Google Updates and SERP Changes - July 2018

[penitentman]

System: The following 22 messages were cut out of thread at: https://www.webmasterworld.com/google/4904681.htm [webmasterworld.com] by robert_charlton - 10:35 am on Jul 3, 2018 (PDT -8)

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On a year like this with the 4th of July mid week, many Americans will take their week summer vacation that week. I expect unusual traffic patterns for the next 8-9 days.

[edited by: Robert_Charlton at 6:40 pm (utc) on Jul 3, 2018]
[edit reason] Split off to new monthly thread... [/edit]

[mosxu]

@steven29

Yeah we block a lot as well trying get AI to think straight

How do you manage to identify the bots?

[glakes]

Compared to the SERPS of old, I can see why the drop in traffic to even the #1 and #2 spots.

From the SERPS you described, it's a real turn-off to most people. With that being said, I can understand why shoppers don't even bother with Google anymore if that's the garbage Google is feeding them. I have not seen this layout in my industry yet, but it would not surprise me to see it in the near future.Google's philosophy is if it's broke, break it even more...

[Jez123]

I got flooded with traffic from USA last night. Normally I will get a few from USA (I'm in UK) but overnight I had as many US visitors as I had my normal traffic the day before, day and night combined. Anyone else seeing lots of odd traffic?

All the traffic is from a google proxy, Mountain View, Arizona, Florida, Massachusetts...

[keyplyr]

@Jez123
Most of Your Traffic is Not Human [webmasterworld.com]

Blocking Methods [webmasterworld.com]

[MayankParmar]

My desktop traffic dropped on 29th June and position is still down. I have given up. Just can't fight anymore :(

[samwest]

@Jez - yes, yesterday I had a huge surge of traffic in the afternoon, albeit non converting, then it suddenly it stopped cold and went to zero for over an hour, then back to drip traffic. Since I was already ahead for the week (barely +1%) I guess the usual Thursday catchup session never kicked in as the quota was met. Today I am seeing connectivity problems with Spectrum. This has been ongoing, and I'm an authorized reseller so I watch it closely. Nothing works right anymore. smh

[Cyril TechWebsites]

Today I noticed that my English language website started ranking for Farsi language keyword on top spot. That's cool! I was afraid that I was doing something wrong, now I stay cool - everything is just great... The next step is queries in Chinese...

My desktop traffic dropped on 29th June and position is still down. I have given up. Just can't fight anymore :(

Hey, Mayank Parmar, you just need to take a vacation! :) I'm afraid of such suicide related messages in this forum! :)

[MayankParmar]

Lol no. I have given up hope for Google traffic (recovery), not life ;)

[mosxu]

Hit by a massive wave of zombies,

Stopped the ads,

[samwest]

Thought I'd share this search result...it's kinda funny, at least to me.
This is the actual SERP result from one of my harder to obtain terms:
I am NOT kidding, this is the actual unaltered order, notice any commonality?
It's ridiculous...

Top 40 Best "search term"...(big brand informational)
75 "search term" ideas...(big brand informational)
303 best "search term" images...(pinterest of course)
71 "search term" ideas...
15 "search term" ideas...
58 Exquisite "search term"...
52 Splendid "search term"...
70 Incredible "search term"...
30+ "search term" ideas...
40 Inspirational "search term" ideas...
35 Chic "search term"...
15 High End Modern "search term"...
19 Fancy "search term"...
15 Majestic Contemporary "search term"...
Stunning "search term"...(wow, no number in title! Bottom of page 2)
Cool & Unique "search term"...
Some Cool "search term"...
"Search term": 16 intoxicating...
10 Beautiful "search term"...
20 Cool "search term"...
all the above are informational blog posts on some very oddball named blog sites.
This continues for 4 more sketchy blogs and then my site, which is the only result that actually provides the "search term" as a product and not just ad ridden blog fluff.
Funny stuff.

[MayankParmar]

Maybe we should create dozens of Horcruxes to survive Google updates? ;)

[Leosghost]

Horcrux plural ?.. I'm pretty sure is Horcrux ( it would be like sheep and sheep )..or..maybe Horcruxen ( if Germanic influence )..Lucy24 would know..?

Create multiple different "niche" sites would be my advice..

[keyplyr]

...then my site, which is the only result that actually provides the "search term"

Because the importance of keywords have dropped significantly. The AI algo gleans the intent of the user from many metrics, not just what terms they searched for. This is why doing keyword searches to see where your site ranks is virtually useless now.

[Leosghost]

This is why doing keyword searches to see where your site ranks is virtually useless now.

Added to which, the vast majority of your visitors get highly personalised search results, 10 different visitors may each be seeing you in 10 different positions on the SERPs that Google shows them,( depending upon what the Google cookies on their machines tell Google about them and their browsing/ search history ) same applies to 1000 visitors, 10,000 visitors and so on.

