Google’s 2024 Algorithm Updates: What Coworking Space Operators Need to Know

As a coworking space operator, staying on top of Google’s algorithm updates is crucial for maintaining your digital visibility and attracting potential members. In 2024, Google launched seven major algorithmic updates that significantly impacted how coworking spaces appear in search results. Let’s break down what these changes mean for your space’s online presence.

The Year in Numbers: 4 Core Updates and 2 Spam Updates

Four Pivotal Core Updates That Shaped Coworking SEO

March 2024 Core Update: The Game-Changer

The March update was Google’s largest core update in history, running from March 5 to April 19. For coworking spaces, this update emphasized the importance of original, high-quality content. Many spaces that relied on generic workspace descriptions saw significant drops in rankings, while those with detailed, location-specific content thrived.

Practical Example: Coworking spaces that included human-written neighborhood guides, local business ecosystem information, and authentic member testimonials saw up to 45% better visibility compared to those using templated content. Google needs something authentic to differentiate you as the local small business expert rather than the AI content recycling man.

August 2024 Core Update: A Win for Independent Spaces

Rolling out from August 15 to September 3, this update particularly benefited smaller, independent coworking operators. It addressed concerns about the previous year’s helpful content update that had unfairly impacted independent businesses. Many boutique coworking spaces that had struggled with visibility against large chains saw improved rankings.

Actionable Tip: Focus on highlighting your space’s unique community aspects and local partnerships. Generally, the correct approach is unique and specific information instead of generic and universally applicable information. Write about your unique events, your unique memberships, and your unique neighborhood, rather than whatever buzzwords ChatGPT will spin out about “discovering a better way to work… where innovation meets productivity.” (LAME)

November 2024 Core Update: Quality Over Quantity

Running from November 11 to December 5, this update reinforced Google’s emphasis on genuine utility over SEO manipulation. Coworking spaces that demonstrated real value through detailed amenity pages, transparent pricing, and authentic member success stories maintained or improved their rankings.

Practical Example: Put your pricing upfront on your website. Many operators are afraid to do so because either they are more expensive than other options, or they feel like they have to maintain consistency later on in negotiation with whatever price was on the site. Regarding the first point, putting the price on your website will help your SEO by improving user engagement, and it will also make sure that more of the leads that contact you are actually qualified. That’s a win-win! On the second point, put the magic words “starting at” before every price, so that you remain consistent despite pricing changes and custom agreements.

December 2024 Core Update: The Year-End Surprise

The final core update (December 12-18) focused on improving different core systems. For coworking operators, this meant a stronger emphasis on local search signals and mobile user experience.

Practical Example: Add a “neighborhood highlights” section to your website where you specifically name drop every single point of interest in a 5-mile radius. This is like saying your dog’s favorite words to Google. Every item it sees, its ears perk up like crazy and it shows you in more local results.

Three Critical Spam Updates: Protecting Your Space’s Reputation

March 2024 Spam Update

Coinciding with the core update, this 14-day update targeted artificial content and fake reviews. For coworking spaces, this meant ensuring all member testimonials were genuine and properly attributed.

Practical Example: Use a Google Review widget to automatically show 4- and 5-star reviews from your Google Business Profile(s) on your website. We recommend using Flex Engine to easily customize, style, and showcase reviews from all platforms in 1-click!

June 2024 Spam Update

Running from June 20-27, this update focused on general spam practices. Coworking spaces using aggressive link-building tactics or duplicate location pages saw negative impacts.

Practical Example: Use Semrush to audit your backlinks and disavow any potentially toxic backlinks!

December 2024 Spam Update

The final spam update of the year was particularly impactful for multi-location coworking brands, emphasizing the need for unique content for each location.

Practical Example: Use AI to rewrite human-written, SEO-optimized content for each location page. You essentially want to use AI like a spintax tool. It will require more time to see, but we hypothesize that this will be better in the future than the old meta, which was simply changing the city names, but re-using the rest of the page content across each location page.

Other Significant Changes Affecting Coworking SEO

Key Policy and Feature Updates

Site Reputation Abuse Policy (May): Affected coworking and flexible workspace sites using manipulative cross-linking strategies
AI Overviews Launch: Introduced new opportunities for coworking spaces to appear in AI-generated local business summaries
Deepfake Algorithm (July): Important for verifying authenticity of member testimonials
Site Section Consistency Check (October): Critical for multi-page coworking websites maintaining consistent quality across amenities, pricing, and community pages

Notable Technical Issues

Several search bugs throughout 2024 affected indexing and rankings:

January-February weekend indexing fluctuations
August ranking volatility
June and July fresh content indexing issues
December indexing disruptions

What This Means for Your Coworking Space

To maintain and improve your search visibility in 2025:

Create unique, detailed pages for each aspect of your space (amenities, community, events)
Ensure consistent quality across all website sections
Focus on authentic local content and genuine member testimonials
Maintain mobile-friendly design and fast loading speeds
Regularly audit your backlink profile and remove any spammy links

Grow Your Coworking Space with Expert SEO Support

At Coworking SEO, we understand the unique challenges coworking spaces face online. Our services are designed to help you stand out and attract the right members by: