Did you hear the news? Did you see this? In November 2024, Google changed everything we knew about their search algorithm, everybody run and hide! No, no, no. Stay calm. Walk West’s very own Vice President of Client Services, Cate Gallagher, is not only a sharp account and brand manager but also the in-house SEO and all-things-digital expert on the team. She’s got everything you need to stay one step ahead of Google’s tricks.
What is a Google Core Update and Do I Need to Panic?
A Google core update is a change to Google’s search engine algorithm. These updates are geared at showing the best possible search results to users. Google wants its search results to be relevant and useful so it can continue to be a trusted source of information.
The rollouts generally take place over the course of a couple of weeks. It’s important to remember that you may see changes in traffic over those weeks but it usually stabilizes. Don’t be reactive or worried until you get a bigger picture. Most websites don’t see a significant change. However, if you do see a drop in site traffic that stays down even after an update, it is clear that action needs to be taken. Focusing on content and user engagement metrics are the best places to start in order to get your traffic back.
What Was the Focus of the Most Recent Update?
While Google never describes in detail what is happening with each core update, we know the gist. In November, Google focused on establishing content quality and relevance, as well as user experience. Google not only wants to show the best content to users but also wants them to have a good experience on the sites they visit. With the transition to a focus on user engagement metrics, items like page speed, mobile friendliness, and general usability are more important than ever.
Google likes to promote what they call E-E-A-T principles. This refers to Expertise, Experience, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness. The most recent update helps the Google algorithm identify sites and content that clearly aligns with those principles.
What Was the Impact of the Most Recent Update?
There was some volatility while the update was being implemented, but most sites have leveled back out. In general, there was not a massive impact, but there are some key trends:
E-commerce Sites
It has been reported that many e-commerce sites were impacted negatively. The biggest issue was found in poor-quality descriptions. If you are trying to sell something online, make sure you spend time updating descriptions and related content so Google knows you are a reliable option for shoppers.
News and Media Sites
Over the course of the year, we have seen that many news sites that have content developed as clickbait are now hurting in rankings. Google can identify this content now; there is no fooling the system with keyword stuffing or sensationalized headlines. Engagement metrics on this are low, which is a clear indicator to Google that the site is not really relevant or trustworthy.
Technical and Link Updates
Google is moving away from links as a key ranking factor as it is focusing instead on content quality and user experience. We are seeing that sites that participate in scheming link-building practices are impacted negatively.
What Should I Do Next?
Look at your analytics and determine if there was a drop in traffic. Regardless of the impact, the only really impactful and meaningful move to make is to review your content. This should be happening on an ongoing basis. Make your content unique, authentic, and engaging. If the experience that you give overall to users is better than a competitive site, you will get the upper hand in rankings on a SERP. Don’t take shortcuts or try to hack the system.
- Monitor user engagement metrics like time on site, engagement rate, pages/session, and conversion rate.
- Watch performance in Google Search Console.
- Dig into keyword performance drops.
- Have consistent content quality reviews.
- Run a competitive analysis – there is no better way to understand where you can improve than to look at what Google ranks for the searches you want to show for.
The long and short of it: create content that appeases the Google machine, while remaining relevant and engaging to humans, while also keeping your page speeds fast and optimized, while also maintaining a trustworthy brand presence and a product or service people want to find.
Sound overwhelming? It can be, but it doesn’t have to be. These are the e-commerce and content challenges Walk West loves. Reach out for more information today and remember — don’t panic.
