Google Updates and SERP Changes - December 2016

[reseller]

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System: The following 11 messages were cut out of thread at: https://www.webmasterworld.com/google/4824428.htm [webmasterworld.com] by goodroi - 1:19 pm on Dec 2, 2016 (utc -5)

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Maybe we wish to keep focus on the important observations posted on this thread:

1 - On/Off conversions pattern.
2 - On/Of ranking of main keywords.
3 - High ranking of main keywords on Google SERPs doesn't necessary mean more organic traffic.
4 - Organic traffic could be productive or non-productive.
5 - Judging of present and past posts on this thread, It seems not all website are affected by above 4 points.

I think that Google bright engineers know exactly what they are doing with Google algorithms, and I can imagine Googlers are aware of above 5 points reported on this thread.

As such, I suggest we start looking at those sites affected by some/all the first 4 points mentioned above, and discuss for example what those websites have in common and what could be the reason behind that those sites are affected?

Thanks and God bless.

[reseller]

@EditorialGuy

We've seen a modest uptick in the last few days, in terms of both traffic and affiliate revenue.

The current Google Update of 15th December might be affiliate friendly. Nice :)

[jambam]

Yeah Im seeing lots of amazon disingenuous affiliate sites now comparing "the 10 best whatevers"... In my niche 1 person is creating tons of amazon affiliate links writting/spinning lots of anal content and just dominating. They must have a very full garage if they are able to create all these sites and review hundreds of products like this over and over again.

[mosxu]

@reseller

How have your websites been impacted by the 15 update? Have you experienced in the last few years both productive and non productive traffic to your websites?

[EditorialGuy]

The current Google Update of 15th December might be affiliate friendly. Nice :)

I don't think Google has ever had anything against affiliate links. Affiliate sites are a different story.

Mind you, there are quite a few site owners who can't tell the difference between an information site with affiliate links and an affiliate site. They're the people who spread the myth that Google hates affiliates.

[glakes]

I clicked on an Amazon affiliate link the other day and it took me to an Amazon page where I had to complete a CAPTCHA form to continue. It's bad for the user experience. Wish I would have taking a closer look at the page to see if Amazon offered a non-cookie way to reach the page to avoid paying the affiliate. Amazon is a cluster mess anyway, with descriptions of products buried under so many other offers that Amazon pages look like pure spam to me.

[EditorialGuy]

I clicked on an Amazon affiliate link the other day and it took me to an Amazon page where I had to complete a CAPTCHA form to continue. It's bad for the user experience.

Yes, and I've clicked through from Google News to articles on sites that required subscriptions. That's bad for the user experience, too. Was Google tricked, or was there a bug in the algorithm? Maybe the latter. Fortunately, it doesn't happen very often.

[thedonald123]

Since Dec 16th, for Google Search traffic, I'm seeing a huge 20% drop on Desktop and only 5% drop on Mobile compared to previous week.
This is for a website that usually sees a large traffic increase for the Holiday season.

Is Google testing the Mobile First algorithm on Desktop and if so any ideas on why a website that is responsive and mobile friendly would be affected negatively?

[reseller]

@mosxu

One of my websites has lost around 50% of its organic traffic as a result of 15th December update. However things haven't settled yet. Lets wait and see :)

[mosxu]

@reseller

After January 15 when holidays are over you will be probably back on.

[samwest]

Just reviewing some past traffic data today...2010 I held pretty much the same SERP real estate yet 6 years later traffic is 10% of what it was on those same listings. Sales are reduced by the same amount. So the question is, where did everyone go? I guess when you connect the dots it becomes pretty obvious. It's not a BTH phenomenon either. Merry Christmas!

[Robert Charlton]

Just reviewing some past traffic data today...2010 I held pretty much the same SERP real estate yet 6 years later traffic is 10% of what it was on those same listings. Sales are reduced by the same amount. So the question is, where did everyone go?

One possibillity is that search volume itself has dropped off. If your core target phrases have enough volume, you can often find the answer in Google Trends... otherwise in SEMrush, SpyFu, etc. In six years, that much dropoff is not typical, but I have seen comparable drops.

I'd also look into things like user experience and conversion rate optimization, rather than just looking at serps position. Google's "needs met" personalization can also be a factor.

Underlying economic conditions for your target demographic might also enter into it.

[ichthyous]

One of my websites has lost around 50% of its organic traffic as a result of 15th December update. However things haven't settled yet. Lets wait and see :)

@ reseller - I'm seeing the same, 50% drop...very frustrating. I had just gone through all of the meta titles and descriptions on my site and updated them...shortened ones that were too long, and cleaned up duplicate metas by adding "page 1 of 1" etc. I wouldn't think that that would have a big impact but it was most of the meta title and descriptions on the site so perhaps so many changes at once triggered a penalty.

[samwest]

@RC Trends are actually up for the terms in question. Trying to compare any site to another is clearly a fools errand. Every site has so many different factors it's not funny, however, when I see so many "like" reports of drops, and rarely seen rises, it's hard to not think that a blanket effect is in place. As you say, that much drop off is not typical, so what accounts for so many sites dropping off? Last week I had a few days or "normal": traffic and conversions, but then suddenly it's all "turned off". Really makes you wonder.

