent mismatches. If the results now favour forums, videos or product pages for a query, a long article may simply be the wrong format.
7. Wait for the next core update. Some movement can happen between updates, but recovery most often shows when the next core update runs.

My on-page optimisation services cover content and intent reviews like this page by page.

Is it still relevant today?

The August 2024 update itself is history, but its lesson still applies. Google said it wants to reward small sites with useful, original content, and the sites that recovered tended to be those that could show genuine expertise. Later core updates have continued in the same direction. If you were hit in 2023 or 2024 and have not improved the pages, waiting will not change much.

Frequently asked questions

Sources

• Google Search Central Blog
• Google Search Status Dashboard
• Google Search Central: core updates documentation
• Search Engine Land
• Keywords Everywhere

If your traffic dropped around the August 2024 core update and you want a clear view of why, request a free audit. My SEO audit services go through your Search Console data page by page and give you a prioritised list of fixes.