Google SEO News
November 2024 Google Core Update Gains Momentum
The Google November 2024 Core Update, which began rolling out on November 11, is now impacting more sites after initial quiet movement. Website owners report significant changes—either substantial gains or losses. The update is expected to be completed within two weeks, with more volatility likely.
You can see, most, not all, of the tools are starting to show a lift in volatility over the weekend. Here are some screenshots:
SEO Recommendations by Jason
As we have pointed out in other news articles, it will be key to document these volatile updates and benchmark the variations of organic traffic and rankings.
One of the key wins with these major updates we have been receiving the last few weeks is to highlight and isolate the keywords and pages that were most affected. Often these pages are the ones that need the most attention, optimization, and input. It's a good way to “Separate the men from the boys” Although the updates can be generic and affect strong pages too, I have found that the big updates generally affect the low-performing pages the most, or the pages that need updating or support.
Google Removes Page Experience Report from Search Console
Google has officially removed the Page Experience Report from Search Console, citing efforts to reduce clutter. Data on Core Web Vitals and HTTPS remain available, but the broader report is gone. This follows previous removals of the mobile usability report and mobile-friendly test tools, as Google shifts focus to general page experience guidance.
This is what it looked like:
Google Tightens Site Reputation Abuse Policy
Google's updated site reputation abuse policy now includes cases where third-party content has first-party involvement or oversight. Enforcement remains manual but can lead to site sections being removed from the index. The changes aim to curb "Parasite SEO" and ensure fair rankings by assessing sub-sections of sites independently.
SEO Recommendations by Jason
No update here, but it's nice to see Google continuing to crack down on the spam sites and banned manipulation initiatives that some websites still pursue. I believe that as we go into 2025 we will see even more abuse policies being rolled out by Google and the other major search engines.
General Search Marketing News
DOJ On Google Selling Chrome, Page Annotations Are Evil & AI Overviews Indexing
DOJ Pushes to Break Up Google’s Power Over Search and Devices
The Department of Justice urges a judge to force Google to sell Chrome, limit Android from defaulting to Google Search, and end exclusive search deals with Apple and other providers. Google calls the demands “overboard” and beyond the court’s ruling.
Google AI Overview Indexing Lags Behind Web Search Updates
Google's AI Overviews are slower in reflecting changes like noindex tags, robots.txt updates, or manual deindexing compared to regular web search. This delay affects how updated or removed content is handled in AI-driven answers.
Google Adds Page Annotation to iOS App Browser
A new feature in the Google iOS app browser now highlights key entities directly on webpages. Clicking on these annotations leads users to related search results, enhancing the browsing and search experience.
Google Tests Icons and Labels in Sitelinks
Google is experimenting with adding icons like phone, price tags, and map pins alongside sitelinks in search snippets. This test could make navigation more intuitive within search results.
Bing Revisits Circle Favicons in Search Results
Bing Search is testing circle-shaped favicons in its results, a format it had replaced with squares a year ago. The potential return to circles reflects ongoing experimentation with visual presentation.
