Google Updates and SERP Changes - February 2022

[engine]

System: The following message was cut out of thread at: [webmasterworld.com...]

There's been a number of fluctuations in Google's SERPs during January, and Google was silent on any of these changes. We know there were changes because all the indicators, and the discussions showed that Google's ongoing tweaks continue. It may not have been a core update to report in January.

As usual, i'll start off with a quick round-up of some of the Google news and stories in January.

Google Updates and SERP Changes - January 2022 [webmasterworld.com]

Google December Product Reviews Update rolls Out : "December 1 2021" [webmasterworld.com]

GSC Now Has Dedicated Desktop Section in Page Experience Report [webmasterworld.com]
Google Introduces New robots meta tag: indexifembedded [webmasterworld.com]
Google Video on Changing URLs to Enable Google Indexing [webmasterworld.com]
Video: Google on News Website Speed, Core Web Vitals, and Tools [webmasterworld.com]
Video: "Why are SEOs and Devs from different planets?" [webmasterworld.com]
New Google Search Console URL Inspection API [webmasterworld.com]
This story may have far reaching implications for Google Analytics users. Data Protection: Google Analytics in Breach of GDPR on Austria Website [webmasterworld.com]

Let's dive into the latest SERPs observations for February's Google SERPs Changes.

[RedBar]

Does anyone else notice that you can no longer reach GA when using a VPN?
If your VPN is on you get a blank page.

Try using TOR! That's why DDG is its default SE.

[JesterMagic]

My security scripts find most users of my sites are up to no good who use VPNs so those shared IPs end up getting blocked automatically after bad behavior is detected.

So I am not surprised if large companies like Google automatically do the same.

[abcdefg]

Less than 10% of traffic on my servers are from likely users. All the rest are bots, all sorts of them. Except G is not indexing much of the new content since December. Non-G search traffic has gone up, which is good.

Perhaps G can use 5gon money to buy back their own shares and/or gamble on crypto like the clown Bitcoin pusher suggests all companies do and stop their traditional business operations altogether. Good for them, and good for humanity.

[renatovieira]

Very slow and very quiet today. Semrush sensor is hot...

[samwest]

most users of my sites are up to no good who use VPNs

The idea of using a VPN is to protect the user from no good malicious systems and hackers. In Googles case, they simply are not getting what they want, your personal data to sell...so that begs the question, who's actually up to "no good?"

[samsseo]

Anyone noticing signs of an update today? I'm seeing a nice increase in Google organic which started yesterday - currently at +13% which coincides with a spike in the semrush sensor (also my semrush personal score)

[RedBar]

The idea of using a VPN is to protect the user from no good malicious systems and hackers.

Absolutely and as an international traveller to "certain" countries TOR is absolutely essential for me.

Anyone noticing signs of an update today?

I haven't checked my SERPs yet however as usual in February my traffic is up, I wonder for how long?

[samwest]

We are right back to this sickening, ongoing 1-0-1-0-1 trickle traffic pattern, which seems almost impossible. I just improved the site's core vitals from a GTMetrix C grade to an A, load time cut in half, position #2 on page one, yet all day, consistently the site sees no more than 2 consecutive visits, but it's usually one zombie at a time. Is Google now employing a social credit system to restrict traffic? because it sure looks that way. We never thought we'd see censorship in the USA, but it's sure in full effect over the past few years. Simply asking the question will probably get me another 'night in the box'.

That or their AI is off-the-chain greedy. I cannot think of any other reasons for the site to be so incredibly throttled, especially when taking into account the past 20 years of performance of an evergreen content site. Does anyone else see this?

Occasionally the site opens up and gets a fair amount of traffic, but week-ending sales are always the same...as if quota'ed.

Meanwhile, Gorg is raking in upwards of 200k per minute, all day, every day.

[yollo03]

I noticed that google occasionally remove my site from search for certain keywords for a few hours during the day. Almost all the time it occurred on mobile search only. Whatever they are rolling out seems to be a partial reversal of the earlier update.

[renatovieira]

Huge drop this morning. AdSense earnings falling. Something started last friday...

[abcdefg]

@samwest Indeed, I'm almost certain that they do that. My personal blog receives 0 traffic from G after I criticized war and dirty politicians.

People who use Chrome or Chromium and make unfavorable comments on G may be "downgraded".

