After six months:
– 78% were still down
– Only 22% showed real growth
– Full recoveries were nearly nonexistent
The biggest shift wasn’t technical or tactical.
Sites that improved:
– Deleted low-value content
– Tightened topical focus
– Proved experience instead of signaling it
– Accepted months of volatility
One important mindset change:
Recovery isn’t about getting old rankings back.
It’s about earning better ones.
That reframing alone prevents most bad decisions post-update.