Google Announces March 2026 Core Update: What SMBs Need to Know

Google has officially confirmed that a broad core algorithm update will begin rolling out in early March 2026. The announcement, made through the Google Search Central blog, indicates the update will take approximately two weeks to fully deploy.

What Is a Core Update?

Core updates are significant, broad changes to Google’s search algorithms and systems. Unlike targeted updates that address specific issues like spam or link quality, core updates re-evaluate how Google assesses content overall. That means pages that were previously ranking well may shift positions — and pages that were underperforming may see improvements.

Google’s guidance has been consistent: core updates reward content that provides genuine value to users. There is no specific “fix” for a core update — the goal is to produce the best content you can for your audience.

What This Update Targets

While Google rarely provides granular details about what a core update changes, early signals from the search community point to a few areas of focus:

Content depth and first-hand experience. Google continues to lean into its E-E-A-T framework (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness). Content written by people with real experience in a topic is expected to benefit. Thin, AI-generated content that lacks original insight is likely to see declines.

Local relevance signals. Several SEO analysts have noted that Google appears to be strengthening how local intent is interpreted in search results. For small businesses that serve a specific geographic area, this could be a net positive — provided your site clearly communicates your location and service area.

Page experience consistency. Sites with inconsistent performance across pages (for example, a fast homepage but slow blog posts) may be evaluated more holistically. Google wants the entire site experience to meet a baseline quality standard.

How Small Businesses Should Respond

Here is what you should do:

Audit your content for depth and accuracy. Read through your top-performing pages and ask: does this genuinely help someone? Is the information current? Would a real customer find this useful? Update anything that feels thin or outdated.

Check your Google Business Profile. If local relevance signals are getting a boost, make sure your profile is complete, accurate, and active. Post regularly, respond to reviews, and keep your hours and contact information up to date.

Review your site performance. Run your site through Google PageSpeed Insights and address any pages that fall below a 90 score on mobile. Core Web Vitals remain a ranking factor, and this update may weigh them more heavily across your entire site rather than page by page.

Monitor your rankings, but give it time. Use Semrush or Google Search Console to track your keyword positions over the next few weeks. Fluctuations during the rollout period are normal. Wait until the update is fully deployed before drawing conclusions or making major changes.

Focus on your customers, not the algorithm. The businesses that consistently do well through core updates are the ones that prioritize creating genuinely helpful content and providing a good user experience. That has not changed.

The Bottom Line

Core updates can feel unsettling, especially for small businesses that rely on organic search traffic. But the fundamental strategy remains the same: create useful, accurate content that serves your audience, maintain a technically sound website, and build your online reputation through real customer relationships.

If this update drives more traffic to your site, make sure you have a system in place to capture and follow up with new leads. SMBcrm is designed to help small businesses manage their pipeline without the complexity of enterprise CRM tools.

We will update this article as more data emerges during and after the rollout.