Google March 2023 Core Update: Site Audit Notes
Google’s March 2023 Core Update began rolling out on March 15 and finished on March 28, taking the full 13 days Google estimated. It was the first broad core update of 2023 and the largest since the September 2022 core update. Three weeks after rollout completion, the data has settled enough to draw conclusions. Here is what we observed across our portfolio and how to audit your site if your traffic dropped.
What did the March 2023 Core Update target?
Google described the March update with the standard core update language: “we make significant, broad changes to our search algorithms and systems with the goal of ensuring we surface relevant and authoritative content.”
In other words: no specific target. Core updates re-evaluate the broad signals Google uses to rank pages. The criteria are the same E-E-A-T factors that have been the focus since 2018, but each update rebalances how those factors interact.
A direct answer: The March 2023 Core Update is a standard broad core update that re-evaluated Google’s relevance, expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness signals across the entire index. Like prior core updates, it did not target a single niche or content type — it changed how the same signals are weighted.
What did we observe across our portfolio?
In our portfolio of approximately 200 small business and local service sites, the March 2023 update was less dramatic than September 2022 but more significant than the October 2022 update.
The winners:
- Sites with clear authorship and stated expertise pages
- Sites with strong E-E-A-T signals (real author bios, real reviews, real credentials)
- Sites with content that demonstrated first-hand experience
- Local service sites with strong Google Business Profile signals and consistent NAP
The losers:
- Affiliate sites with thin product comparisons
- Sites with high volumes of programmatic location pages
- Content that summarized other sources without adding new value
- Sites with anonymous or generic authorship
Median traffic change across the portfolio was +3%. The variance was wide: the most-helped site gained 47%; the most-hit lost 34%. Both extremes had clear E-E-A-T patterns predicting the direction.
Who got hit hardest?
Two categories stood out.
Affiliate review sites: especially in product categories where the September 2022 product reviews update had already raised the bar. Sites that had not added first-hand testing, original photos, or genuine recommendations gave back gains from October.
Programmatic location pages: the “service in [city]” template pattern. Sites with 50+ location pages that share 80%+ of their content saw the worst declines. This is consistent with the Helpful Content Update’s sitewide quality signal still being active and weighted in core updates.
How is this different from a Helpful Content Update?
The Helpful Content Update introduced a sitewide signal in August 2022 and ran its first refresh in December 2022. Core updates re-evaluate page-level relevance and authority signals. They can run concurrently and reinforce each other, but the mechanisms are different.
A direct answer: A core update re-evaluates the algorithm’s broad ranking factors across the entire index, affecting individual pages based on their own signals. The Helpful Content Update is a sitewide quality classifier that can suppress a domain regardless of individual page quality. They use different signals and require different recovery strategies.
What should you check if your traffic dropped?
Open Google Search Console. Compare March 14 (pre-update) to April 2 (post-update) for clicks and impressions. Look for:
- Pages that lost the most clicks: these are the most relevant for recovery
- Queries that dropped significantly: what intent are you no longer matching?
- Position changes: did you drop from page 1 to page 2 broadly, or did you lose specific queries?
Then cross-reference with the Helpful Content Update review: are large portions of your site unhelpful, templated, or written primarily for search? If yes, the core update may have amplified an existing sitewide issue.
How do you audit for E-E-A-T?
E-E-A-T stands for Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trust. The “Experience” added in late 2022 explicitly evaluates whether content demonstrates first-hand experience with the topic.
The audit questions:
- Does the page have a named author with verifiable credentials?
- Does the content reference first-hand experience, original research, or specific examples?
- Does the site have a clear About page, contact information, and editorial standards?
- Are there reviews, testimonials, or external mentions that validate authority?
- Is the content factually accurate against authoritative sources?
- Does the site have HTTPS, clear privacy policies, and reasonable user trust signals?
Pages that score weakly on these signals are more vulnerable in core updates.
What about recovery timing?
Recovery from a core update is not a fast process. Google’s guidance has been consistent for years: improve the underlying quality, wait for the next significant update, and expect rankings to re-evaluate then.
In our portfolio, sites that made substantive changes after the September 2022 update typically saw partial recovery in the March 2023 update — about six months later. That cadence is consistent with prior cycles.
Should you make changes during a rollout?
No. Wait until the rollout finishes (Google announces completion in the @SearchLiaison Twitter account and in Search Status). Making changes during a rollout makes attribution impossible: you cannot tell whether ranking changes are from your edits or from the algorithm settling.
A direct answer: Wait until a core update finishes rolling out before making major site changes. Once the rollout is complete, audit your traffic data, identify the affected pages, and plan systematic improvements rather than reactive edits.
What does Google’s official guidance say?
Google’s core updates documentation emphasizes that sites hit by core updates may not have done anything specifically wrong. The algorithm is re-evaluating, and the same content may rank differently because other content is now being valued more highly.
The recommended actions:
- Continue focusing on creating high-quality, helpful content
- Improve E-E-A-T signals across the site
- Address any specific patterns identified in the affected pages
- Wait for the next significant update to see the effect of changes
What is the right recovery plan?
For a site hit by the March 2023 update:
- Inventory the pages that lost traffic, sorted by impact
- Identify the patterns (thin content, weak authorship, templated structure)
- Decide whether to improve or consolidate the affected pages
- Add first-hand expertise, original research, real examples, and clear authorship
- Strengthen E-E-A-T signals across the site (About page, author bios, editorial standards)
- Wait for the next update or Helpful Content refresh to see results
For help with technical SEO audits or content quality improvements, see our SEO services or browse Frostbite locations.
Where can I read more?
Google Search Central’s March 2023 Core Update announcement and the Search Engine Journal coverage are the two most useful sources.
FAQs
How long did the March 2023 Core Update take?
The rollout ran from March 15 to March 28, taking 13 days — within Google’s announced window.
Did the update target a specific industry?
No. Core updates re-evaluate broad ranking signals across the entire index, not specific niches.
How long until I see recovery?
For most sites that make substantive quality improvements, recovery shows in the next core update — typically three to six months later.
Should I disavow links after a core update?
Only if you have documented manipulative link patterns. Core updates are not about links specifically.
Is this related to the Helpful Content Update?
They are separate systems but reinforce each other. A site that scores poorly on the Helpful Content classifier is more vulnerable in core updates.
The March 2023 Core Update was a meaningful re-evaluation but not a dramatic one for most legitimate small businesses. If you want a hand auditing your site, request a Frostbite SEO snapshot.
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