Google Updates and SERP Changes - May 2022

[goodroi]

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System: The following message was cut out of thread at: https://www.webmasterworld.com/google/5060824.htm [webmasterworld.com] by goodroi - 3:51 pm on May 1, 2022 (utc -5)

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Here's our May 2022 Google SEO discussion.

Google's tests are constant, and it seems to have found a way to iron out the huge SERPs changes we've often seen. Throughout April we've seen the winners and losers in the ranking and traffic roundabouts and swings.

Just keeping you up-to-date, here are some of the announcements and changes we've seen in April.

Google Updates and SERP Changes - April 2022 [webmasterworld.com]
Google Webspam Report 2021 Published [webmasterworld.com]
New Options For Removal of Personally-Identifiable Information From Search [webmasterworld.com]
Using Google Trends to Help With Planning New Content [webmasterworld.com]
Podcast: The Importance of Structured Data [webmasterworld.com]
Google Introduces Multisearch Lens [webmasterworld.com]

Let's try and work out what is causing the shift in ranking and traffic, so it's time to dig into the latest SERPs observations for May.

[javelin]

Last week was solid for me showing gains across my platform. Saturday was the lowest day which is normal. Ive kept an eye on Semrush sensor and over the last week with higher volatility things performed better.

Today the sensor shows a 5.2 and the last day we had a rating this close was on April 27. There have been no announced core updates as of late and we all know there is something that should happen soon. We've all been expecting it. I cannot help but feel like we are seeing the calm before the storm.

I have noticed G playing with a lot of alternative keywords over the last few weeks. Things I normally have never rated for now showing a lot of various alternates. It has been pulling from every category I have testing. This is different from running the more tried and true given query and pages I am used to seeing.

Impression volumes have been higher this week as well due to this exploratory push G has put the platform through. Actual traffic has not changed much despite this. I shall wait and see what comes of it all.

[Samsam1978]

I tested if traffic loss was due to ad layouts - and for me it is not. So still a mystery worse traffic since 2017. Not good. Yes, I have been seeing terrible traffic in real-time. Who knows. It is so messed up now. I have never seen it like this. Just garbage results - even as a user I cannot find what I am looking for.

[RedBar]

Unusually low traffic for me at the moment, more precisely since UK time 20.00 Sunday night until about 09.00 today, current traffic, 13.30 UK time, seems to be back to normal.

Anyone else have12-13 hours of much lower than usual traffic?

[ichthyous]

This latest lawsuit against Google is only relevant to those running Google ads on their sites. The main problem for most of us is not Google's monopoly of the online ad business, but the fact that Google is killing off organic search entirely. This case doesn't address that and, as far as I know, there are no plans to address that in any action. Since Google is a corporation and not a governmental entity there is no legal basis for Google being forced to include free organic search results. The company clearly thinks that it can switch to a paid-only model and that's the direction it is heading. How they think they can reconcile the entire premise of a search engine whose algorithm is supposed to show us the best and most relevant content with a search engine which only returns a set of paid ads is beyond me. It's long past time that another major player step into the arena (apple?) and compete head to head with Google, but there is nothing to stop the new search engine from following the same tactics...they are all private corporations after all.

[samwest]

Anyone else have12-13 hours of much lower than usual traffic?

I've had more like 96,360 hours of much lower than usual traffic.

[ichthyous]

Yes, USA traffic is -53% today at 12:30pm. Home page is -63%. Total search -13% so of course it's all coming from lower USA results, with traffic from India, Bangladesh, Russia, Nigeria, Pakistan, all zooming along.

[javelin]

I have had roughly a 20% increase in traffic on Sunday and today will also be about the same. Impression increase as well to match. This though comes after three or so weeks of near identical stats.

[mosxu]

Not sure how Elon is going to make money without the robots?

Quality of my traffic is the problem for some reason not showing for ready to buy searchers! I am feeding of whatever is left.

It looks like a penalty.

[saladtosser]

Traffic has been hammered since 28th of march! Worst part is google also limited my AdSense ads since March since working on facebook and Youtube traffic, which is 20% of my traffic! You get hit for working social it seems. Not sure why SEOS say social signals, my social facebook/youtube (24k followers facebook, 3k subs on youtube) is awesome but I haven't seen it help the site SEO ranking wise, ever!

