Updated June 17, 2022
Reading Time: 2 minutes
Stormy Weather in Google
This past month we’ve seen a several unnamed search algorithm changes, some confusing and most without Google comment. I’ll recap some of the techie chatter and explain what the SEO trade publications have been reporting.
Reporting on SEO Conditions
I’ve mentioned Mozcast in many previous posts. This is a site I go to daily. If you’re responsible for online marketing, I highly recommend bookmarking this site. It provides a snapshot of the SEO weather over the last 30 days. The higher the temperature, it means that Google’s rankings are experiencing fluctuations.
However, it’s difficult to boil the Google algorithm into one indexed number. That’s why Moz has a “Top-View Metrics tab;” here you can see the different elements measured to see how stormy the SEO conditions are.
Unnamed Search Changes on February 4
Search changes happen all the time. Some are big (worthy of official comments by Google to the press), while others are more stealthy. The February 4 unnamed search change fell into the latter category. Lots of speculation and no real answers. After seeing the Mozcast temperatures rise over several days and reaching a peak of 90 degrees, I looked in Webmaster Tools for any supporting evidence. Nope. But I did see a blip on February 11. There was another hot day on February 15. It’s not uncommon for changes to rollout slowly.
The upshot?
- It was confirmed that the unnamed search changes were unrelated to Panda or Penguin.
- Some Webmasters saw they got kicked off of SERPs for many keywords.
- Some Webmasters saw little movement on SERPs.
- Some Webmasters saw a nice lift (some as much as 5%).
- Basically there’s been a lot of head scratching and no real answers.
The Real Lesson
White Hat SEO is a long-term strategy. Keep focused on providing the best user experience (create great content) and keep a clean link profile (your website has few spammy inbound links).
Sorry it’s not a more interesting and dramatic answer. Follow the rules, respect your audience, and you’ll reap your rewards. Yes, it’s that simple.
Did February’s unnamed search changes affect your site?
What Does Your Logo Mean To You