Google September 2019 Core Update

[MayankParmar]

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System: The following 22 messages were cut out of thread at: https://www.webmasterworld.com/google/4962430.htm [webmasterworld.com] by brett_tabke - 9:39 am on Sep 24, 2019 (cst -5)

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Holy #*$!, official core update will be rolling out later today!

[twitter.com...]

[seomotionz]

@glakes I know about personalization. And I talked about those kw's who gets traffic usually because they rank well but today their usual traffic rate fell.

[TeresaD]

I have just done some comparisons, I sell pretty metal widgets so January is usually very quiet

Jan 2019
Pages/Session 4.73
Session Duration 2.22
Bounce Rate 16.23

Sept 2019
Pages/Session 2.43
Session Duration 0.59
Bounce Rate 70.51

On Friday 5th July bounce rate was 16.23, on Tuesday 9th July it was 65.42 (and no there are no duplicate tags or conflicting errors in the code I have always had a very low bounce rate when I was getting the correct traffic)

[Brett_Tabke]

550 keywords rechecked (from week ago)

Total position changes: 67
Total annihilations: 18 (now mia on serp)
Total up/down changes: - 192 rank decreases.
Page 1 to Page 2 changes: 19

Verdict - essentially a non-event, but again Google increases their share of the SERP. It appears as though the number of answer boxes and adwords has again increased.

[Selen]

I search for terms related to "mother" and I get highlighted (both in titles and snippet text) results for: "parents." Or I search for "e-readers" and I get tablets. Or I search for services in "Austria" and I get results from "Greece" or other EU countries. The fundamentals of a useful search engines are broken.

[RareBit]

I am seeing URLs with capitals in - that's the only change for me! (UK Interiors & electrical manufacturing)

[StupidIntelligent]

Bill Lambert again posted on seroundtable asking people to block gbot and start a new domain. He could be an imposter, but the way Google is behaving with its unhinged greed, destroying businesses; one cannot say for sure.

[samwest]

I search for terms related to "mother" and I get highlighted (both in titles and snippet text) results for: "parents." Or I search for "e-readers" and I get tablets. Or I search for services in "Austria" and I get results from "Greece" or other EU countries.

Just curious how many G affiliate product links are offered for those searches.

[Selen]

A lot. Btw - I suggest to run searches on IE or Edge (in private mode); today I see more tests like the URL is on top (above the blue title), there are favicons added, and the "Ad" word is just black bold text (no green border).

[edited by: Selen at 3:06 pm (utc) on Sep 25, 2019]

[TeresaD]

what is the point? the traffic and conversions may be low but Google is still sending traffic so why block it. As for starting a new domain why throw away years of hard work getting brand recognition, you would have to change all of the social media channels too

[StupidIntelligent]

Bill Lambert Update:

Your poll is too early, like I said, wait for the 26th/27th. In fact going by meetings today this will still be up in the air until next week.

[seroundtable.com...]

[nmbrsk]

Bill Lambert: "A I explained, prior to an update you will see traffic & metrics like you are used to. This is because while the core algo is updated the various "filters" designed to take your traffic away are not live. While the update rolls you will see flux. Post update you will see traffic levels around where they were prior to the update BUT these will slowly drop away. We are still in filter drop mode. Geo targeting will be out for the next few days too (as it was last week with the test)."

[HereWeGo123]

Bill Lambert: "A I explained, prior to an update you will see traffic & metrics like you are used to. This is because while the core algo is updated the various "filters" designed to take your traffic away are not live. While the update rolls you will see flux. Post update you will see traffic levels around where they were prior to the update BUT these will slowly drop away. We are still in filter drop mode. Geo targeting will be out for the next few days too (as it was last week with the test)."

Not sure if I can take this seriously. This is just pure speculation and baseless stuff. Obviously, there is an update, and anyone can “ride the wave” on it and say whatever. Except this guy has created some “platform” for himself.

[TeresaD]

I will be able to tell if the geo targeting is back, I mean seriously who in Alaska is going to be looking at a website in Ireland? At the moment it is all local with a couple of European countries which is normal.

[Globalshopaholics]

In past, It used to be that when people link to you, the link would either be a dofollow link or a nofollow link.

Well, that’s now changed in recent update of Google

They are now introducing 2 more link types "ugc" and "Sponsored" that will affect SEO

[Selen]

I've just done more research and conclude that based on the recent update history, "Bill Lambert" is definitely correct. Big drops (or small gains for others) will start tomorrow and will continue until about Oct 5.

