To be honest, I'm usually unfazed by Google's algorithm update announcements.
While the SEO community is in turmoil, I ignore the waves of online noise and carry on as usual. In my opinion, if you're not doing anything wrong, there's little to worry about. I'm willing to admit that Google is far from perfect. Collateral damage can be a worrying time, as it can affect domains that aren't actually trying to exploit the system, but the biggest frustration is almost always those who get too close. Towards the wind, and they were simply discovered. Therefore, I have little sympathy and find the hysteria on webmaster forums pretty boring.
I feel the same way about the nature of most algorithm updates. All of this is a constant battle against crappy SEO techniques and should reward good, honest SEO. Search engines want to help users find the best content that matches their search queries, and they try to fine-tune their algorithms to defeat questionable techniques that try to outsmart search engines. . It's natural for search engines to try to eliminate such tactics, as it comes at the expense of user experience.
Has anything changed in the March 2024 update? The core update is still rolling out, but the spam update that started on March 5th has probably finally finished rolling out worldwide. In Google's own words:
Our automated system for detecting search spam is always running, but from time to time we make notable improvements to the way our system works. In that case, we'll call it “''. spam update Share any updates to the Google Search Ranking Updates list.
For example, SpamBrain is an AI-based spam prevention system. We continually improve our systems to better spot spam and ensure we catch new types of spam.
Sites that have undergone changes since the spam update should review their spam policies to ensure compliance with them. Sites that violate our policies may be ranked lower in search results or may not appear in search results at all. If our automated systems learn over several months that your site complies with our spam policies, changes you make may help improve your site.
For link spam updates (particularly updates that address link spam), the changes you make may not provide any improvement. This is because as our system removes the potential impact of spam links, you lose any ranking advantage that those links previously generated for your site. You cannot recover the potential ranking benefits generated by these links.
Specifically, Google has introduced a new spam policy targeting bulk content abuse, expired domain abuse, and site reputation abuse (although site reputation abuse will not be allowed until May). will not take effect). To learn more about what these individual policies mean, visit the Google Search Central blog. It's worth a read. The fact that they are blogging about the March update is somewhat interesting as it suggests that more volatility than usual is to be expected.
So…was this update exciting?
Not in my world. It's probably too early to really feel the impact of the rollout, but we didn't see anything beyond the normal volatility you'd expect in Google SERPs. Keywords change all the time, and you shouldn't be obsessed with ranking for individual keywords in the first place, but despite what SEO-focused sites say, I've seen no evidence of mass confusion. there is not. It feels like another storm has arrived at the moment of the teacup.
So why am I blogging about something that isn't even an event? That's a valid accusation, but what I'm actually blogging about is not about algorithm updates themselves, but about the hysteria that often accompanies algorithm updates. Maybe I've been doing this SEO thing for too long, but I find myself overreacting to updates, even though the only people who actually feel the effects are shy people. I'm tired of “experts” proclaiming the end of the world.
My advice for everything related to algorithms is to follow some very simple principles.
- Instead of trying to “beat” search engines, focus on creating the most amazing user experience. obtain their attention. Instead of panicking when an algorithm update is announced, always do this.
- We consider the needs of our users above all else and publish content that we know will be of interest to them.
- Take what you read on SEO forums with a pinch of salt. Much of what you read is clickbait or thinly veiled attempts to sell you a service.
- Use Analytics and Google Search Console together to see the impact of your updates. Do not rely on individual ranking reports.
- Be patient during major algorithm updates and don't panic if you see higher than usual volatility. This is not a signal that you are being penalized; other sites may be affected.
While I'm definitely not advocating a completely “head over heels” approach to SEO, the sudden attention spurred by SEO forums and seismic declarations in the SEO world has the potential to yield sustainable success. Very low and much more likely to get hooked. Use short-term SEO strategies (again, probably from a forum…). Long-term success in search engine marketing requires continuous focus rather than sporadic reactions to algorithm updates.
There will always be winners and losers as search engines update their calculations, but if you accept the search engine's wishes, you'll enjoy being on the side of the winners more often. You need to fully understand what these aspirations are, and there's no harm in evaluating individual algorithm updates, but if you're focused on quality rather than deception, there's little to worry about. .