Google Updates and SERP Changes - August 2020

[samwest]

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System: The following 11 messages were cut out of thread at: https://www.webmasterworld.com/google/5001046.htm [webmasterworld.com] by goodroi - 3:44 pm on Aug 1, 2020 (utc -5)

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August 1st. Big SERP changes and not a single conversion in the past 48 hours. The number 1 result for several of my test queries is now....drum roll please...a single PINTEREST pin....with no followers. Is this Googles idea of a "quality user expetience" and is EAT out the window or is everything just broken? Again...

With no on site changes...bounce was dropping every day for the last few weeks...now over the last two days bounce is way up so traffic behavior has suddenly changed for the worse....which indicates a large algo change.

Anyone else seeing this?

[samwest]

Is it just me or did they change the GA mobile app real-time display?

[Athedian]

Anyone seeing Google Analytics reporting delay? It's been four hours since the morning and almost zero conversions.

[jmorgan]

I was ranking in the top 10 for a reasonably competitive keyword during the temporary Google "glitch" before disappearing again to page 5. Oh well, it was exciting while it lasted.

[MayankParmar]

Yeah, same. The glitch was good for me, but it might not have been a glitch though. A test or failed rollout of the core update? Core update might begin rolling out in a few days.

[browndog]

@browndog - Hmm... I think it's a geo location thing. I searched the same query on my side and it's showing me urban dictionary and sites that discuss about unicorns. The dictionary sites were all pushed down to the bottom.

Sorry, I used unicorn as a generic term as they don't like us using actual phrases here. So I stick with unicorn or widget. The question was 'what is a ...', which is a word within my niche. I used to rank no. 2, but all 10 results are now for dictionary listings.

If I search for the phrase in 'private' mode, the ninth listing is an article about the term, everything else is a dictionary listing. Duck duck go has a dictionary description at 1, and I'm at 2. Bing uses the Oxford translator at the top, followed by my article in what looks like their equivalent of a featured snippet, and everything else is a dictionary listing.

[BushyTop]

My quality of traffic has completely fallen off a cliff since the glitch. My SERPs are as normal, but my enquiries are down. Quality metrics seem to be on the slide too.

[glakes]

@ ichthyous

A question for some of you. Can you not just pay Google and run ads to regain converting traffic?

Like you, and likely many others, Google ads just don't work. I'm a manufacturer of industrial type products, and Google has a very difficult time delivering traffic that produces a sale. The identical campaigns on Bing do just fine with daily conversion rates between 3-4%. Some days on Google the conversion rates are < .5%. Google either doesn't have converting traffic to buy or they are so deeply entrenched in shady practices that their ad platform has become essentially useless for producing sales. My bet is on the later because during updates, when Google turns filters off, I see a short lived burst of conversions.

Since the Google SERPS bug my Amazon sales have skyrocketed. Traffic quality from Google appears to have fallen once again, though the other search engines are still producing far more conversions then Google at only a sliver of the traffic Google sends. As a business, I don't see any incentive from Google to either spend more money on ads or invest more time/money into organic SEO. I've lost all confidence in Google and really don't want to play or pay to play their games.

[shadowlight]

Is it just me or did they change the GA mobile app real-time display?

Not just you. My GA mobile app was updated and everything looks totally different. Not just real time display.

[samwest]

Bounce rate over the past week is spiking up to 70%... indicating that those who found our site were clearly looking for something else...Google serps and traffic are a total mess. Something is definitely "up" but it's not traffic or conversions. US traffic is down while traffic from Timbuktu is up.

The site now at the top of my niche is a new, never before seen blog with over 2 dozen ads, one on each scroll of the long winded page.

I won't go into details, but the up and down patterns also match recent major world events. Searches return oddly biased coverage. Same on Youtube. We are just casualties of what appears to be a personal war and money grab. Its the worst and most blatant we have ever seen. Glitch my a**.

The side effect is that it also shuts down those who try to make their livelihood online...or even voice their opinion. It's soul crushing. We can only hold out hope that a storm is coming.

@ shadowlight - Thanks for confirming the GA app change, it's horrible.
GART desktop just went into "count up" mode again. It's all broken...
How can a 200B / year company possibly be this inept?

[ichthyous]

when Google turns filters off, I see a short lived burst of conversions.

@glakes I see the same thing, and it infuriates me knowing that there are real customers out there who want what I sell but Google is actively preventing them from finding my content now. As soon as any update/shakeup happens I am bombarded with conversions. During this "glitch" I immediately had three in a row...but since the glitch got fixed I haven't had one.

My only hope is that this self-cannibalizing strategy by Google will end up costing them profits as people start to see that the quality of the serps is getting lower. Only then maybe will they revert some of these filters and ease up on throttling. But in reality that is probably never going to happen as most people will just continue to use Google and not question the results.

