Abstract
- Leaked documents. More than 14,000 lines of code for Google's search algorithm have been published online.
- SEO confusion. Google’s March 2024 core update saw some big shakeups that shocked the SEO community.
- Spam overhaul. Google continues to fight spam with updates targeting enhanced content, site reputation, and more.
Editor's note: This article was updated on July 1, 2024 to include new data and information.
This year has already seen some big waves in the SEO world: from complex core algorithm updates to thousands of lines of code being spilled, we're all learning what to do and what not to do. do not have What to do — Increase your page’s ranking in Google SERPs.
As website owners and digital marketers scramble to adapt, understanding these updates is key to staying visible. Learn more about the latest news and algorithm changes that could change the face of online content.
June 2024: Google will phase out infinite scrolling
Google has announced that it will discontinue the infinite scrolling feature in its desktop search results, instead displaying a “More Results” button at the bottom of the page. The search giant also plans to remove the feature from its mobile search results sometime next month.
Google said the change was made to serve search results faster, instead of automatically loading results that users didn't explicitly request. Additionally, Google told Search Engine Land that automatically loading more results doesn't significantly increase user satisfaction.
This decision to move away from infinite scrolling reflects a broader trend of reevaluating user interface design to prioritize ease of navigation and clarity, especially in environments where information overload is a concern.
For website owners and SEO strategists, this could mean adjusting how you evaluate page performance and user engagement, as user interaction within search results may change.
Google Algorithm Leak for June 2024
Perhaps the biggest news of the summer was the leak of Google's algorithm: over 2,500 pages and 14,000 lines of code detailing how Google's search rankings work. The algorithm was accidentally exposed via internal API documentation on GitHub.
Google quickly tried to remove the information, but it was too late: third-party services indexed the data, making it available to anyone who wanted to see it, even long after it had been removed from GitHub.
For SEO professionals, what is the biggest takeaway from this leak?
- Domain and site authority influences rankings, even though Google says it doesn't
- Google analyzes the quality of your backlinks and assigns a value to them
- EEAT is an important ranking factor for content, especially YMYL content.
- It's important to give each page on your site a unique title and include your target keywords early and naturally.
- Short-form content can also rank well, especially if it's original.
- Publication dates are more important than many SEOs realize, and Google strives to serve up the freshest content.
Related article: 10 actionable insights from the Google algorithm leak
June 2024 Spam Update
Google released a general, broad spam update that finished rolling out on June 27. Google said that its automated systems that detect spam work all the time, but they release updates like this one from time to time to improve how they work. One system that may have been affected by this update is SpamBrain, Google's AI-based spam prevention system.
According to Google, sites that notice the change after the update rolls out should review the company's spam policies to ensure they comply. Sites that violate these policies may be ranked lower in search results or not at all.
March 2024 Core and Spam Updates
In March 2024, Google implemented its first core update of the year, which was more complicated than usual because it involved changes to multiple systems. With this update, Google claimed that it would no longer rely on a single signal or system to show more useful search results.
Google officials say they expect this update, along with previous efforts, to reduce the amount of low-quality, unoriginal content appearing on search engine results pages by 40%.
The search giant also continues to fight spam: its AI-based spam prevention system, SpamBrain, identified nearly six times as many spam sites in 2021 compared to 2020. To combat the growing problem, Google updated its spam policies in March to better address new and evolving abusive practices.
Our updated spam policy focuses on:
- Scaling of content misuse: Fraudulent activity involving content generated at scale by automation, humans, or a combination of both.
- Abuse of the site's reputation: Low-value third-party content created primarily for ranking purposes.
- Expired Domain Abuse: Purchasing and reusing expired domains to promote low-quality, unoriginal content.
What happened to SEO in 2023?
Google's November 2023 Core Update
The November 2023 core update is a significant algorithm change, the second update in less than two months and the fourth core algorithm update this year. The update will begin rolling out on November 2nd and is expected to be fully implemented two weeks later.
This core update aims to improve the core ranking system differently from the tweaks made in the October 2023 core update. While it's usually unusual to have two major updates in such a short space of time, Google generally suggests that site owners who focus on creating useful, reliable, and user-first content probably won't need to make significant changes in response.
Along with this update, Google has also published a revised Q&A about the Google Search update, which provides more guidance on the difference between the ranking system and the update, why Google rolls out updates, and what steps site owners should take during the update. For further assistance or to follow the change reports after the update, please visit our Search Central Help Community forum.