[HereWeGo123]

@Selen

I've just done more research and conclude that based on the recent update history, "Bill Lambert" is definitely correct. Big drops (or small gains for others) will start tomorrow and will continue until about Oct 5.

Perhaps, but that's not the full story because there have already been reports of massive volatility and gains/loss since yesterday evening (US). Danny clearly said that it will take a “few” days to roll out. That's not to say that there won't be accompanying “aftershocks”, as there are with most broad core updates. In any case, I still stand behind the fact that I don't believe Bill Lambert is from Google. he's just a very calculated, clever and analytical (AND EXPERIENCED) individual. He's an SEO that's messing around.

[StupidIntelligent]

@HereWeGo123 - Yup, for a general perspective no sane individual should be believing in anonymous comments. We should all take his postings for fun and perhaps a vague to make ourselves feel better. Nothing else.

[JorgeV]

Hello-

I'll believe Bill is an insider, the day the Google Doodle will feature a "Bill was here" easter egg.

[Selen]

You may get "Kill Bill was here" instead =

[Selen]

Still, I believe this or future updates may be actually positive for small publishers / bloggers. It's possible that Google (via Google Home queries) realized that people don't want "professional" advice by PhD experts or celebrities, but prefer answers from common people. That's why, they updated their Quality Rater guidelines to include / promote "personal expertise."

For example, if you are going to build a house, would you prefer opinions of "building experts" or regular people who have actually gone through the process and blogged about it or shared it on a forum? To most people, the latter is the better answer.

[StupidIntelligent]

Bill could be working for the search team but at a lower level, perhaps neglected, not promoted even after working at Google for so many years; which could be one of the reasons he hates the company and makes every attempt to discredit it. A disgruntled employee who shouldn't be taken seriously.

[StupidIntelligent]

At best his usability is providing update dates in advance. Other than that he should be ignored for reasons mentioned above.

[HereWeGo123]

From my standpoint, the volatility in the SERPs calmed down for now. In the past, with major updates, it could be just left at that. But yesterday evening’s dance was crazy. That’s not to say that people weren’t affected or that more volatility won’t start up again.

What is everybody else seeing?

[HereWeGo123]

At best his usability is providing update dates in advance. Other than that he should be ignored for reasons mentioned above.

There’s no substance in what his last post said. It’s baseless.

[oleotio]

Bill Lambert is an AI discarded by google that has become self-awareness and wants to take revenge on google.

[StupidIntelligent]

@herewego123 - Yes. He sounded more like a woo-woo conspiracy theorist, more than anything else.

[TeresaD]

I am seeing very low sales compared to last year, a crazy high bounce rate and watching literally nothing happening.

I have live chat online visitors switched on every evening, on the laptop next to me on a table while I watch telly or talk to the kids, it rattles if a customer wants to chat.

Dead as a dodo and no strange geo targeting, no sales, very little hits, no nothing really, it is like a ghost town

[whoa182]

Still not really seeing anything, traffic is pretty much the same as it's been for the last few days. So far, no recovery.

Interesting that I'm seeing 5-minute-job "medium" articles ranking high though, and marketers are pointing the links to their affiliate pages.

[samwest]

Bill Lambert: "A I explained, prior to an update you will see traffic & metrics like you are used to. This is because while the core algo is updated the various "filters" designed to take your traffic away are not live. While the update rolls you will see flux.

Well, as you all know, I've been getting clobbered lately. BUT! Tonight I am seeing exactly what 'bill' describes above. Totally free flowing traffic again, and so obviously human. Plus THREE sales today after 4 days of absolutely nothing.

So yeah, this all makes sense but the cruel reality is that tomorrow it will likely revert to garbage drip traffic and zombies again. :(

[HereWeGo123]

@samwest

So yeah, this all makes sense but the cruel reality is that tomorrow it will likely revert to garbage drip traffic and zombies again. :(

Hypothetically, if someone is ranking for their important keywords at the top, where they always have, how would Google “regulate” the type of traffic that comes to you for the right intention? If you're ranking, you have an audience and there's a search volume, help me understand, how does google regulate zombie vs. good buyers that enter your site for the intended key phrase, which you're ranking for?

Perhaps I am missing something. I am not in the eCommerce business. We are a consumer information site, that relies primarily on ad revenue.