Google Updates and SERP Changes - March 2022

[goodroi]

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System: The following message was cut out of thread at: https://www.webmasterworld.com/google/5057083.htm [webmasterworld.com] by goodroi - 7:06 am on Mar 1, 2022 (utc -5)

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Here's our March 2022 Google SEO discussion.

Looking back at February's SERPs changes, it's been a relatively quiet month with lots of minor fluctuations, usually as the result of Google's tests and tweaks.

For completeness, here's a quick quick round-up of some of the Google news and stories you may have missed from February.

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

Google is rolling out the Page Experience update for Desktop [webmasterworld.com] which it says should be complete by the end of March. You'll also find GSC Has Dedicated Desktop Section in Page Experience Report [webmasterworld.com]
Google Talks About AI Systems in Search: RankBrain, neural matching, BERT, MUM [webmasterworld.com]
Video: Google on Migrating Hosting [webmasterworld.com]

Let's get started with the latest SERPs observations for March.

[rustybrick]

Interesting in that, I've haven't seen the Google tracking tools ever this calm.

[ichthyous]

@rustybrick. Yes it lasted almost 2 days but now back to normal. Search traffic is much higher and direct is lower now...something definitely happened.

Not sure about Feb 24th, but I saw a trend upward from Feb 18th onward on my site and regained perhaps half of the terms I lost in April - June 2021

[rustybrick]

Thanks - I guess I will skip reporting on that update if it is back to normal now.

[renatovieira]

On my side, only today I see a big drop. The last weekend was of good gains. But today it all came crashing down.

[mhansen]

We had a fairly big (out of the ordinary) day on Friday as well. (US, Lead gen direct) +40% in both G referred visits, as well as conversions to our partners within network. Since then, it's been just the opposite even though serp positioning in reporting tools show little fluctuation and those that have changed, show improvement versus drops. I'd predict that the serp reporting tools are now in the process of adjusting their own AI to accommodate new serp layout changes and the reporting spikes will come as they figure out how to measure a #1 organic serp position of yesterday (last week), to the new #1 serp position of today which is 750 pixels further down the screen due to the new widget layouts.

A quick check through G serps on mobile devices show the reason why. Google has once again changed the serp layout on mobile specifically. In our case, since we're service-research based, the serps are always full of local content regardless of the users location. In general it's usually:

- 3-4 Ads (Primarily local)
- Featured Snippet
- Map showing 3-4 local service providers
- 3-4 Organic results
- People also asked
- Organic 5-9
- 2-3 ads
- Search query variations

I ran several queries through a friends Android phone while I was out of town over the weekend, primarily looking for differences for research purposes and then later, while back in my hotel, ran the same through my own Android phone. The results were remarkably similar.

Mobile serp looked like:

- 3-4 ads (National versus local)
- New, larger local provider map layout with local advertisers
- 6 People also asked questions
- Youtube videos around the query
- Image panel with 2 rows of pictures of related query
- 4 organic results
- More PAA
- 2-3 national ads

The result on mobile is that you are not going to find organic listings unless you try very hard. They are 5-6 swipes down the screen and the Google widgets simply take over the screen throughout the experience, almost making the organic results look like an ad themselves.

It's just opinion, but the latest changes are more related to search result page layouts, and injecting more updated Google widgetry, ads, PAA, video, pictures, etc into the users face, and nothing at all to do with an algorithm change. They are just minimizing the organic results to the point of being invisible.

[BushyTop]

We've seen a real difference with the PEx Update - a positive one which is nice. We're also seeing some better traffic come in through the door too. As great as this is, my expectation is that it wont last very long.

[Neohippy]

Still down 15% WoW / 20% MoM. We were on a downward trajectory anyway in Feb, but things really started getting bad around the 9th/10th March.

[christianz]

latest changes are more related to search result page layouts, and injecting more updated Google widgetry, ads, PAA, video, pictures, etc into the users face

This is likely. It seems like most of my traffic loss is from giant CTR drop and also drop in impressions.

CTR drop is the massive YouTube and PAA (and other) widgets and impression drop is those same widgets pushing out my pages from the mobile and desktop viewport. Especially mobile.

I predict that in 2025 the Google SERPs will look something like this:

1. Ad
2. Ad
3. Ad
4. People Also Ask (12 questions)

Loop through the PAA until you find an ad you really like and click on it!

[ichthyous]

Another big drop overnight and this morning, after two strong days. Interesting this is it's hitting USA and UK traffic exclusively. USA - 60% and UK - 41% at 9:30am. Search is - 47% after being strongly higher. I did lose about 7 top 10 ranking terms overnight.

[Rusbellmadrigal]

20% Drop Spanish Traffic

[RedBar]

I predict that in 2025 the Google SERPs will look something like this:

I'm not saying you're wrong since I have been saying since the noughties that Google has been almost nothing but a modern classified ads platform ... Did I used to cal it GAP, Google Advertising Platform?

I digress, the point is that anyone used to getting buiness sales for "free" in highly-ranked SERPs listings saw that model die years ago however those who feature / supply evergreen articles / products should fare much better. I do not sell my widgets online, I provide the widget information that architects / specifiers / public want to know about whilst researching.

It's a hard pill for anyone to swallow who has relied upon free search engine referrals or those using their sites for advertising revenue, that model died several years ago for me, but it is a reality that must be realised for many. Niche localised sites can still do extremely well for free / very low ad cost, but expecting to build an empire at next to zero expendtiure was resigned to the history books about 2010/2012?.

[christianz]

@RedBar

There is nothing wrong with the business model of providing information for free and generating revenue with ads. This model stops working only if there is some monopoly standing between the information provider and consumer and preventing this exchange from happening naturally.

