Why Google Core Updates Cause Drops in Impressions and Clicks

When Google announces an update, panic spreads fast among SEOs, website owners, and bloggers. Rankings drop, traffic graphs go down, and people start sharing screenshots and stats on social media showing how the update affected them. In this blog, I’ll explain what you should do and what you should not do when a Google update rolls out.

Why Google updates create so much fear

The fear comes from uncertainty, not reality. Google rarely explains updates in detail. When rankings move, your brain fills the gaps with worst-case scenarios.

You see:

• a traffic drop
• a ranking shift
• a sudden change in Search Console

And it feels personal.

But most updates adjust signals, not entire websites.

| Google updates usually refine results. They don’t erase good websites.

Why impressions and clicks often drop during Google updates

One thing many people notice during updates is a sudden drop in impressions and clicks, even when rankings don’t move much. This can be confusing and alarming.

Here’s what’s usually happening.

During updates, Google tests different result layouts, intent matches, and ranking signals. Your page may still rank, but it may show less often, appear for fewer variations, or move slightly lower on the page.

That alone can reduce impressions and clicks temporarily.

A drop in impressions doesn’t always mean your content is bad. It often means Google is adjusting results.

In many cases, impressions stabilize once the update finishes and Google finalizes results.

Case study: A site that survived multiple core updates

During a recent core update, a content site lost about 12 percent of traffic in the first week. Panic set in. No major changes were made. Two weeks later, traffic recovered and even improved.

What happened?

The update reshuffled results temporarily. Google tested signals, then settled. The site stayed strong because it followed basic quality principles all along.

No emergency fixes. No rewrites. Just patience.

Read also: Fix Technical SEO issues with ChatGPT during core updates

What Google updates usually change

Most updates focus on:

• content quality signals
• intent matching
• trust and usefulness
• spam and shortcuts

They don’t target honest sites randomly. If your content helps users and answers real questions, updates usually pass without long-term damage.

Why small drops feel bigger than they are

A 10 percent drop feels huge when you check analytics daily. But over a month, it often smooths out.

Constant refreshing makes things worse.

| Watching rankings every hour makes normal fluctuations feel like disasters.

Important checks to run during a Google update

When an update hits, stay calm and check these first.

Check Search Console messages

Look for manual actions or indexing issues. If there are none, that’s a good sign.

Compare pages, not the whole site

See which pages dropped. Often it’s a few URLs, not everything.

Review intent, not keywords

Ask if the page still matches what users want. Updates often reward better intent matching.

Look at competitors who moved up

What are they doing better? Structure, depth, clarity, or freshness?

What you should not do during an update

• Don’t rewrite everything at once
• Don’t remove content in panic
• Don’t chase every ranking drop
• Don’t follow random advice online

These reactions cause more harm than the update itself.

Practical tips to stay steady during updates

• Keep publishing helpful content
• Improve clarity and structure, not volume
• Update outdated pages calmly
• Focus on real user value

| Steady improvement beats emergency fixes every time.

Final takeaway

Google updates feel scary because they are unpredictable, not because they destroy good sites. Most updates fine-tune search, not reset it. If your site is built on helpful content, clear intent, and trust, updates usually come and go with minor shifts.

The best strategy is boring but proven: stay useful, stay calm, and keep improving.