Google's October 2023 Core Update
The October 2023 core update, the third core update of the year, began rolling out on October 5th and was completed on October 19th.
Barry Schwartz of Search Engine Roundtable commented on the big shakeup caused by this core update: “It's hard to overstate just how big an impact this update has had within the SEO community, and perhaps more broadly,” he wrote.
Core updates are broad changes to Google's search algorithms and systems that can have a significant impact on how web pages are ranked, but these updates don't target specific pages or sites.
According to Google, the overall goal of core updates is to ensure it delivers on its mission of providing useful and reliable results for searchers, which the company likens to creating a list of the top 100 movies for 2021. If you update the list in a few years' time, you might add movies that weren't there three years ago, or you might reassess some movies and realize they deserve a different spot.
Related Article: What's New in Search? Top SEO Strategies
Google's October 2023 spam update
Overlapping with the October 2023 core update was Google's new spam update, which began rolling out on October 4th and ended on October 20th. Google Tweet Regarding this matter, the company said that the updated spam detection feature “expands coverage to more languages and types of spam.”
The update will be rolled out globally and will expand coverage to languages including Turkish, Vietnamese, Indonesian, Hindi and Chinese. Common types of spam we target include:
- Cloaking: They present different content to users and search engines with the intent of manipulating the SERPs and misleading users.
- Entrance/Exit: A site or page created to rank highly for specific, similar search queries, directing users to intermediate pages that are not as useful as the final destination.
- Scraped content: It is content taken from other, more reputable sites and does not provide any additional value to the user.
- Spammy auto-generated content: Content that is programmatically generated without adding originality or providing sufficient value.
- Hidden text and links: Content placed on a page designed to manipulate search engines and that is not easily viewable by human users.
- Keyword stuffing: Embedding keywords into web pages in order to manipulate the SERPs.
Google said that businesses who are affected by the update should review their spam policies to ensure they are in compliance.
Google's Helpful Content Update for September 2023
Google's September 2023 Helpful Content update, which completed its rollout on September 28, was not a core update, but it did target content designed to rank highly in search engines, specifically AI-generated content and low-quality, useless content.
The update will promote useful content, but will also demote unhelpful content soon. This is global and for all languages, and according to Barry Schwartz, Google says that the update will be felt more prominently in online educational materials, entertainment, shopping, and tech-related content.
Danny Sullivan, a Google search spokesperson, said: Tweet“Not only are we making it easier to find authentic perspectives, we're also improving how we rank results across search, focusing on content with unique expertise and experience.”
According to Google, content on a site that is deemed to have a lot of overall useless content is less likely to perform well in search: “Because of this, removing useless content may help your other content rank better.”
Guidelines on how to create useful, user-centered content include questions to self-assess your site, such as:
- Does the content provide original information, reporting, research or analysis?
- Does the page title provide a descriptive and helpful summary of the content?
- Would you expect this content to be referenced in a printed magazine or book?
- Is content mass-produced and outsourced to a multitude of creators?
Related article: AI and Content Marketing Paradox: Empowering and Threatening the Future
Google's August 2023 Core Update
Google's second major core update completed its rollout on September 7, with the overall goal of improving search results. The August 2023 core update covers all content types in all languages and regions. According to Google, the update will not penalize content, but rather reward great pages.
Some pages that experienced performance regressions may fully recover after the rollout is complete, but this is not guaranteed, and any improvements you make to your content may not see a recovery in performance until the next broad core update is released.
Google is encouraging low-performing sites and pages to focus on creating high-quality content. Content creators who want to achieve better results in the SERPs should: Eat Roadmap:
- experience: Does the content suggest that it was created with some level of experience?
- Expertise: Do the content creators have the necessary knowledge and skills on the topic?
- Authoritative: Is the website or content creator known as a reliable source of information on the topic?
- trust: Is there independent, reliable evidence that the website or content creator can be considered trustworthy?
Navigating the evolving SEO landscape
Google frequently updates its search algorithms, and it is important for marketers, content creators, and SEO professionals to keep up with these changes to secure and maintain rankings in the SERPs.
Keep in mind that it can be difficult to pinpoint how and why performance fluctuates. Google frequently makes changes to its search algorithms, but doesn't release all of them to the public, even small core updates. Still, despite these challenges, one thing remains clear: a commitment to creating high-quality, user-centric content is the best guide to search engine optimization success.
