May 2024 Google Search Observations

[Billy85]

When I checked my site, 90% or so were some Spam links, but I wouldn't disavow them because I've heard that some sites were worse off after disavowing.
Almost every site has to deal with this and from what I understand, Google only regards those that are listed in your search console?

I also think it has also to do with the amount of people that click on it, meaning, if you try to build backlinks and nobody is clicking on it, google disregards them or gives that link less relevance.

[edited by: not2easy at 1:30 pm (utc) on May 2, 2024]
[edit reason] split thread cleanup [/edit]

[tom_010101]

Next week. starts search.chatgpt.com

[universenet]

And what search will be included? Data from AI chatgpt or links to some websites?

If just inside chatgpt so that will be internal internet

[tom_010101]

Not good for us, but i hope, it kills Google...

[not2easy]

There are two open discussions on the topic of ChatGPT's coming AI search: [webmasterworld.com...]
and [webmasterworld.com...]

[Micha]

Phew, I'm really glad I don't run a store. My buddy's store hasn't had any sales since Sunday and that's continuing. The number of visitors was at a normal level yesterday, and it doesn't look bad today either, but according to the statistics, everyone leaves the store after 2 seconds. So Google only seems to be sending zombies. Two other store owners I know well are doing exactly the same. That's not normal ....

[renatovieira]

When I search site:mydomain.com - it no longer shows the number of pages indexed. Has anyone else noticed this?

[Micha]

@renatovieira Yes, the number seems to be gone

[Treud]

@Micha,

When the Core update was done, I went back to a normal visit numbers, now with the new update, it’s getting crazy again. Google must use bots that are not labeled bots so we think they are customer but in the end it’s only bots, and bots. I’m sure 50% and up of the internet is only bot/crawler/scrappers.

[londrum]

all of my competitors have lost traffic from september through march (including me) and we're all pretty decent sites, but we're also affiliates. some of them have display ads, some don't, but we all do affiliate sales.
the only two sites are that haven't been affected are the sector's main player, which sells its own stuff, and another big site that is still an affiliate, but has it set up as a white label with its own branding on it.

I'm guessing there's going to be no real recovery if our sites continues with affiliate sales.
maybe switching over to a white label is worth a try

[Treud]

I don’t run ads, I’m selling products from different brands, same as shoe store selling Nike, Converse etc etc.
Since March Update it’s like 80% less sales, but traffic seems to recover… but what’s the point to collect traffic that is not converting ?

[Micha]

Could it be that Google Ads are nothing more than a waste of money? I mean, you stuff a lot of money down Google's throat and I hear more and more often that nothing comes of it.

[Treud]

Been long time I didn’t spent anything on ADS, unless you are full of cash to waste just to brainwash people searching and take the spot of someone else. Google is basically wasting your budget asap to feed the shareholders.

[Treud]

I’ll go back to the traditional - Print & Mail catalog- to small shops, will cost me the same price than ads (maybe less) and at least I’ll have something that will stay on a desk of a potential customer longer than just a 1sec swap on mobile.

[ichthyous]

Could it be that Google Ads are nothing more than a waste of money? I mean, you stuff a lot of money down Google's throat and I hear more and more often that nothing comes of it.

Just read the actual experiences posted here with Google ads, including my own. It's pure fraud and no matter how much you target your ad many of the clicks will still come from India or other places you don't want to pay for. It's one half step above scam. I calculated that I would have to pay $110 to Google to get one single inquiry. 95% of the visitors from Google ads hit one page for one second and leave. Better to make a bonfire with your cash on the front lawn.

[RedBar]

After a holiday weekend in the UK our hotel site, and tills, had a storming weekend with a 153% level.

Unlike many others here my global site is holding its traffic with the USA returning to its normal range.

[ghostofseo]

Could it be that Google Ads are nothing more than a waste of money? I mean, you stuff a lot of money down Google's throat and I hear more and more often that nothing comes of it.