[ichthyous]

Bounce rate over the past week is spiking up to 70%... indicating that those who found our site were clearly looking for something else

I am also seeing 71% bounce rate today. I checked the average bounce rate for July and early August for my site...35%. So a doubling of bounce rate and no conversions. I am still down 7 top three terms and 13 top ten terms since the "glitch".

[RedBar]

How can a 200B / year company possibly be this inept?

Quite easily apparently, with many of its staff not having realworkd experience it is hardly surprising.

I've always wondered whether G will eventually be another Enron?

Friday morning's traffic is a bit quieter today however I have to keep reminding myself it is mid-August and after last night's UK Govt announcement I wonder how many will be going on holiday outside of the UK any time soon?

[samwest]

I'm going fishing. Have fun everyone.

[ichthyous]

@ RedBar I miss the good old days of UK royalty contracts that pulled in huge amounts and easy sales when the pound was $1.50-$2 and my items were cheap for the Brits. Brexit will end up being the end of the UK as a major economy. UK will be stuck floating between US and EU without getting the benefit of either really. My sales to Australia are outpacing UK now...and it's got a weaker currency and much smaller population.

[mosxu]

No converting traffic here and I don’t know where to cut spending cause zombies are attacking all my campaigns.

[universenet]

I see that last half hour today traffic going up, anybody more see something similar?

[KaseyM]

Yep - seeing things start to rank much faster and showing up in carousels.

Rollercoaster week - what I would give just to have some stability in this line of work.

Should've become a government worker.

[samwest]

Just wanted to share this: My wife was just online searching for a particular prayer for her mother. She said page one was nothing but ads. Even this kind woman refuses to click on ads knowing most are scams or pushing what she's not looking for. Unfortunately it's human nature to avoid ads, circumvent affiliate links and skip video ads...not sure exactly why, but apparently we are selfish little beasts. I was then thinking, why not make the ad process a "three way"? Those are always fun. lol
By that I mean the ad proceeds pay the platform AND the visitor. The advertiser is paying for the ad but get's the sales revenue and everyone is in on the action. I bet if that model was employed, you'd see improved ad sales, click through's and ROI's; and a win-win-win situation. Plus, we need to bring back reciprocal linking. Enough of this one sided money grab. After 20 years online, I'm sickened by the daily onesy twosey trickle of traffic...while still being listed on page one. I digress.

[renatovieira]

@universenet - Here the same. It's been like this since saturday. Suddenly everything disappears...

[RedBar]

@ichthyous

Personally I am always the optimist and having experienced the EU at close quarters for 40+ years, having lost many back-hander contracts, it will work well ... time will tell.

My B2B 1 is still pulling in good traffic, B2B 2 is very steady today but yet again I have to keep reminding myself it's August with seemingly lots of "needy" people wanting / demanding holidays.

[bookmarc]

so now, one of my chrome extensions rank higher than my site itself.

this is going over board.

[glakes]

one of my chrome extensions rank higher than my site itself.

Google tends to give their properties and interests a boost in the SERPS. TBH, I'm surprised this has not happened sooner though I'm not sure how Google would monetize it.

[browndog]

when Google turns filters off, I see a short lived burst of conversions.

During an update, my traffic goes back up to 2012 levels, but it's short lived, I hadn't thought about filters, more penalties, but I only see those decent numbers during the update, it feels like they've released me from some sort of penalty, but then reinstate it.

My traffic is still down from 'normal' since this glitch. It's so disheartening.

[samwest]

Record low day of the year...that should have happened in early June...scares me to think what else they have in store.
High bounce, low traffic, poor conversions yet serps look relatively unchanged. WTAF?

[RedBar]

Did the world fprget to come back from your fishing trip samwest?

Totally dead this Saturday morning.

[StupidIntelligent]

Not sure what is going on....

[dolcevita]

I don't know if it's too early to scream with happiness, but as far as I can see this morning, a new Google SERP update is on the scene. Namely, my positions are where they were 3 months ago. In other words the positions were almost 100% restored at the moment before the May update. And that’s fantastic news for me. I made a couple of changes to website that I suspected could have caused a loss of position and I don't know if it affected it, but it doesn't matter at all anymore since my project is where it has always been.

This Saturday morning, August 15 2020, is extremely beautiful. :) :) :)

Here is a screenshot of the enormous change in positions this morning.
[ibb.co...]

[MayankParmar]

They don't do core updates on Saturday and Sundays. Another glitch?

[glakes]

Another glitch?

It wouldn't surprise me. SERP monitors are on fire showing some of the highest volatility I've seen in a long time. I guess we'll have to wait for the dust to settle to see if it's a glitch or another algo update.

[immrrobot]

probably another glitch