Google March 2023 Core Update (15 March 2023): What Changed and How to Recover

The Google March 2023 core update was announced on 15 March 2023 and completed on 28 March 2023, a rollout of 13 days and 7 hours. It was a broad core update with no specific target, and it was the first core update logged on Google’s Search Status Dashboard. Third-party trackers measured it as one of the more volatile core updates of that period, so if your traffic moved in the second half of March 2023, this is the most likely explanation.

For the updates before and after it, see my full list of Google algorithm updates.

Detail	Information
Update name	Google March 2023 core update
Type	Broad core update
Rollout started	15 March 2023
Rollout finished	28 March 2023
Rollout length	13 days 7 hours
Confirmed by Google	Yes, announced and completed on the Search Status Dashboard
Official source	Google Search Status Dashboard ranking history

What the March 2023 core update changed

Core updates are changes to Google’s main ranking systems that reassess the overall quality and relevance of content across the web. Google gave no specific target for this one and issued no update-specific guidance. Its standing core updates documentation applied.

That documentation makes two points worth keeping in mind:

• There is no specific fix for a core update. It is not a penalty for a particular practice.
• A ranking drop does not necessarily mean a page has a problem. Other pages may simply have been judged more relevant or more useful for that query.

The best way I can explain a core update to clients is this: Google has not changed the rules, it has re-marked the exam. Pages that were slightly over-rewarded before can drop even if nothing about them changed.

What the data showed

Two well-known trackers published measurements. Treat these as reported industry data, not Google figures:

• Semrush measured volatility 74% higher than the September 2022 core update, and reported that 8.7% of post-update top-10 results had previously ranked beyond position 20.
• Semrush also reported that swings in the top five positions were smaller than swings lower down.
• RankRanger placed it among its biggest updates, with volatility comparable to September 2022 and topped in its data only by June 2021.

The figure about results jumping from beyond position 20 into the top 10 is the useful one. It tells you this update could substantially reorder page two and three, not just shuffle the top few results.

Timeline

Date	What happened
21 February to 7 March 2023	February 2023 product reviews update (per the dashboard)
15 March 2023	March 2023 core update announced on the Search Status Dashboard
28 March 2023	Rollout complete
12 April 2023	April 2023 reviews update begins

The window was relatively clean. No other confirmed ranking update overlapped it, which makes the March 2023 core update easier to diagnose than most from this period.

Who was affected

Google named no site types and gave no target. The reported volatility was broad. In my experience, core updates in this period tended to hit hardest where a site’s content was generic for its topic: pages that answered the query no better than dozens of others, sites that had grown by publishing outside their area of knowledge, and YMYL pages (health, finance, legal) without clear authorship or evidence.

Be careful with any list of “winners and losers” you find online for this update. Those lists usually come from visibility tools sampling a fixed keyword set, and your site may behave differently.

How to tell if the March 2023 core update hit your site

Because no other confirmed update overlapped, you can be fairly precise.

1. Compare the right windows. In Search Console, compare 1 to 14 March 2023 with 29 March to 11 April 2023. Avoid including the rollout itself in either window, as rankings fluctuate during it.
2. Look at the query positions, not just clicks. Export queries and compare average position. Given the reported reordering below position 10, check whether you lost page-one rankings to pages that previously sat on page two or three.
3. Group pages into templates. Blog posts, category pages, service pages, location pages. If one template lost and others held, that tells you where to focus.
4. Read the new top results. For your five biggest losing queries, look at what now ranks above you. Is it more specific? More current? Written by someone with visible experience? This is the most useful diagnostic step for any core update.
5. Rule out the non-update causes. Easter fell on 9 April 2023, which can affect some sectors in the comparison window. Also check for site changes, tracking changes and indexing problems in March.

How to recover from the March 2023 core update

Google’s position is that there is no quick fix. Recovery comes from broad, sustained improvement, and it usually shows at a later core update. Here is the order I work in.

1. Decide whether you actually need to fix anything

If you lost a few positions on a handful of queries and the new results are genuinely good, the right response may be to improve those pages gradually, not overhaul the site.

2. Assess losing pages against Google’s self-assessment questions

Google publishes questions about helpful, reliable, people-first content. For each losing page, answer them honestly. Does it provide original information or analysis? Does it go beyond the obvious? Would you trust it with money or health decisions?

3. Fix intent mismatches

Sometimes a page loses because Google decided the query wants a different type of answer: a comparison instead of a guide, a list instead of an essay, a local result instead of a national one. Rework the page to match what searchers now get.

4. Add expertise and evidence

Named authors with relevant experience, examples from real work, original images and data, and clear sourcing. On YMYL topics, have content reviewed by a qualified person and say so.

5. Consolidate overlapping pages

Many sites have three or four articles competing for the same query. Merge them into one stronger page and redirect the others. My on-page optimisation service includes this kind of consolidation map.

6. Do not rely on technical tweaks

Speed improvements and schema are worth doing but rarely reverse a core update drop on their own. The issue is usually how useful the content is compared with what else ranks.

7. Wait for the next core update

Google says recovery most often shows at a later core update, though some movement between core updates is possible as systems refresh. After March 2023, the next broad core update was August 2023.

Is it still relevant today?

The update itself is long finished, but it is a useful reference point. It was the first core update recorded on the Search Status Dashboard, which is now the standard place to confirm update dates. And the reported pattern, big movement below the top five, is a reminder to look at page-two rankings when diagnosing any core update.

Frequently asked questions

When did the March 2023 core update start and finish?

It started on 15 March 2023 and completed on 28 March 2023, a rollout of 13 days and 7 hours.

Was the March 2023 core update a big update?

Third-party trackers suggested so. Semrush reported volatility 74% higher than September 2022, and RankRanger ranked it among its biggest updates. Google did not describe its size.

What did Google say to do after the March 2023 core update?

Google issued no update-specific guidance. Its core updates documentation applied: focus on helpful, reliable, people-first content, and understand that a drop does not necessarily mean something is wrong with your pages.

Can I recover from the March 2023 core update before the next core update?

Some movement between core updates is possible, but Google says recovery most often shows at a later core update.

Sources

• Google Search Status Dashboard
• Google Search Central: core updates
• Search Engine Journal: Google algorithm history
• Keywords Everywhere

If your traffic dropped in the second half of March 2023 and has not come back, request a free audit. My SEO audit service compares your losing pages with the pages that replaced them and turns that into a prioritised list of changes.