November 2023 Google Search Observations

[RedBar]

Global site Monday and Tuesday USA traffic -40%

So far today, Wednesday, 40% of my traffic is from the Russian Federation, not bots.

[edited by: not2easy at 12:49 pm (utc) on Nov 1, 2023]
[edit reason] split cleanup - New month, new thread [/edit]

[Micha]

@myitegothithard Save yourself the work, it wouldn't change anything. There is absolutely no indication of what you should change to improve your ranking. And the problem that search now shows ads, videos and, thanks to the "hidden gem", forums and social media posts at the top and only then websites remains, because there's nothing you can do about it.

The same applies to the slump in Discover and news traffic, which practically all small news websites are currently experiencing.

It's up to Google and its automatic evaluation of websites, not you.

@oldog November still has a few days to go. But it will definitely be ready before the December core update.starts

[Razorllama]

Some crazy volatility over the weekend on a big portion of my articles. Google dances from position 2 to position 20 and back from Friday right into Monday morning, like a clockwork.

Might be a signal that at least the core update is going to end within 2-3 days?

[seokees]

It is getting ridiculous now. I have got Dutch (Netherlands) websites with stable growth (no AI) since 2018 with some hickups
along the way. But since the August etc. updates it is slowly declining. Lost 50% or so, that is not the worst. The worst is the days without conversions. 50% of traffic what is left converted at least in the October. Now in November days pass by without one conversion with a hundred people or so on the dedicated landing pages (lead gen). Conversion rates were normally 1 in 4. I changed nothing.

I am not into conspiracies, it brings you nowhere. But this is really weird, also the rankings are stabilized, but the pages above me are bad. Searches with sites without https, non-responsive, really thin info and not up-to-date. And also the authority website from wellknown brands are ranking with anything, not within their expertise.

I am really scratching my head, what to do. A bit angry and powerless.

I avoided coming to forums about the algo updates because I wanted to stay positive in the past. After every little
hickup, things went fine in the past within a few days. This time it feels different. And in Europe we do not even have SGE yet
to really spoil it.

[RedBar]

I have not and will not alter anything on my global site unless I deem it an improvement or if I have some better images, my product information was refined way before the www was created by my industry in conjunction with the specifiers and many governments who require those details.

Yesterday, Sunday, saw my site with a late 2022 traffic level of 117% v 2023 average which is almost double an average recent Suday plus this traffic level has continued into today. Coincidence, improvement, something has changed? I have no idea other than waiting it out to see "whatever happens next"!

[Fluff_Nutz]

After neglecting the site for almost an entire month now, really was going to bin it altogether. I even stopped looking at the traffic figures. Only to notice that it increased. Was about to tell my writers that its Game Over. I really dislike this journey. Its too volatile. Can we not just stay down or steady? Ridiculous. I swear it was -55% when I almost binned everything.

Anyway. I still prefer Youtube. Which is at +119% over last month. Site is -5% over the start of the month. Maybe these fluctuations are normal. For me anyway. This is twice I have lost traffic during an update and been given it all back again. Just the uncertainty and instability AGAIN.

[RedBar]

Just the uncertainty and instability AGAIN.

However hasn't this been the case for 20+ years as G et al have "improved" their algos? My biggest damage hit apart from the image theft, was 05/05/05. It took me and tedster a couple of months to analyse and discover the answer to 05/05/05. Unfortunately ever since 2010 the updates are, shall I say, more intense.

Whilst it is very evident that G is successfully maximising their earnings from updates I also have no doubt that their attention to all types of scam issues must have increased dramatically too the result of which we see branded names and advertisers as its preferred focus.

[Fluff_Nutz]

Perhaps. But I have only had this website for 2 years, so what is normal and what is not is all unknown to me, as a somewhat beginner still. What I do know is that the platform should not be ran like this. To maximise profits. To practically destroy its uses as a genuine search engine. I still don't know if going back to it all after almost a month away is a good idea. I should not be left with this negative feeling. For pure greed, for something that should be against all laws. Google need content and yet they are incapable of providing us with a stable platform. I'm beginning to wonder if we are all idiots continuing to play their games. I keep hoping it will improve and the negativity of it all will go away.. alas.. From what you are saying, by it being like this since 2010 and now getting worse. That is most likely wishful thinking on my part. In truth, blogging and the website business does, indeed, seem to be over. The feeling of joining the party bus too late is becoming somewhat evident.

[Dooku]

their attention to all types of scam issues must have increased dramatically too the result of which we see branded names and advertisers as its preferred focus.

Indeed! I also classify all the "10 best......" affiliate sites as a scam because it's at the least false info without ANY actual testing or anything and ONLY geared towards which items return the best affiliate commission. And then there are the more hard core scam/criminal operations with websites redirecting to shady stuff, non-existing products, chinese payment gateways(good luck doing a chargeback or asking a refund), hit and run services and products, fake items sold as genuine....etc....etc...etc....the list is endless.

Are the above shady practices only a recent issue? No, of course not, but in recent years this definitely has become so much that the imbeciles at G don't know or don't care at all(taking the easy route) how to fight that spam without doing damage to websites that try and make an honest living.

[MarvinG]

@seokees I feel exactly the same. Also active with a Dutch website with high authority and eloborated content (no AI) and selfmade pictures. Lost a lot of traffic since October. Can't see the reason why, so I lost my motivation.... it's a shame.

[RedBar]

Lost a lot of traffic since October. Can't see the reason why, so I lost my motivation

Maybe a crazy question however I have no idea of your business / website.

Have you lost realworld sales or are you a blogger with advertising income derived from clicks / impressions?

