Google updated its core updates documentation with new information about how the search engine continually adjusts its algorithms.
The update adds a section explaining that Google makes ongoing updates, including smaller core updates, and these changes can affect website rankings at any time.
What’s New
The documentation changelog describes the addition as follows:
“Added information to the core updates documentation about how Google continually makes updates to our search algorithms (including smaller core updates), and how that can affect your website.”
Google stated the purpose of the change:
“To clarify that site owners that make content improvements can see a rise in position in Google Search results without having to wait for the next major core update.”
Google first mentioned smaller core updates in a 2019 blog post titled “What site owners should know about Google’s core updates”, but this is the first time the concept has been spelled out in the core updates documentation itself.
Why This Matters
Google’s documentation change confirms ranking changes can happen between the major announced updates. If you make content improvements, those changes can affect your rankings without waiting months for Google to announce another core update.
The timing matters. Google has released only two core updates in 2025 so far: the March core update and the June core update, despite suggestions that more frequent core updates would come.
With gaps of three to four months between named updates, the confirmation that smaller updates happen on an ongoing basis gives sites more reason to make improvements immediately rather than waiting.
For sites that were affected by previous updates and have since made changes, this documentation clarifies that the path to recovery doesn’t require a named update to roll out.
Looking Ahead
The core updates documentation now explicitly states that some ranking changes can take effect within days, while others may take several months for Google’s systems to confirm that a site is producing helpful content long-term.
Websites that are tracking recovery efforts should continue monitoring Search Console data rather than waiting for specific update announcements. The documentation maintains that there’s no guarantee improvements will result in ranking changes, but the window for those changes to occur is broader than the named update schedule alone.
Featured Image: Around the World Photos/Shutterstock
