Traffic Drop? Don’t Blame the Ads — It Might Be the Google Core Update

You open your analytics and notice something’s off: your site traffic is declining. Organic search is down, and the reason isn’t clear. Your content is intact, the site structure hasn’t changed, and your SEO agency is still in place.

At this point, many start searching for internal causes. Could it be the ads? Maybe the format is disrupting the user experience? Or did the algorithm simply “get something wrong”?

But more often than not, it’s not about banners or ad formats.
It’s that Google has changed something again.

We’re talking about a Google Core Update — a broad algorithm update that can affect rankings even for the most stable and well-optimized websites.
No warnings. No explanations.

What is a Core Update and Why Does It Matter?

Google isn’t just a link directory. It’s a system that aims to understand what a user is truly looking for. Not just “buy a ticket,” but “attend a concert without scams or unnecessary steps.” Not just “news,” but “a reliable source with up-to-date information.”

To better interpret user intent, Google’s algorithms are regularly updated.

A Core Update is essentially a large-scale recalibration. It doesn’t penalize — it reorders priorities to ensure that genuinely helpful content ranks higher.

And yes, even high-quality sites can temporarily lose their rankings — not because they’ve become worse, but because the ranking logic has shifted, typically affecting:

• assessments of content usefulness;
• behavioral signals (e.g., time spent on page);
• technical site performance;
• source authority and trustworthiness.

The main objective of these updates is to deliver better results that leave users more satisfied. That’s why Google updates the rules several times a year, adjusting how it evaluates websites.

Why the Effects Aren’t Always Immediate

It’s important to know: algorithm updates don’t roll out globally all at once. They’re deployed in phases—perhaps starting in Europe, then Latin America, then MENA, and so on. Some regions see changes faster, others more slowly. That’s why one site might feel the impact on the day of release, and another—a week or even a month later.

Also, the effects aren’t always obvious: in some niches, traffic may grow; in others—it may drop; and in most—it stays stable. In addition, updates are often followed by a rollback, when the algorithm re-evaluates some of its initial decisions.

The key takeaway—don’t panic and don’t rush into mass site overhauls or ad deactivations.

It’s important to understand: Google doesn’t punish websites. But historically, publisher interests have never been Google’s top priority.

Google’s order of priorities is:

1. The user
2. The advertiser
3. Only then—content platforms

And with each update, Google’s approach to content evolves: today, it might favor expertise; tomorrow—site speed; the next day—originality.

Which Ad Formats Can Actually Cause Harm

To be clear, Google is not against advertising — in fact, it supports it (DSPs have long accused it of monopolistic behavior). What it is against is bad advertising that gets in the way of the user experience.

The algorithm reacts negatively when ad formats:

• overwhelm the page;
• block core content;
• disrupt navigation;
• create user frustration.

Examples of formats that can be problematic:

• Full-screen pop-ups that appear without warning and cover the entire page. You came to read, and instead got trapped.
• Auto-playing videos with sound, especially at the top—they startle and annoy users. You just want to close the page and leave.
• Ads with no visible close button, or one that’s too hard to find. A banner and a scavenger hunt all in one.
• A cluttered top section, filled with ads so heavily that it’s unclear where the actual content begins.
• Buttons or elements disguised as system messages. You click—and end up somewhere unexpected.

Google assesses not just whether there’s advertising, but how it’s integrated into the page and how it affects the user. If it interferes, there can be consequences.

You can find more in Google’s official guidance: Better Ads Standards and Google Search Central: Page Experience Update. 

What Ad Formats Are Considered Safe?

“Safe” advertising formats, in Google’s view, are those that:

• don’t interfere with content consumption;
• don’t mislead or confuse;
• can be easily closed or controlled by the user.

Examples include:

• Non-intrusive banners;
• Click-to-play videos;
• AdWall-style formats, where content is unlocked after a short, transparent interaction—no tricks, aggression, or technical manipulation.

Following the Coalition for Better Ads guidelines is a good starting point for any publisher looking to monetize a site without sacrificing trust—either with users or search engines.

What If the Ads Are Fine, but Traffic Still Dropped?

Then it’s almost certainly due to the algorithm — especially if:

• the drop occurred at the end of the month (when updates are often released);
• only some pages or categories were affected;
• user engagement metrics (like time on page or bounce rate) remained unchanged, but rankings declined.

In such a case, don’t panic or start disabling everything. Instead:

• Check whether there was an update — on Google’s official blog;
• Analyze which pages were affected, and what keywords they lost;
• Look at competitor sites — they may show similar patterns;
• Wait 1–2 weeks. Rollbacks are common after updates as the algorithm fine-tunes its decisions.

Can You Prepare for a Google Core Update?

You can’t predict exactly what will change in the next update—Google doesn’t share those details.
But you can prepare. No update overrides the core principles of content quality. And those—not temporary traffic dips—determine how long your site stays competitive.

Check:

• Is your content unique and relevant? It shouldn’t exist “just in case”— it should have a clear purpose and provide value.
• Are authors clearly identified? Do they have bios, source links — not just tags and a publication date?
• Does your site load quickly, especially on mobile? Google pays just as much attention to this as users do.
• Does your ad setup let users access and consume the content without frustration? It’s not about whether ads are present, but whether they prevent access to the main material.

Check all of this — not out of fear of updates, but because this is how trust is built.

The Main Thing: Don’t Jump to Conclusions

At Membrana Media, we continuously monitor website performance, and in most cases, ad formats that follow Google’s quality standards (including the ones we offer) do not negatively impact traffic.

If any change does occur, it typically aligns with a Core Update and involves much broader factors than just the presence of ad scripts on a page.

If you’ve noticed a traffic decline and want to understand why, we’re here to help with an audit. No assumptions. Just data.