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Google Algorithm Updates in 2022: Winners and Losers

WireByte Staff · August 1, 2026

Google's 2022 algorithm updates saw significant changes in page rankings, with video and commerce sites benefiting and reference and news sites losing out. The 'helpful content' update aimed to favor human-written content over AI-generated articles. The updates led to a 48-hour data outage and volatility in page rankings.

Key points

  • Google released nine confirmed algorithm updates in 2022, including two core updates.
  • Video and commerce sites were the biggest winners in the May core update.
  • Reference and news sites lost out most, especially those without industry specificity.
  • The 'helpful content' update aimed to favor human-written content over AI-generated articles.
  • The updates led to a 48-hour data outage and volatility in page rankings.

Google's 2022 algorithm updates had a significant impact on the online marketing landscape. The updates, which included two core updates, led to changes in page rankings that benefited video and commerce sites. However, reference and news sites suffered, particularly those without industry specificity.

The 'helpful content' update aimed to favor human-written content over AI-generated articles. This move was intended to combat the rise of AI for content creation, which has become a hot topic in the marketing software world.

The updates also led to a 48-hour data outage, causing chaos for some businesses. While the impact of the updates is still being felt, it remains to be seen whether the 'helpful content' update has been successful in achieving its goals.

As the online marketing landscape continues to evolve, it will be interesting to see how Google's algorithm updates shape the industry in the years to come.

Sources

WireByte Staff — Editorial Team

The WireByte editorial team synthesises technology news from multiple primary sources, verifies the facts, and links every source. Articles are produced with AI assistance and reviewed under our editorial policy.