Google Updates and SERP Changes - January 2020

[seomotionz]

The following 11 messages were cut out of thread at: https://www.webmasterworld.com/google/4974557.htm [webmasterworld.com] by robert_charlton - 10:10 am on Jan 2, 2020 - (PDT -8)

20 years of data show that updates have created MUCH more than a "twitch" in traffic.

Its not a twitch if it costs you a significant amount of money.

[edited by: Robert_Charlton at 6:20 pm (utc) on Jan 2, 2020]
[edit reason] cleanup after split to new thread [/edit]

[Rusbellmadrigal]

KW ranking increased from my end...

[ichthyous]

All I know is that I have had just one inquiry this entire week, let alone a sale or conversion. Feels very very quiet. The previous week had decent inquiries but nobody bought anything. My positioning is supposedly strongly ticking up according to SEMrush. Traffic still down about 15% in total, up to 30% on some landing pages.

[StupidIntelligent]

Is internet alive or dead today?

[koalapandaeu]

Europe here. Since last night (30.01) traffic is down by 48% (no traffic for hours). Something is happening.

[Dimitri]

Is internet alive or dead today?

Something is happening.

Brexit bro. :-P

[glakes]

My positioning is supposedly strongly ticking up

Unfortunately all the distracting stuff Google displays at the top is up/spreading as well - pushing us down the SERPS and out of sight. Google's distracting ad/info box top of SERP stuffing pushed out to more buyer intent queries, leading to lower traffic and an evaporation of buyers. Google ads have not generated a single conversion in over a week, and organic is not much better. Can't even get our Adwords rep to call us back (missed multiple scheduled appointments), so they must be getting hammered with similar complaints from advertisers.

Is internet alive or dead today?

The internet is indeed alive, though Google appears to be dead. We just processed a high value order originating from Bing. Google is not sending squat for conversions, but conversions from Bing/Yahoo and direct traffic are alive and well. I think the real problem is that Google over-optimized the SERPS for profit. If Google quits sending buyer traffic, businesses will lose interest in them real quick...

[TeresaD]

I had 1 very decent conversion today ....from Facebook

[mosxu]

Absolute massacre end of the month, conversions have halved. Does AI understand maths?

[TeresaD]

This is my theory backed up by absolutely no facts at all.

Google shopping was converting 6-10 times a day with a small ppc in a very small geo market for 3 years. After the June update and smart bidding sales stopped literally overnight in the campaign.

I think smart bidding was the trial run for Bert which they broke, ppc and organic both were the same on my site, high ppc conversions, high organic conversions. No ppc, no organic.

The zombie ghosts were trying to "back track or trace" the mistakes but that failed. Next try using GA to spot the algo problem, that failed too.

Now the AI or Bert or whatever else we do not know about is out of control and for some reason will not roll back despite them trying many times which is why we have had so many updates in a row.

So where does that leave us and our incomes if it really is broken?

[glakes]

Does AI understand maths?

Maybe Google's AI is choking on how to kill the conversions that TeresaD and I had today? Or maybe AI is becoming self-aware and realizes the only way to kill our conversions is to spread beyond Google...

Definitely not the best day in total online transactions, but our avg online transaction value for the day was really good - making today the best day in earnings that I've seen for a long time. Thanks Bing!

Edit:

@ TeresaD

I like your theory on Bert being involved. While there is no data to back many theories up, Bert's release coincides with our drop in converting traffic from Google. I first learned of Bert on 10/25/2019, and it was around 11/7/2019 that our conversions from Google simply died.

So where does that leave us and our incomes if it really is broken?

Considering nothing has really changed conversion wise with Google, I don't know if/when it will ever be fixed. We may just be collateral damage to Google while the big boys (Amazon, Walmart, etc.) reap all the benefits. My current focus/budget is aimed at everything but Google. My YOY sales/revenue for November, December and January are all down by double digits with this month being the worse. If Google did do small updates to "fix" things, then they made it worse.

[TeresaD]

@glakes I am still using ppc with a stupidly low ppc that converts every 2nd or 3rd day, 1 conversion covers the cost of 5 days ppc so 8 a week which is now my average is worth the cost.

I am in a religious widget season so know that Facebook, Twitter and Instagram will convert, organic traffic should triple those conversions because I have products that are widget date specific.

If this does not happen then I am finished because this "season" covers the rest of the year including Christmas stock.

[mosxu]

Digital world is different:

When are webmasters going to protest “Stop Money Personalisation”

[seomotionz]

Did somebody noticed any changes today or yesterday? Traffic felt very weird. Bounce rate was very high then usual yet conversions were still good.

[System]

The following 6 messages were cut out to new thread by goodroi. New thread at: google/4982115.htm [webmasterworld.com]
6:54 pm on Feb 1, 2020 (utc -5)