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Ranking and traffic movement during a Google core update rollout should not be treated as the final baseline.
Google's May 2026 core update has officially finished rolling out, and here's what we know so far.
5 Flash in all of their AI-powered search features. And during this update rollout, every industry saw an impact, but it was finance, online communities, and reference sites that saw the biggest impact.
So while we don't know what has changed yet, we do know that Google was upgrading their AI Search features at the same time as this update. I don't think that's a coincidence in terms of what this means for your site.
We saw some major volatility in search results during this rollout, and it is so important that you get that your ranking and traffic changes during this period do not mean anything. Your new baseline should start from today, June 3rd.
Wait at least a week, then you can compare your rankings, visibility, and traffic to before the 21st May to see the impact. Watch this space.
Ranking and traffic movement during a Google core update rollout should not be treated as the final baseline.
After a core update finishes, wait before comparing rankings, visibility, and traffic against the pre-update period so temporary rollout volatility does not drive the wrong decision.
This source is connected to Core Update Analysis.
Your new baseline should start from today, June 3rd. Wait at least a week, then you can compare your rankings, visibility, and traffic to before the 21st May to see the impact.