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Yeah, a lot of sites got hit around that timeframe, so you’re definitely not alone in seeing sharp drops after a core update.
A 50%+ drop usually isn’t caused by one small thing like a handful of listicles. Those could contribute if they’re thin, repetitive, or clearly “SEO-first,” but core updates tend to reassess site-level quality and topical authority more broadly.
What I’d look at first:
whether the pages that dropped were already borderline in intent match or depth, if competitors gained more comprehensive or updated content, and whether your strongest pages lost rankings or just lost CTR due to SERP changes.Also check if the traffic loss is concentrated in certain content types or sections. That usually tells you more than overall numbers.
If the “self-serving listicles” are low-value compared to your main content, they might be part of a quality signal issue, but they’re rarely the sole cause of a sitewide drop.
Core updates tend to amplify existing weaknesses rather than create new ones.
