Google's March 2024 core update requires SEO professionals to evolve their strategies. We focus on combating low-quality content and manipulative tactics and champion a user-centric approach. Liam Bickerton, Strategy Director at 829 Studios, details its wider impact.
The ever-evolving search landscape witnessed a major shake-up in March 2024. Google's latest core updates. Some websites didn't see a significant change in performance, while others were completely de-indexed due to the new spam policy. These spam policies focus on the use of generative AI, as websites are turning to AI to make content creation faster and easier. His SEO analysts like Ian Nuttall bring their findings to his X and show them how many sites in their database have been deindexed. This level of impact is reminiscent of the Panda and Penguin updates that Google rolled out in 2011 and 2012, respectively. Let's dive into the nitty-gritty of the March 2024 Core Update to dissect its purpose, analyze its impact on websites, and provide actionable insights for people navigating the new search landscape.
To measure the impact of AI spam manual actions, we checked the index status of 49,345 sites.
1.7% of sites were attacked, resulting in over 20 million lost organic visits and over $446,000 in display ad revenue per month.
Want data? Please follow, like, and reply with 👏 and we will send it to you! pic.twitter.com/sUo22DejaL
— Ian Nuttall (@iannuttall) March 8, 2024
In 2018, Google CEO Sundar Pichai said: sat in front of parliament Explain how search engine optimization works. The senators and congressmen who asked questions looked puzzled as Sander explained how Google evaluates more than 200 signals as it crawls indexed pages that match a particular query. I was sitting. While this is not an area of expertise one would expect from a member of Congress, an inability to understand SEO concepts is common among digital marketing professionals. Good news? The March 2024 update is summarized in a way that even SEO beginners can understand and act on. This update is still rolling out, so don't be fooled by the “March” in the name.
Revealing the update agenda: quality over quantity and white hat tactics
Google Core updates are how we refine our search algorithms to provide the most relevant and valuable results for your queries. The March 2024 update specifically targets his two main areas:
- Fighting low-quality content: Google has long emphasized the importance of high-quality content. The update was aimed at further downgrading websites rife with thin, unoriginal content, AI-generated spam, and content created solely to appease search engines rather than users. .
- New spam policy: This update didn't just provide useful content. This also coincided with a new set of spam policies aimed at combating manipulative SEO tactics. These policies target behaviors that abuse search engine algorithms and ultimately degrade the user experience.
Google addresses three main areas within its policies.
- Abuse of expired domains. Target repurposed websites for SEO benefits by purchasing expired domains with established backlinks and low-quality content.
- Misuse of the site's reputation. It focuses on misleading reputations built through inauthentic tactics, often facilitated by AI, such as fake news articles, manipulated reviews, and automated social media engagement.
- In the fight against “content farms” that produce low-quality AI-generated content for the sole purpose of SEO manipulation to prevent large-scale content abuse, Google is punishing such tactics and distinguishing between genuine content and It aims to encourage user engagement.
see next: Backlinks: The competitive edge for marketers in the age of AI
Impact: timeline, winners and losers
Websites that consistently provide high-quality, user-centered content are likely to increase their rankings. Conversely, websites that rely on low-quality tactics will ultimately see a significant drop in organic traffic.
“The March 2024 Core Update is a more complex update than a typical Core Update and includes changes to multiple core systems. It also represents an evolution in how we identify the usefulness of content. Masu….
This is a complex update and may take up to a month to deploy. It could be…
— Google Search Liaison (@searchliaison) April 2, 2024
Winner
- Websites with original and useful content: Google has consistently emphasized that it wants to provide users with the most relevant and useful search results. The March 2024 update represents a monumental step towards achieving that goal. Google's senior search analyst John Mueller advised SEOs to focus on optimizing websites for users, not search engines. This is an easy way to break down more complex algorithm updates. Ask yourself the following questions: Does my content cover the landing page and topic comprehensively? Does it provide valuable insights and information that users are looking for? Superficial content that only skims the surface is unlikely to be useful. This is an inherent risk of AI-sourced content.
- A website with a great user experience (UX): Focusing on user experience is nothing new, but the March update reinforced its importance. Websites that focus on clear navigation, mobile friendliness, and user engagement (like comment sections) perform best.
losers
- Websites that rely on AI-generated content: This update specifically targeted websites that use AI to churn out low-quality, unoriginal content. That's not to say that AI-generated content can't be used practically or effectively on your website. Below is Google's statement from the latest information on this matter.
“Our long-standing spam policy has been that the use of automation, including generative AI, is spam when the primary purpose is to manipulate search result rankings. The updated policy is in the same spirit as our previous policy. It is based on the same principles and has been expanded to take into account more sophisticated and scaled content creation methods where it is not always clear whether low-quality content was created purely by automation. ”
- Websites that use keyword stuffing or black hat tactics: Behaviors like keyword stuffing and other manipulative SEO tactics are being penalized. Presumably lessons were learned after the 2011 Panda update, but these practices are still employed by many sites on his web. The March 2024 update further emphasizes the importance of creating content naturally, focusing on value over keyword density.
- Websites with poor user experience: As we've seen with previous core algorithm updates, websites with frustrating layouts, slow load times, and low user engagement will continue to be affected.
How can you use this information to succeed?
Google has always deliberately kept the details of its core algorithm updates secret to prevent tampering. However, this time the ambiguity has been reduced. Based on public announcements and industry analysis, we provide important insights into how Google evaluates the usefulness of content and how it navigates the use of generative AI. Your site will be in good shape if your content covers the topic comprehensively and provides valuable insights and information that users are looking for. Authenticity and expertise build trust with users and create a more useful experience. Additionally, when content is well-structured, easy to navigate, and logically organized, users can find the information they need quickly and efficiently. This will have a positive impact on user experience signals, which are becoming an increasingly important part of the grading process.
Ideally, you'll want to optimize your entire website for the March 2024 update right away. However, instead of obsessing over all the content that exists on your website, it's important to start by focusing on the top pages that drive traffic. Content can exist on a spectrum, with some works offering greater value and comprehensiveness than others. That said, it's important to act quickly if you notice your site has poor UX, violates spam policies, or relies too heavily on AI content. The search marketing community continues to report sites that have been severely impacted or have been completely deindexed. This validates Google's claims to improve the user experience and its intention to implement significant innovations to its core algorithms. What is undeniable is that this update cannot be ignored.
How can your organization evolve its SEO strategy after Google's March 2024 update? Let us know Facebook, Xand linkedin. We look forward to hearing from you!
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