Any publishers at the moment that are NOT Google Ads customers should seriouslly avoid spending money with Google. The advertisers at least in my outdoor sports topics are all retailers. You want to swing d*cks with sites that can afford to loose money by retargeting customers?

LOL.

There are much better places to buy ads. Facebook and Instagram if done correctly offer great ROI. Not the Boost function! But actual ads, targeted to people you want to reach. They get uber specific if you wanted to target say, African American men, living in Los Angeles, that like Basketball, between the ages of 35-45 and are fans of Nike. - Just random example I'm throwing around.

The amount of brands bidding on their own names in Google is standing out. Most brands would never have to buy adds for their own domain, or maybe they drank the Google Kool-Aid too?

[NeapTide]

@renatovieira they must have paid statcounter to fix the so called "bug".

The people around me they have started using AI tools to ask questions and search for stuff. So how come google search market share is increasing?

[Billy85]

Could it be that Google Ads are nothing more than a waste of money? I mean, you stuff a lot of money down Google's throat and I hear more and more often that nothing comes of it.

I believe the HCU and its classifiers are a way to counter low ad conversion numbers by pushing advertisers content to the top.

Depending on the query, it's
Ads
Either Advertisers Pages, Forums, big sites and low converting pages/articles/blogs
More ads, PAA boxes
Good organic results that ranked previously top 3 are now somewhere on page 2 or 3.

Some of my posts had extremely good conversions with an average session duration of 4-5 minutes (for a particular page) and I believe these pages of mine were pushed down on purpose.

[superclown2]

Some of my posts had extremely good conversions with an average session duration of 4-5 minutes (for a particular page) and I believe these pages of mine were pushed down on purpose.

Everyone's pages are being pushed down on purpose.

I would expect that people who click on ads because they can't find the best website to match their query (which was what we used to expect from Google before Wall Street's influence took over) would produce a lower conversion rate for advertisers, rather than a higher one.

[Fluff_Nutz]

Guess the May update is now in effect. Traffic is -20% after a nice little bit of growth, which didn't really last that long in truth. You know, when I first started out, I used to create multiple documents where I would plan goals and try to achieve monthly targets. This, of course, was before I knew Google were corrupt. So all those documents have since been binned now.

I hope that the upcoming XAI and OpenAI give Google some proper competition. I also hope that all ''search engines'' come with their own content creators too. Else where are they going to be getting new content from? We should be appreciated for keeping these platforms going. Like soccer players in a sports team, but, unlike players we get shafted.

[sk7411]

Down from May 5 .

[Cyril TechWebsites]

Guys from UK:

Is this one is something interesting or nothing will happen?

[reuters.com...]

Will be very glad for some comments from you.

[universenet]

Governments will destroy google soon or later ...

[saladtosser]

whats happening now is going to seem like the good old days when SGE gets released to all users, just being able to pay your hosting bill will seem like a win!

[Micha]

@Cyril TechWebsites I'm not from the UK but: it's all about the advertising, but the unfair ranking, no government has said anything yet. And that is exactly what is destroying small websites.

[universenet]

For that manipulations what google doing normal people can finnish in prison.Will come time when everyone from government will try take maximum part from monster with name google what will be in "die process"

[Cyril TechWebsites]

@Micha:

Yes, you are right. But if Governments will restrict Google from taking more than 30% of device's display with non-organic results (ads), we will be feeling much more better. It's so simple, I guess.

[Micha]

@Cyril TechWebsites I don't think so, as long as certain companies are favored. Google will come up with something to make a profit.

[ubound]

I am watching my Matomo real-time stats, and it feels like Google is throttling traffic on and off, on and off.

[superclown2]

Is this one is something interesting or nothing will happen?

It's quite possible something will happen. Unlike America 'lobbying' is pretty ineffective over here thanks to our attitude to anything that smells of bribery.

There is an investigation underway in any case into alleged breaches of the DMA by Google which could result in massive fines, at least.

It will be interesting to see how many Google share options are cashed in by senior employees in the near future.

In the meanwhile I predict that Google will squeeze the goose that lays the golden eggs even harder so it could be a rough ride for many sites, both large and small.