[Milchan]

@samwest

I experience a similar problem in my niche which travel - the serps are full of weak content and entries from travel bloggers that are just writing articles to "review" tours (in exchange for free tours) and their "Expert guides to ***" which for the most part are in fact riddled with incorrect information , but google of course seems them as "authorities". I also find that it seems like all my competitors have bought lots of links (like 1000s of them or paid advertising links) and they seem to benefit from it.
Google certainly says to do one thing, not do x,y and z or you will be penalised but the reality is far from what they say.

[samwest]

Milchan gets it...BTW. sharing this was not really for serious analysis, only humorous entertainment. We already know why it happens.

[jmorgan]

Is Google Search Console stuck for anyone else? It hasn't update since Jul 16 for me. Not sure what's going on there.

[mosxu]

@leoghost

Imagine if the world would have a total privacy day when the use of cookies will be banned...

[Leosghost]

If such a day were to pass, Google would still serve personalised SERPs and personalised ads based upon the tracking of what pages and sites visitors go to ( and how long they stay on each page ) , they get this information from the G analytics code present on the vast majority of sites ( and whose information is sent back to Google instantly upon a visitor landing on any page ) and via their Chrome browser which phones home constantly to Google about what the user is visiting , reading, watching , and doing on the web..They G+ buttons on many websites also give them a gr(ea deal of information when visitors browsers call them, even this site ( if you* have scripts authorised here ) give Google the IP address of each member when ever they read or post a comment.
So Google know that you

@leoghost

Imagine if the world would have a total privacy day when the use of cookies will be banned... wrote this

here ..

Given that IIRC ( from your other posts ) you are an adwords customer, then Google also know your true ID, and your address and bank details etc, if you use g analytics they also know when any customer of yours "converts"..they know all the comments that you have made here ( and elsewhere on the web ) were made by you..what videos you watched etc..Cookies merely help them to refine their tracking.

* I do not allow scripts here..the tracking of members who do allow scripts here, is done by G here, an ajax "call" to Google ( ajax,googleapis.com ) when you post, and it appears that the "social buttons" ( another way that tracking of which IP loads which pages on the web ) is back too.

The EU "cookie law" was only ever a minor "speed bump" to Google's tracking, and their "handing off" of GDPR compliance to websites is symptomatic of their approach to privacy on the web.

[Milchan]

after 3 or 4 days improvement and steady conversions today things seems to have dropped off a cliff again. SERPs are all different to what they have been been.

Anyone else seeing similar - im wondering if there has been an update of any kind of it is just same old AI experimenting with results again.

[mosxu]

@milchan

AI is naked

[Milchan]

AI is naked

I was wondering who AL was for moment there!

[Cyril TechWebsites]

Few posts above I mentioned that my ENG website now ranks for Farsi language keyword. Today I noticed more keywords and now they are in Italian language (they are relevant, but in Italian!). Is someone facing with the same things? I saw that there was a spike on algo tracking tools last 2 days - it's some kind of faulty update?

[samwest]

another wave of total zombie behavior, "visitors" hit a page, site there for 5 min and then leave. no page to page transactions. I can understand this on mobile but it's on desktop too. page speed tests fine.

[MayankParmar]

The last update was on 29th June. And July is almost over, so we are close to another update?

[Milchan]

The last update was on 29th June. And July is almost over, so we are close to another update?

Im just guessing but the last update seemed to have caused a lot of disruption and no one really seems to know what it is/was - I think the update seems to be, partly at least, some kind of content / relevancy update that is strongly linked to AI and the AI is still "learning" what it thinks are the right results. By definition AI is also learning of course but this month things seems to be all over the place and never settling down. One day im top 3 for keywords next day page 2 , next day back in toip three etc. Its jumping around everywhere. They must be aware of this instability so they might hold off on further big updates until it settles. Then again, maybe this is how it is now and stability is a thing of the past.

Short Version: none of us have a clue what is going on!

[Halaspike]

Google clearly stated that last update was speed related. Sites that take so long to load were affected.

[Milchan]

Google clearly stated that last update was speed related. Sites that take so long to load were affected.

I highly doubt that is the ONLY thing especially considering that my site out performs just about every site im competing against in this area (im green 90s for both mobile and desktop on every page I test) and yet ive been negatively effected due to recent updates.I think speed is a minor factor as long as you site is reasonably ok speed wise.

[penitentman]

@Hala @Milchan what last update are you referring too exactly? May 24 was the last major algo that affected me and my blogs in the law and government category. Traffic has been bizarre ever since. That algo was not entirely speed related but I can't put my finger on it. I'm with @Milchan on this month being all over the place. Traffic, conversions, everything has been a mess. These are the types on months I question if I have the mental stability to survive in this business long term. Volatility is up today in a big way. [semrush.com ] Crossing my fingers and keeping a close eye on analytics.

[jmorgan]

According to SEMrush, SERPs activity is in the high range right now.