Google Search October Update

Updated January 13, 2023

On the heels of recent algorithm changes, Google search has undergone another major change.  The latest update is good news for the human user, a change that Google has been working on since January. Have you landed on a page where the content is buried in a sea ads? Annoying, right?

If your website does not have ads, then you’re golden. No need to read further unless you’re thinking of adding this feature in the future.

If you do have paid advertising on your site, then beware. Users are unhappy with scrolling through a ton of ads just to get to actual content. They’ve complained loudly and Google has heard them. So if your site doesn’t have much content above the fold, then expect your SEO rankings to suffer.

Here are the key takeaways for the latest Google search changes:

• If pages are top heavy with ads, expect SEO penalties
• Be sure that your pages have substantial content above-the-fold
• Google predicts only 1% of global queries and .7% of English-language sites will be affected
• If your site was dinged as “Top Heavy” back in January when Google made their original announcement and you’ve mended your ways, you may get a second chance.
• If your site is dinged as “Top Heavy” with this latest Google search update, then your SEO suffering will continue until the next update.

Yup, it’s good to be a White Hat SEO practioner. When you follow the spirit of search — what’s ultimately good for the human searcher — then these Google search updates will continue to reward your good behavior. Stay tuned as I anticipate even more changes from the search engine giant, especially at it relates to inbound links and efforts to crack down on Black Hatters.