[JesterMagic]

but the fact that Google is killing off organic search entirely

@ichthyous - The problem is Google is a monopoly in search and it is virtually impossible for another search company to make any headway since Google controls Android and the default search engine on it along with being the default search engine on Apple (by buying off Apple). Sure you can change your search engine but for most people they have no idea how or the slimy practices large tech companies like Google, Apple, Facebook etc. do to keep people in their eco system.

[ichthyous]

Just as others have noticed, the drop lasted about half a day and recovered in the eve. I am noticing however that USA traffic is starting well below normal, Canada traffic is low most days or almost non-existent on other days, and a lot of the seemingly higher traffic is from India / Pakistan / Bangladesh. I am considering adding a cloudflare block, or at least a challenge, of traffic from these countries. I prefer not to block by country, but the traffic is useless and only sucks up my resources sending spam my way via submitted contact forms etc.

[Squeezle SEO]

We were actually recovering most of last week but got walloped with something on Saturday the 21st. We've been dropping ever since and leveled off yesterday. That's the most significant drop I have seen here in over two years. I see the SEMrush Sensor is heating up again, so something big is going on.

[Broaster]

They are basically picking and choosing now who to show in search, this seems like some crazy political move. I miss google when you could just type random stuff and find random blogs online and find what you were looking for.

[christianz]

They are basically picking and choosing now who to show in search

And, increasingly, they are picking and choosing themselves.

I miss google when you could just type random stuff and find random blogs online and find what you were looking for

That was when Google was powerful web search tool and increased productivity and boosted digital economy. Now they are producing opposite effect. Reducing productivity, preventing innovation and holding back digital economy. They provide negative net value for the user.

Few more years and it will be quicker and easier to find something by going to the library instead of fighting with Google widgets, ads and PAA loops. Not to mention the Google tax - increased prices for everything, because they want their cut on every sale.

[RedBar]

The last four days I have seen Page Views down on average BUT Unique Visitors almost average.

The really interesting thing for me with a realworld global business is that not only are views of much more expensive widgets being viewed, enquiries for these widgets are arriving plus we have already taken confirmed orders for these widgets and all from new customers.

I was already ranking #1-3 for these widgets therefore it's not a SERPs improvement driving these orders.

At the moment I'm going with specifiers / buyers simply trying alternative sources they already knew about however never asked.

[saladtosser]

Well, I noticed a TERRIBLE new site with a WordPress icon appear in the SERPS last week and thought to myself, yep, that will be taking over me in a week, and sure as s**** it. Has today, lol! The worst part is they had jacked my images, lol! The rule of thumb is if a site can't even be bothered to create a non WordPress favicon, they don't care about their site, second rule of thumb is if they have to jack images from the previous number one results site, maybe, just maybe they don't care about the site and providing value. ;)

Looking at all these sites backlink profiles you would think penguin never happened, I guess its back to building backlinks like its 1999 again! Its mainly expired domain names with backlinks redirected to the new kid on the block, come on google hire me and Ill write a 3 line IF, Else statement that can clean up your results in a moment!

Not to mention I'm seeing a lot of non mobile non SSL sites ranking #1 on loads of local searches I do, like 1999! Build them backlinks baby, buy expired domains and have at it!

[ichthyous]

USA traffic being highly throttled again. Starting my day with USA -62% from an average Wednesday, Search is -14% and direct is -50%. Meanwhile I have this to compensate:

India +88%
Spain +324%
Egypt 0%
Hungary +182%
Latvia 0%
Nepal +182%
Iran +182%

Also, a return to Google's insane devotion to returning only informational pages across the board for many searches...first four ads, and then two pages of 'How To' and 'Top Ten' articles over and over to the point of the ridiculous. It's completely intentional...make any site with commercial intent vanish, that way they'll be forced to pay us.

[SteveWrz]

Buckle up boys and girls. I have a feeling whatever the update was this past weekend was just a tremor.

[westcoast]

All is normal here so far...... SERPs seem stable in our space...

[Brett_Tabke]

Continued here:
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