WordPress Site Owners Now Get Update Notices From Google In Addition to WordPress

If there’s one thing anyone running their own site dreads, it’s the possibility of getting hacked. In fact, it’s one of the biggest reasons some people have been hesitant to start their own blog. But for WordPress users, there’s a relatively easy fix. Taking advantage of WordPress updates is one of the best ways a site owner can keep their site secure. WordPress often fixes security flaws in their updates, so running the most current version is crucial. And now, Google is getting in on the act to make sure users update their sites.

It was just a few weeks ago that WordPress upgraded to version 4.7.2, and the majority of site owners took advantage. WordPress later reveled this updated fixed a pretty serious vulnerability, and they delayed making that announcement to prevent people from abusing that flaw. While users do receive notification from WordPress about these updates, they’ll also get word now from Google.

Google recently sent out to sites running WordPress versions 4.7 and 4.7.1, warning them of the dangers of not updating, and even giving users an option to check for hacked content. It’s worth mentioning though that there is a little bit of a lag, at least. One user reported getting the notice from Google when they had indeed already updated their site the day it was released.

This isn’t the first time Google has tried to warn WordPress users about the importance of updates. Google sent warnings last month to some users, but it was for sites running very old versions of WordPress – some that hadn’t been updated in years.

If your site gets a notice from Google about updating WordPress, it’s a good idea to check your site to be sure, even if you think you’ve already update and even if you have automatic updates turned on. Updates don’t always install correctly, and after a security breach is a bad time to find out you were running an old version of the software – especially if your blog is a source of income.

Having a compromised site is a quick ticket to disappearing from Google rankings, which can be death for a small site. So make sure you’re staying on top of those updates!