It does not appear to be a natural pattern and it's not related to an "expected" drop in pre-holiday traffic.16 years of data proves that. When you get days of nothing then two simultaneous conversions within 15 to 30 minutes then hours or days or nothing again (wash & repeat) plus weekly throttled "limits" on conversions it ranks right up there in the very weird category. Anybody else see this or is it really just me?

[RedBar]

Trying to compare any site to another is clearly a fools errand.

Absolutely however if one knows one's widget SERPs sector well, the signs are there and, insofar as my sector is concerned, it is not just little tweaks that are required.

[mosxu]

@

All is it all gone?
To the dogs. Reality is there is not enough food for every dog.

Wish you all Merry Christmas and I hope in 2017 we will be able to wake up from this nightmare and start fighting zombies...

[samwest]

This December 15th anomaly continues. SERPS are the same in my vertical, yet traffic is absolutely gone. Checked data going back over a decade to see if there is a correlation. None found. So what gives? Has a hasty cyber attack rendered all traffic useless? Martians disrupting our internet? Perhaps we should look outside the algo to discover the cause of this December surprise. Maybe it's just broken...or end of a slow Q4.

[Halaspike]

My organic traffic is completely dead

[reseller]

I'm very surprised that Google and its Googlers haven't posted any comment regarding Google Algorithm Update of 15th December 2016. Very strange indeed!

[samwest]

Well, post holiday and the usual spike that has occurred for over a decade is nowhere to be found. Traffic bumped up a tiny fraction, but any traffic that does arrive is all zombie. Hits one page, sits there forever and never navigates the site as a human would. Expect things to only get worse...if that's' at all possible. Try Adwords? No thanks.

[renatovieira]

Yesterday and today my organic traffic is well above normal. Freaky both by day and by holiday season.

Something happening.

Tourism, USA

[reseller]

Here is an interesting relevant article from Search Engine Roundtable Dec 27, 2016:
Google: We Have No Web Site Page Quota & Do Not Throttle Traffic [seroundtable.com...]

[samwest]

Appropriately so, I'll reply to this over in the current throttling topic. [webmasterworld.com...]

[ichthyous]

My organic traffic is completely dead

Me too...My total traffic has continued to decline straight through the holiday...now down by 2/3 since the 14th for no apparent reason at all. Google better get its algo in order, if it keeps blitzing smaller websites like this over and over they're going to drive everyone into the arms of Facebook and their other competitors. I've already ramped up my Facebook ad spending, but I won't spend a dime on Google ads (they never worked for me).

[mosxu]

AI is hiding something big...

John Muller seems to know the truth but is he is avoiding any questions and he will never answer Simon's emails. Suggesting that sometimes your site is relevant and sometimes is not tells us everything!

Problem we have some of our sites have a shopping basket. Never add a shopping basket to always stay relevant.

[smilie]

US ecommerce, organic Google traffic is down 40%-50%.

Last two days all of a sudden less zombies, less bots and an average of several minutes per day session visitors (those actually READ CONTENT and later on either call or order online, i.e. CONVERT). We've had 2 weeks+ with average session duration drop to the floor and bounce rates from non-referrer traffic at 99%.

I've pulled a quarter of my Adwords budget, nothing converts anyway.

Nothing but bots , making end-of-quarters look good.

[reseller]

I'm not sure, but it seems that Geographical Targeting is better since the launch of recent Google Update of 15th December 2016.

[EditorialGuy]

Yesterday and today my organic traffic is well above normal. Freaky both by day and by holiday season.

Same here. Significant increase year over year and week over week.

That's been a longstanding pattern for our information site, though, and I don't think it has anything to do with Google updates. (Our post-holiday surge used to begin after January 1, but in the last few years, it's begun around Christmas. Mind you, I can remember a time when the post-holiday surge began a week or two into January when college students were back in their Ethernet-equipped dorms after enduring their parents' dial-up AOL connections at home.)

[smilie]

Nothing but bots.

The botnet is large. I am seeing hundreds of hits a day (300-500). Pretend to be Internet Explorer on Windows, no java support. 99.5%+ abandoned sessions, no referrer, language is en-us. Shows as "direct" in Google Analytics.

Very broadly covered across US, all major cities. 0 seconds session duration. Randomly disguises it's screen resolution to look like standard deviation, but it clearly isn't.

Just hits main page to trigger GA and leaves.

Naturally none of this botnet traffic is going to convert.

So where's normal traffic, sold to Google's billion dollar buddies to make end-of-quarter numbers look good?

[smilie]

Dear fellow Webmasters,

We need to start making our own Search Engines.

Otherwise we'll be treated like we are treated by arrogant googleplexers.

Start donating and helping out some open source projects that are out there , it is extremely important to the survival of the Free Internet.

Such as Yacy.net , Faroo.com , Sphinxsearch.com , Lemurproject.org , or any one you particularly like. We need to take back control.

Current situation is unacceptable. For 6-7 years we used to know when - time-of-day and which day of the week - our customer calls and orders will come in. It worked like a clock. Last 2+ years it is an unpredictable mess because of messed up rotating SERPs and zombies.

[mosxu]

@smilie

we hear you, 6-7 years we all have been brainwashed and actually it is 9 or 10 years and only in the last 2 years zombies gone really wild, there is no law in the zombie land.

Bing traffic always had a conversion rate that is double and I am sure that a open source search engine will have a triple conversion rate...