November 2023: a core update and a reviews update arrive before Black Friday
Covers November 2023. Part of our search timeline: a month-by-month look at the changes that shaped SEO, AI search, paid ads and social media, written in November 2026 for local businesses with the benefit of hindsight.
Quick answer: In the weeks before Black Friday 2023, Google rolled out both a core update and a reviews update. Businesses with a mix of marketing, such as paid search, email and strong product or service pages, coped with the ranking swings better than those that depended on organic search alone.
This post is one entry in our timeline series, where we go back through search, AI, advertising and social changes one month at a time to explain what they mean for local firms. We wrote it in November 2026, so we already know how things turned out. The timing was most painful for online shops, but the lesson applies to any trade with a busy season.
What did Google release in November 2023?
Google ran a broad core update and a reviews update that month, and the two rollouts overlapped. Google later said it would stop announcing reviews updates separately after this, because its review systems would now be improved on an ongoing basis.
Why the timing mattered
Peak trading is the worst time for rankings to jump around. For shops that meant Black Friday. For a heating engineer it is the first cold snap, for a landscaper it is spring, and for a removals firm it is the summer rush. The timing showed why a spread-out plan, with paid search ready to protect your most important services or products, is worth having.
How to plan for your busy season
- Spread your busy-season marketing across organic search, paid ads, email and social rather than relying on one channel.
- Have paid search campaigns ready for your best-earning services or products well before the rush.
- Avoid big website changes during your busiest weeks.
Frequently asked questions
Should I stop SEO work in my busy season?
Steer clear of risky jobs like site migrations, but carry on publishing and looking after your key pages.
How does paid search protect busy-season enquiries?
It keeps your most important services or products at the top of the results even when organic rankings shift.
Sources and further reading
Want help with this? We keep your rankings steady and your key pages strong through our local SEO service. Get in touch.
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