Everyone's traffic loss has a different effect since many of us deem a successful site's traffic in completely different ways. Someone's small business 100 page views per day may seem like nothing compared to a blogger expecting 100K per day and, of course, Instagram, YouTube, Pinterest, Twitter and Facebook absorb many people's attention when users have limited time.

Many people are at worl, many people are doing hosework, many people are in the pub, many people are in restaurants, many people are doing sports, many people are watch tv / films, many people have different interests rather than constantly looking at screens.

Controversial ? The www is no longer seen as innovative or something to be understood, it's now an expected essential service like electricity, water, gas etc, people are using it completely differently compared to 2015/10/05/00/95. I know I do and I've been using it since 1993!

[ichthyous]

Traffic is truly awful today, search is -24%, direct traffic -53%, and USA is -38%. It could be the coming Thanksgiving holiday, but international traffic is down almost as much or more...down 15%-48%. I have seen my ranking drop recently, but not a huge amount.

[morpheus83]

Lily Ray has put up an interesting post on the drop in discover traffic that many have faced -
[amsive.com...]

[Micha]

@morpheus83 I read the article earlier, really interesting. Google has already said that they are looking into it, but that there is no reason to hope for an increase in traffic.

Well, and as far as my numbers are concerned, I've seen a further drop since Sunday, around -17 percent, although many of my keywords are ranking much better. A clear downward trend can also be observed for various other websites.

[engine]

I've spent a few hours comparing Google and Bing, running the same searches on each.
I'm sure it won't come as a surprise, Bing is way better.

I'd confirm, from my point of view in this test, Google is broken.

[tom_010101]

I have the impression that the final collapse of my site is imminent in Germany for the last 2-3 days. Visitors are down by a good 30% again and overall there have been around 80% fewer website visitors since August. Where can you get the motivation to continue after 22 years of self-employment? It is to despair.

[MarvinG]

Maybe a crazy question however I have no idea of your business / website.

Have you lost realworld sales or are you a blogger with advertising income derived from clicks / impressions?

Everyone's traffic loss has a different effect since many of us deem a successful site's traffic in completely different ways. Someone's small business 100 page views per day may seem like nothing compared to a blogger expecting 100K per day and, of course, Instagram, YouTube, Pinterest, Twitter and Facebook absorb many people's attention when users have limited time.

Many people are at worl, many people are doing hosework, many people are in the pub, many people are in restaurants, many people are doing sports, many people are watch tv / films, many people have different interests rather than constantly looking at screens.

Controversial ? The www is no longer seen as innovative or something to be understood, it's now an expected essential service like electricity, water, gas etc, people are using it completely differently compared to 2015/10/05/00/95. I know I do and I've been using it since 1993!

I have a blog / platform about health (fitness / nutrition) since 2014, doing 'good' in rankings and making money by ads and affiliate. Content is all hand-written and use my own pics in reviews etc. I also work as a nutritionist so I offer my services online. So it is not a webshop, but I do 'sell' my advice on there.

Since October I see websites with low authority, spammy ads and fake author profiles ranking above me. Not to mention AI generated content or scraped articles.

[superclown2]

I'd confirm, from my point of view in this test, Google is broken.

If it is indeed broken, then they have done it deliberately. Google are capable of creating excellent results but, as I'm sure you've read in the trial reports, they make more money if visitors have to search beyond the first page, and get exposed to more ads.

They have a balancing act between getting higher profits every quarter and annoying visitors so much that they go elsewhere.

I know that this sounds like a crazy conspiracy theory but if you look at the released emails it's all there in black and white.

[RedBar]

@MarvinG

Oh dear, you're in the health sector, there is an acronym for this however I can't remember what! YML ?

This sector has had several poundings over the years with all SEs trying to flush-out all the scam sites with, as you note, unsuccessful purges. There used to be several posters here from valid health sites who've suffered similarly and I do know of a few who were totally wiped out as collateral damage.

Maybe someone else experienced in this sector could advise?

[RedBar]

however I can't remember what! YML ?

YMYL ? Your Money or Your Life ?

[renatovieira]

Huge drop today...

[christianz]

@renatovieira

Huge drop today...

I came here just to write exactly the same!

Huge drop today!

[christianz]

Past week has been flat, maybe tiny bit worse than week before.

But today is something else. Giant drop. I am sure there is bunch of garbage surfaced in the SERP again.

[adman]

My site is steady, no volatility.
Last 7 days is even 1-2% up.

[ichthyous]

Huge drop today...

And yesterday, and Saturday. My USA traffic is -45% at 2pm today. Sunday snapped back to normal. Funny thing is I am getting more inquiries now with less traffic than in the previous 9 days with higher traffic...

[RedBar]

Huge drop today...

And for the third day running I'm up again, Sunday 117%, Monday 128% and so far today 106%.

Obviously I have zero idea why!

[Fluff_Nutz]

Youtube: +116%
Site: -5%
Motivation: +30%

[christianz]

Youtube: +116%

Well, YouTube is awarded up to 20 of top 20 SERP placements. So naturally it will always go up. Worst content on YouTube will outrank best content outside of YouTube.

[Fluff_Nutz]

Yes, exactly. This is also why I am trying to take advantage of this opportunity. Especially when I feel like I may have missed out with the website side of things. I really don't want a repeat. Its also nice to see something increasing at least ha!

[oldog]

whatever you write one is sure, the results have not been finalized, google faces one of the longest core updates , it should had finished on the 16th of November but still its rolling out both core and reviews update for a third week instead of two as they said....does that means anything to you?
[status.search.google.com...]

[engine]

It has indexing issues, and, the November 2023 reviews update was announced as it is now an ongoing update.