Google's March 2023 Core Update has completed its rollout, and the results are clear: websites with high-quality, original, helpful content have been rewarded, while those relying on thin or AI-generated content have seen significant drops in rankings. This update reinforces Google's commitment to rewarding genuinely helpful content.
What the March 2023 Core Update Changed
Core updates are broad changes to Google's ranking algorithms, not targeted penalties. The March 2023 update continued the trend established by the Helpful Content Update: rewarding content that demonstrates expertise, experience, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness (E-E-A-T). Sites with thin content, duplicate or near-duplicate pages, excessive automation, or content that does not satisfy user intent saw ranking declines.
Winners and Losers
Winners include sites with original research and data, expert-authored content with clear bylines, comprehensive guides that fully answer user questions, and websites with strong brand recognition and trust signals. Losers include sites with AI-generated content without human review, thin affiliate pages with little original value, content farms with mass-produced articles, and sites that changed publishing dates without updating content.
Recovery Strategy
If your site was negatively impacted, recovery requires a content audit. Identify thin or low-quality pages and either improve or remove them. Add original value — data, insights, examples, and expert perspectives. Ensure content fully satisfies user intent. Build E-E-A-T signals through author bios, citations, and external authority building.
Key Takeaways
- Quality content wins — thin and AI-generated content loses
- E-E-A-T signals are more important than ever
- Conduct a content audit and improve or remove thin pages
- Add original value through data, insights, and expert perspectives
- Recovery from core update impacts takes time — be patient