Quickly following the previous two updates in October 2023, the Core update and Reviews update have overlapping dates which makes it more difficult for SEOs to analyse the separate impacts of the two core changes. This post shows data and examples that will help you identify the effects of the two core updates.
The November 2023 Core update was announced on the 2nd November. Our data shows that the SERP movements started on the 2nd November.
The November Reviews update was announced on the 8th November and some domains appear to have reacted directly after the 8th. Google stated that this would be the last time that the update would be announced as it is “being improved at a regular and ongoing pace.”
Info-pins in SISTRIX Visibility Index Graphics have been set accordingly.
Details of all previous Google updates are available in the complete list of Google updates.
Google Update Radar, UK
As of 20th November, 0920 CET, the updates are still active.
How to check the impact of Google updates
The Visibility Index is a live indicator of organic search visibility. Use the latest data to monitor and analyse, down to URL level, the latest changes for your domains and those of your competitors. Global event pins will appear in the tool for domains that have visibility changes during the week of the updates. A no-charge trial is available.
The Google Update Radar, shown above, can always be found in our free SEO tools area. The radar is available for five countries.
The free Google Update check tool will show you how any domain has increased or decreased in VI during the week of each Google update registered in SISTRIX.
November Core Update examples
Domains with losses can be seen starting both from the 2nd November, with a second set seen on the 6th November:
Some candidates have been seen outside these dates but they may be changing due to other effects. One example is bl.uk, the British Library, whose very large presence was negatively affected by a cyber attack at the tail end of October and into November.
Domains with gains can be seen from the 2nd November:
Top 20 losses by percentage
The top losing sites, by percentage, often give us the clearest insight into what is happening underneath a Google update. In this case we are dealing with two updates but these examples, with notes, might help you to do your own research.
| Domain | Visibillity Index 01.11.2023 | Visibillity Index 20.11.2023 | Percentage change | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| bl.uk | 25.09 | 2.26 | -91.0% | Hacked site |
| yandex.com | 5.08 | 2.07 | -59.3% | Reviews update losses |
| theprivateclinic.co.uk | 5.49 | 2.31 | -57.9% | Lost August gains |
| thechive.com | 2.51 | 1.15 | -54.2% | Meme reposts |
| familylives.org.uk | 2.92 | 1.36 | -53.6% | Listicles drop in VI |
| sterlinghome.co.uk | 2.74 | 1.34 | -51.1% | /c and /p pages |
| indigo.ca | 3.25 | 1.62 | -50.2% | Probably hacked |
| heycar.co.uk | 5.62 | 3.05 | -45.8% | Listicles in guides |
| brill.com | 2.33 | 1.26 | -45.8% | |
| aldi.co.uk | 4.75 | 2.62 | -44.8% | Only in subdomain |
| channel5.com | 4.11 | 2.30 | -44.1% | Possible geoIP block |
| icmbooksdirect.co.uk | 1.85 | 1.05 | -43.4% | |
| bleacherreport.com | 18.39 | 10.46 | -43.1% | Syndactated content. AMP. |
| capterra.co.uk | 7.14 | 4.14 | -42.0% | Losses in info library |
| wallstreetmojo.com | 8.66 | 5.04 | -41.8% | Financial knowledgebase losses |
| smule.com | 6.33 | 3.71 | -41.3% | Lyrics |
| canon-europe.com | 1.88 | 1.11 | -41.0% | |
| threadheads.co.uk | 2.10 | 1.25 | -40.6% | T-Shirt site. Losses after strong growth. |
| wowcher.co.uk | 2.76 | 1.65 | -40.0% | Domain-wide losses |
| savemyexams.com | 2.25 | 1.37 | -39.2% | |
| data.gov.uk | 4.91 | 2.99 | -39.1% | Coronavirus topic-related losses |
| rugbyworldcup.com | 2.01 | 1.22 | -39.0% | Potentially out of QDF |
| harddiskdirect.co.uk | 2.63 | 1.62 | -38.3% | losses after quick gains |
| lloydspharmacy.com | 14.29 | 8.88 | -37.8% | Big losses in blogs (informative) |
The example above shows a clutch of small, but established, fashion-related domains rising.
User generated content platforms see gains
Reddit.com has been rising for a few months in the USA. Since the Reviews update started, however, very large gains have been seen in UK search visibility. The domain is gaining in other countries too.
Reddit is an topic-organised posting platform, unlike many of the social networks which use a site architecture focused on usernames and groups. It’s not alone.
Closely related platforms include Quora and Medium, who’s visibility has also risen:
Large established forums have also seen rises:
Smaller forums too:
The newest among the large user content platforms is in the /advice directory under linkedin.com. The new collaborative articles project saw gains starting in March 2023 but has currently reversed its upward trend.
Movements among the Top 100 domains
Here are the Top 20 winners among the top 100 most visible domains in UK search.
| Top 100 Position | Domain | VI | Percentage change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 41 | reddit.com | 210.09 | 22.90% |
| 63 | quora.com | 116.94 | 15.90% |
| 80 | hopkinsmedicine.org | 91.32 | 11.10% |
| 66 | asos.com | 109.00 | 10.80% |
| 65 | goodreads.com | 114.39 | 10.70% |
| 71 | wayfair.co.uk | 105.32 | 10.60% |
| 47 | vocabulary.com | 169.75 | 9.20% |
| 86 | twinkl.co.uk | 75.31 | 9.10% |
| 96 | urbandictionary.com | 64.75 | 8.10% |
| 95 | hubspot.com | 65.12 | 7.70% |
| 14 | collinsdictionary.com | 530.31 | 6.50% |
| 6 | merriam-webster.com | 957.45 | 6.20% |
| 85 | nationalgeographic.com | 76.39 | 5.90% |
| 11 | fandom.com | 564.39 | 5.10% |
| 59 | forbes.com | 122.97 | 5% |
| 60 | cdc.gov | 120.27 | 4.60% |
| 39 | sciencedirect.com | 214.59 | 4.20% |
| 87 | telegraph.co.uk | 74.78 | 3.50% |
| 28 | healthline.com | 290.10 | 3.10% |
| 67 | oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com | 107.27 | 2.90% |
Reference (as is usual), informational and fashion domains dominate this list.
Among the top 100 domains, here are the losses
| Top 100 Position | Domain | VI | Percentage change |
| 58 | autotrader.co.uk | 124.08 | -5% |
| 90 | marksandspencer.com | 71.89 | -5% |
| 17 | dictionary.com | 413.15 | -6% |
| 76 | nytimes.com | 97.03 | -6% |
| 89 | tiktok.com | 72.05 | -6% |
| 100 | tvtropes.org | 63.54 | -6% |
| 30 | theguardian.com | 273.53 | -7% |
| 45 | next.co.uk | 181.42 | -7% |
| 46 | diy.com | 177.98 | -7% |
| 73 | last.fm | 101.11 | -8% |
| 82 | dailymail.co.uk | 80.86 | -8% |
| 48 | independent.co.uk | 165.67 | -9% |
| 92 | dunelm.com | 69.82 | -9% |
| 40 | bbc.co.uk | 210.58 | -10% |
| 74 | [adult] | 97.41 | -10% |
| 52 | thesaurus.com | 143.27 | -11% |
| 83 | netflix.com | 80.24 | -11% |
| 32 | company-information.service.gov.uk | 260.88 | -16% |
| 94 | bandcamp.com | 67.02 | -16% |
| 70 | google.co.uk | 105.33 | -20% |
News media appears along with ecommerce in the losers among the Top 100.
