June 2021 Core Update
First part of a two-stage core update: Google announces that some improvements were not ready, so a second part would follow in July.
Key points
- The first part of a core update announced in two stages.
- Google warns that some improvements were not ready, a second part will follow in July.
- Partial re-rankings in June, to be reassessed after the July part.
- Analysis not to be locked in before the end of both rollouts.
Analysis
The June 2021 core update has a particularity: Google announces from the outset that it is incomplete and that a second part will come in July, for lack of having all the components ready. This creates a situation where the effects observed in June are provisional and may be modified a few weeks later.
For publishers, this configuration requires caution: a decline or a rise in June does not constitute a definitive verdict. The good practice is to wait for stabilization after the July part before undertaking major corrective actions.
What to do
- Consider the June movements as provisional while awaiting the July part.
- Document positions before, during and after the two parts for a reliable analysis.
- Postpone heavy corrective decisions until the post-July stabilization.
Partial reshuffling in June, to be re-evaluated after the July part. Analysis should not be locked in before both rollouts finish.