[RedBar]

@christianz

Fine if someone wants to use that business model however no one should be surprised if G demotes those specific sites that are all very similar with generalised information and images. Unique sites with alternative images and information, great, however so many sites chase precisely the same subjects with the same information it's crazy.

Try writing an algo that allows everyone with all very similar stuff to all rank at #1 since many naturally consider their site to be the worthy #1 contender. I've done the AdSense model, I was earning in excess of USD 10K per month but over the years it gradually dwindled to the minimum therefore I removed their code.

Hosting ads oneself and with genuine unique and relevant info, now that ought to be a goer when implemented correctly.

[christianz]

genuine unique and relevant info, now that ought to be a goer when implemented correctly

Ought to be a goer but, increasingly, isn't! Google doesn't allocate the natural share of traffic that (relatively small) sites with unique and relevant info should be getting.

When you see that already unnaturally small traffic cut by 30% in one day, because of some oversize "People Also Ask" block or other crap, its demoralizing and infuriating, to say the least.

If digital analog for viruses are malicious programs that copy themselves into other computers (computer viruses), the digital version of cancer should be Google. It has abnormal growth (30% / year for multibillion $ company) and eventually it kills its host.

[Dooku]

and eventually it kills its host

Give it some more time.....and eventually it will go the way of the Amiga 500 :-)

[mosxu]

Historically the busiest time of the year and we only get mind controlled users on my website…

Lowest prices or free gold offered does not help either.

[No5needinput]

@Dooku I had the Amiga 500 and 2000. Great computers ahead of their time. Poor marketing by Commodore.

[samwest]

The solution is easy, everyone needs to stop using Google. There are alternatives.

[RedBar]

@samwest - I have been using alternatives for years however there are some queries that, for some reason, only G seems to have easily available.

So far this week traffic has been running at 114% for my global sites and UK sites at 108.7%, but the really good news has been the pick-up in genuine business enquiries with some of them being for large projects and others for replacement stocks for possible new clients however, significantly, none of them are for "western" countries.

[samwest]

@red - not the same here, it's all over the place, one day zero, the next day "so-so". There is no consistency, there are no more record days, those all appear to be in the distant past. Severe manipulation. We've been around a long time, we know what normal looks like...and this isn't normal...or natural, at all.

[Sunneeeeee]

My website traffic is down about 40% since Mar 18 2:00 AM (UTC). Anyone have the same as me?

[NickMNS]

It looks like Google Analytics has a delay. I'm not sure how long the delay is though.

[ichthyous]

@sunneee Yes, traffic was somewhat lower this morning but dropped to zero between 10am and noon so far. Yesterday search was up but direct was down 40%. Today direct is normal but search is down 30%. It seems that a new pattern is emerging where Google just whacks your traffic about every third day mysteriously. Lasts an entire day and then reverts to regular to strong traffic for a few days.

[ichthyous]

Correction, traffic fell off a cliff at 9am sharp and has been almost nil the entire day...it's 3pm. This is ludicrous, we're going to start this sh!t again Google? Just like last summer...

[RedBar]

Traffic completely normal for me again today, so far 115% ... I wonder why this is? PVs seem normal, country sources normal, widgets viewed normal, traffic levels are where I'd expect them to be in March, likewise our UK sites are doing similar or even better.

I do not want to join your club!

[Dooku]

@Redbar, I suspect your main business which is related to certain "equipment" which is used in construction and where you mentioned just about all manufacturers/suppliers know each other even by face from tradefairs is just too small for google to put any efforts in to "regulate" traffic or adjust their algo for. I don't even think google has actually enough or the correct info on how that particular part of your industry works?

However, it's a whole different story if your running some kind of ecommerce website/service/news platform or whatever of which there are millions and millions to be found......which is probably the remaining 98% of us........which google loves to squeeze because we are easy targets.

[Sunneeeeee]

@ichthyous Thank you. Looks like my traffic is partially restored almost before the drop but I'm not sure because it's Saturday. I think I will monitor the traffic on Monday to be more accurate.

[ichthyous]

@Dooku I also suspect that Redbar's niche is a bit more impervious to the turbulence for the reason you stated...it's too obscure for Google to want to manipulate the hell out of the results. Last year the period from April - September was hell with Google, with huge declines in traffic and constant instability. This year (so far) traffic has been better, but nothing like pre-March 2021. I suspect it never will be again with all the throttling, manipulation, and top heavy Google search page layouts pushing organic results down the page. It will only get worse as Google realizes that the user isn't abandoning Google search even though they only get spoon fed ads and YouTube vids now.

I am not seeing any appreciable shift to other search engines, and even if people did shift to Bing, Bing will soon copy Google's tactics. Instead my focus has been on expanding my business away from dependence on search completely, and that is a very slow process and not nearly as profitable. I have made enough over the good years that I can afford this transition, but many or most cannot and will just close and leave trying to make a living online. This is how monopolies like Google kill off competition and stifle the economy, by making sure that they are the only ones who get to profit.

[samwest]

@ich - yeah, same old same old. I find it amazing that we can be at the #1 position across dozens of decent volume keywords and phrases (although nothing like in the past) on a planet of 8 BILLION, and yet all we can manage is a consistent single file traffic pattern? Seriously, one comes in, one goes out, one comes in, one goes out, rinse and repeat without fail all day. Guess AI has our traffic socially distanced now too.

The only thing consistent these days is the obvious throttling. Progressively worse every day since May 2010.
Bravo billionaires.

[NickMNS]

@samwest

I find it amazing that we can be at the #1 position across dozens of decent volume keywords and phrases

You need to come to terms with the fact that there is no one-to-one relationship between keyword and position. Each time a keyword is searched it can return any number of sites in #1 position depending on other factors, such as, who is searching, where the search is made from, time of day, etc... The concept #1 position is fundamentally flawed.