THE LATEST IN SEO

The SEO news this week are all dominated by Google.

Google August 2024 Core Update Rolling Out

On August 15, 2024, Google launched its latest core update, set to roll out over approximately four weeks. Google claims this update aims to "show more content that people find genuinely useful and less content that feels like it was made just to perform well on Search." The update considers recent feedback and aims to better recognize site improvements, potentially benefiting websites that were previously penalized by the Helpful Content Update.

Google Resolves Search Ranking Bug After Four Days

Google has fixed a major search ranking bug that affected numerous search results for over four days, coinciding with but unrelated to the August 2024 core update. Google stated, "We fixed the issue with ranking. There will be no more updates."

Google Expands AI Overviews to All US Users, Including Signed-Out Searchers

Google has confirmed that AI Overviews are now available to all US users, including those not signed into Google accounts. This expansion could impact click behavior from search results, with Google claiming it should lead to more traffic for publishers.

U.S. Justice Department Considers Potential Google Breakup

The U.S. Justice Department is exploring options to force Alphabet to divest some of its units, including Chrome, Android, or Google Ads, following an antitrust ruling against Google. Alternative measures being considered include prohibiting default search agreements and mandating data sharing with competitors.

More on the Google core update

This update (hopefully) marks a significant shift in Google's approach to search quality, with particular attention given to the concerns of small and independent content creators:

1. The update aims to elevate "content that people find genuinely useful" while demoting content created primarily for search engine performance.
2. In response to feedback from creators, Google is making a concerted effort to better recognize and reward high-quality content from small and independent sites. This could potentially level the playing field for smaller publishers competing against larger, more established domains.
3. Google states that this update will "better capture improvements that sites may have made." This suggests that websites previously impacted by updates like the Helpful Content Update may see positive changes if they've made genuine improvements to their content quality.
4. As with previous core updates, this is a global rollout affecting all regions and languages, potentially reshaping search results worldwide.
5. The update impacts not only traditional search results but also extends to Google Discover, featured snippets, and other search features.

Google has updated its core update documentation, providing more detailed guidance for site owners. Key points include:

• The update is not a penalty but rather a rebalancing of how content is evaluated and ranked.
• Sites experiencing negative impacts should focus on creating high-quality, original content that provides clear value to users.
• Recovery from any negative effects may take time, potentially until the next core update.

​Barry Schwartz notes that this update might disregard ranking changes observed in the 24 hours prior to the announcement due to a separate search ranking bug.

Moreover, there are early reports indicating potential recoveries for some sites affected by the September 2023 Helpful Content Update.

1. Some sites are seeing initial signs of ranking improvements, though not full recoveries.
2. Not all affected sites are experiencing positive changes; many remain unchanged or see further declines.
3. SEO experts like Glenn Gabe and Lily Ray report observing ranking increases for a portion of previously impacted sites.
4. Some sites are seeing the return of rich result image thumbnails.

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SEO STUFF FOR YOU FROM OLGA ZARR

Forget Everything Else – These Fundamental SEO Rules Are All That Matters!

In this video, I’m unveiling the critical SEO rules that most people either misunderstand or completely overlook. These rules are the backbone of every effective SEO strategy, and without them, your efforts are doomed to fail.

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Show Me Your Headings And I Will Tell You How You Are...

In this episode, I dive deep into the importance of proper heading structure on the example of lawyer websites. I'll review random pages that show up in Google search results and analyze their headings.

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SPONSOR SE Ranking Did you know Google’s AI Overviews (AIOs) are reshaping search results, but only 7.47% of searches trigger them? SE Ranking's in-depth study dives into how Google selects sources for its AI-generated answers, revealing surprising insights like the dominance of authoritative sites such as YouTube and Healthline, and the near absence of Reddit and Quora. Discover how these changes could impact your SEO strategy and learn how to stay ahead in the evolving search landscape. READ THE STUDY

MORE UPDATES FROM GOOGLE

English Google SEO office-hours from August 2024

The latest episode has just been released and as always it's packed with SEO tips.

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"Discovered - currently not indexed"

In this episode, Search Relations Advocate, Martin Splitt, discusses why Search Console may display some of your website pages as ‘Discovered - currently not indexed’ and what you can do to remedy the issue. Watch along and don’t forget to subscribe for more SEO tips.

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TIPS FROM OTHER SEOS

The Perfect Prompt for Creating Humanized AI Content

Ryan McCain from Norzer has developed a comprehensive guide that provides a detailed prompt for creating SEO-optimized, human-sounding content using AI tools like Gemini and ChatGPT. The prompt is designed to generate engaging and accurate content while avoiding common AI-generated text issues. It specifies elements such as tone, keywords, headers, and sentence structure to ensure the output is both audience-relevant and search engine optimized.

While promoting the use of AI tools for content creation, Ryan emphasizes the importance of human involvement in the process. He cautions against directly copying AI-generated content, stressing that AI should be used as a tool to enhance creativity rather than replace it. Ryan advises content creators to use AI for inspiration and organization, but to always personalize and refine the output with their own voice.

Big thanks to Ryan for sharing this!

Want to earn what you deserve?

Many people try to earn more by working harder, taking on additional tasks, and overdelivering. However, this approach often leads to burnout and frustration without the desired financial rewards.

The key issue is that employees often fail to consider their boss's or client's perspective, assuming their extra efforts will be automatically recognized and rewarded.

The solution lies in effective communication and mindset shift. Instead of silently overworking, it's crucial to discuss your value and contributions with your employer or clients. Building confidence to ask for what you're worth is essential.

But who knows all about how to build confidence? It's Adrijana Vujadin.

If you want to feel confident and fulfilled in your job and life, I suggest working with Adrijana, who is a mindset coach. You can reach her at vujadin.adrijana@gmail.com​

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DON'T MISS THESE SEO RESOURCES

How to fix ‘Crawled – Currently not indexed’ error in Google Search Console

​Anna Crowe outlines seven solutions for the common 'Crawled – Currently Not Indexed' error in Google Search Console. These include manually reviewing flagged pages, implementing internal link hierarchy, adding self-referencing canonical tags, checking hreflang tags, auditing XML sitemaps, and submitting fixed URLs for inspection. Crowe emphasizes that Google may not index content due to quality issues, stating, "Just because a page is indexed today does not guarantee it will be indexed tomorrow."

A Complete Guide to Bing SEO: How it Differs from Google

​Kenny Phillips outlines the importance of Bing SEO, highlighting its unique algorithm and user base. The article explains key differences from Google SEO, including Bing's emphasis on domain age, precise keyword approach, and valuing of social signals. Phillips states, "Bing features a dynamic ranking system that makes heavy use of machine learning, more so than Google," and provides tips for optimizing content, conducting keyword research, and building quality backlinks specifically for Bing.

How Links Impact Organic Results and Local Packs — Whiteboard Friday

​Joy Hawkins reports on tests examining the impact of link building on local SEO. The results show that while a single quality link significantly improved organic rankings, it only slightly affected local pack rankings. Hawkins concludes, "Links matter a lot for this [organic] algorithm, but a little bit for this [local pack] algorithm," suggesting businesses should focus their link building efforts based on which section drives more leads for them.

The Realities of In-House SEO

​Patrick Stox outlines the realities of in-house SEO, emphasizing its varied nature across different companies. He highlights benefits like better work-life balance and higher pay, but also notes challenges such as office politics and the need for strong soft skills. Stox advises, "If you get the SEO basics right at in-house companies, you'll likely win," and emphasizes the importance of prioritization, continuous education, and fostering inter-departmental collaboration for success in in-house SEO roles.