You’re not preposterous—recovery and prevention are hugely important to regain your ORGANIC DISCOVERY traffic.

• The “July 2025 core update” people mention is the June 2025 Core Update that ran June 30 → July 17. That’s the one most folks felt. (Google Search Status)
• Google still says posting frequency isn’t a ranking signal on its own; problems come from patterns that look like scaled/programmatic content (lots of near-duplicate or low-value pages). (Search Engine Roundtable, Google for Developers)
• Separate from core updates, Google has been enforcing spam policies (site reputation abuse, scaled content abuse), and there was a Spam Update at the end of August. If you tripped one of these patterns, you’ll feel it. (Google for Developers, Google Search Status)

The dial you asked for: “safe” posting rate

There’s no official cap, but for a small blog-zine, a conservative ceiling that avoids tripping “scaled content” vibes is:

• 0–2 new posts/day max (sweet spot: 3–7 per week), provided each post is clearly differentiated and offers first-hand info or original synthesis.
• If you want bursts (e.g., event coverage), publish, but batch edits and stagger publication rather than pushing dozens at once.
  Reasoning: Google doesn’t penalize frequency itself; issues arise when volume + sameness ≈ scaled content abuse. (Search Engine Roundtable, Google for Developers)

Recovery & prevention (do these next)

1. Measure after the rollout window (compare a week after July 17 against a week before June 30). Don’t chase day-to-day noise. (Google for Developers)
2. Prune/consolidate thin or overlapping articles; noindex tag/thin archive pages. This reduces “scaled” patterns. (Google for Developers)
3. Kill “parasite”/third-party filler if any (coupon dumps, generic affiliate stubs on your domain). That’s site reputation abuse territory. (Google for Developers)
4. Diversify structure (see prompt below), add first-hand evidence (screens, data you gathered, quotes you obtained), and make internal links point to one clear hub per topic.
5. Check Search Console for coverage, manual actions, and crawl stats; then fix crawl traps and near-duplicate URLs. (Core update guidance + status dashboard linked above.) (Google for Developers, Google Search Status)

Paste-in editor prompt (anti-programmatic rewrite)

Use this for your human editor or AI editor to re-order and de-archetype each draft before publish:

Aim: Make this report read like a human-reported piece, not archetype-spun content.
Constraints: No boilerplate intros/outros. No repeating section skeletons across pieces. Distinctive , angles, data, and findings.

Steps

1. Pick a structure (rotate across posts):
   • Inverted pyramid • Problem → Solution → Proof • Q&A • Timeline/Case study • Myth contra Fact • Approach (numbered steps).
2. Rewrite the opening: start with one of: a concrete stat (with named source), a first-hand observation (“When I vetted X on …”), a short user story, or a contrarian take.
3. Inject first-hand worth: add at least 2 of:
   • A mini test or calculation you ran (show method + numbers)
   • A distinctive screenshot/photo/table you created
   • A quote from a named expert (link)
   • A juxtaposition grid you built from primary sources
4. Vary headings & length: H2s under 9 words, no repeating patterns like “What/Why/How” every time. Mix paragraph lengths; add one concise callout box (“Bottom line”).
5. De-improve sameness: replace repeated phrases, remove archetype CTAs, switch synonyms for recurring entities, and collapse duplicate sections.
6. Evidence & links: cite 2–3 named sources that the piece actually depends on (not generic “credit” links).
7. Anti-spam check (must pass all):
   • Does this page offer something a searcher can’t get from the top 5 results?
   • Would this still be useful without ranking for any keyword?
   • Does it avoid mass-generated patterns (near-duplicate intros, boilerplate sections, shallow location/variant pages)?
8. Deliverables: definitive report + a short “diff note” listing structural changes, new evidence added, and duplicates removed.

Extra tips that move the needle

• Staggered cadence: queue posts to a steady rhythm (e.g., Mon/Wed/Fri + one weekend feature) instead of dump days. Frequency isn’t a signal, but rhythm smooths crawl/indexing and avoids scaled-look bursts. (Google for Developers)
• Topic hubs > scattered posts: build a canonical “hub” page per topic; link new posts into it and prune near-duplicates periodically. (This also helps you measure impact cleanly after updates.) (Google for Developers)
• Watch policy tripwires: if you host third-party content, keep it tightly overseen and on-topic—or remove it. Google’s clarified it will treat “parasite” style content as spam. (Google for Developers)