[samwest]

@abcdefg - Good reason to switch to Firefox and DDG...AND a VPN. IMHO "Don't Be Evil" and "Do The Right Thing" are ridiculous company mottos. It certainly implies they think about doing wrong and evil things. At least they say the silent part out loud.

[RedBar]

Traditionally February is my busiest month and so far, apart from the 1st at 94.3%, every day has been above average making 117.3% so far with yesterday at 141.3% ... If this continues I shall be surprised however the important thing to note is that genuine trade enquiries are NOT being generated.

[Cyril TechWebsites]

Facing with a +5-10% traffic increase. Seems like an update happened :)

[samwest]

Some win, some lose, while we rose two positions to #1 and #2, likely due to recent improvements in core vitals, traffic sales are off a cliff. Google seems to have a de-bounce which I've suggested in the past. While you may rise in position, the AI magically keeps you tamped down to prevent a dopamine rush and the feeling of success or reward...they delay it for a few weeks or months, maybe longer. It's repeatable. I like to call it the "kick in the nads" effect for diminishing returns.

[abcdefg]

If the keyword has lots of ads targeted at it, it may be better to rank lower.

Users see ads and quickly scroll down and/or perhaps go straight to page 2 (desktop).

G's widgets don't help, either.

[ichthyous]

Big drops here in the last couple of days...both in traffic and ranking. USA traffic is down 18-37% and I have lost 10 top 10 ranking spots. I see that most of my competitors were also hit, some worse than I was.

[mosxu]

Less buyers on my website more clicks on my ads!

Researchers are the “core vitals”

[engine]

I still keep seeing out-of-region sites in the desktop SERPs, so there's work for Google to do to tidy that up.
The out-of-region sites may be relevant in terms of content, but they are not relevant from a geographic point of view.

[renatovieira]

@ichthyous - Here too. It started last monday.

[RedBar]

The out-of-region sites may be relevant in terms of content, but they are not relevant from a geographic point of view.

But this has been the situation from the very start of the www and especially so with G's preference for US companies using com/net/org and those hosted in the USA.

I see this every day, US importing bulk buying wholesalers that rank high is so many lanuguage SERPs yet they are not exporters nor suppliers to those countries. A US importer should not rank #1 in India for an Indian indigenous product and even more so when the US site is not even one of the best. It is blatant manipulation / preference and one of the reasons many in my global industry stopped updating their sites 7-10 years ago.

However I do appreciate that unless there is a method of signifying a company is a global exporter as opposed to a national importer / wholesaler that this situation is going to continue.

For instance my solution has been to rank well with my global .com YET for the UK market I have had to create an alternate .uk site with different images and template otherwise I do not rank for many keyword terms, crazy.

[Alex_1729]

Getting terrible conversion rates in the last 3 days. Traffic is either the same or growing for both new and old content, but completely dead on orders.

[Sgt_Kickaxe]

Post a few more mainstream media approved tweets - it works wonders to shake off a ranking downturn on your website(s). It won't help sales any, though.

Minus one is the new zero

[samwest]

Yesterday AdSense ten bucks, today Adsense 10 cents. This is the instability we've learned to love. Pre 2010, you could set your watch by traffic levels and conversions. Zero traffic, zero conversions are the new normal too...wonder where they expect us to get the cash to pay for Gorg Ads. I used to tithe to Google Adwords, can even afford to pay attention these days...especially at 6 bucks a click.

[RedBar]

Genuine business enquiries from new customers have increased a little this week and for the first 11 days of February traffic has averaged 113.2% however it looks as though today will drop that by 2-3% or so, very quiet.

[samwest]

Happy Valentines Day!, no love from Gorg though...

[christianz]

Traffic sharply lower. Traffic probably redirected to YouTube and large media priority sites. God bless them, they need that traffic more than me anyway (obviously)!

[abcdefg]

My traffic trended up until Cyber Monday. Since 2022, it has been slowly dropping. All the time, however, there isn't much day-to-day variation.

[RedBar]

Traffic to global site still doing ok this month with US traffic defintely up overall.

UK sites all getting their average February traffic however all of them are seeing increased trade at the moment with the hotel site especiially seeing many enquiries and bookings through the Spring and Summer and all the way to the end of September.

.