On June 14th we reported on a Google Search ranking algorithm update and since then the Google search results have not stopped with its larger than normal volatility. It is like they put the pot of water on the stove and never turned it off, at least not for the past several days now.
Since the 14th, the Google search tracking tools have been way hotter than normal and the chatter has not died down in the SEO community. I don't think I've seen a period thing long with such heated volatility, with no confirmed update.
As a reminder, we had reported on four previous unconfirmed Google Search ranking updates; one around June 14th and ongoing, then June 6th then around May 22/23rd, then around May 17t, then on May 10th and the other around early May. There were some other signs of an update between but honestly, I did not cover it because not all the marks I track hit on those.
Google Tracking Tools
Just look at these charts from these tools, most are super hot for several days now:
RankRanger (this should heat up in a couple of hours):
What a wild time!
SEO Chatter
Like I said, the chatter is still ongoing and heated, in fact, we have close to a hundred comments just in my last post about a Google update from June 14th. Plus the chatter at WebmasterWorld and Black Hat World is all super active.
Here are some selected quotes from these sources:
My site had been doing well and all of a sudden, it's a barren wasteland with traffic having dried up. So frustrating how often this is happening now. Feels like Google are experimenting and updating the algorithms so regularly that people writing quality content are getting screwed big time.
My site that got wiped out and recovered 24-hours later... just got wiped out again.
Rankings are the best we have seen them for our sites, yet traffic has dropped, and the worse thing is conversions have disappeared ???Bullsh*t Google. It's about time you were put out to pasture.
Update 6/17/2023: My traffic is back where it was 5 days ago. It was a gradual increase every day over the last 4 days.Also, yesterday's Google Search Console showed some of the decline.
I had the same increase on my sites. Today reverted to how it was 7 days ago exactly. Hopefully, this is just a reflection of the update and passes. Would hate to see this growth stop. Have you checked your site on Semrush or Ahrefs? Have you gotten a lot of new keywords in the last few days? I'd hate to think these will just vanish. I'd be pissed.
I wouldn't have known there was an update judging by Google's traffic which has been flat-lined dead for months. Nothing but ads above the fold had and continues to have that effect.In our case, and for many other USA based ecommerce sites, I think Google ran out of nails for the coffin and used screws instead. Google already put us in the ground and has been tossing shovels full of dirt on us for months. Next up is for Google to place the headstone. Trying to be optimistic, we're still here and our sales continue to rise from other sources.
Huge drop today
I am also seeing a big drop today. USA is -28% at -6pm. Australia and UAE have been -48% for two days. Search is -11%
Different niches, but the impacts of updates are very similar. USA is my biggest audience, here too -30% drop.
USA traffic -46% at noon...nice! UAE is the other big drop at -42%. Germany -33%
Really wild ups and downs this past week, low to high 281% on weekdays!
I am in working in UAE, from Tuesday to Thursday, traffic was dead. Today I am seeing getting back to normal now don't know about the afternoon.
Finance/blockchain news - terrible few days after a very good first two weeks in June. Reminds me of the kind of destroying updates that punishes mid-tier sites and give advantage to top tier sites like Forbes
What is going on folks? I hope some of you are seeing positive changes.
Forum discussion at WebmasterWorld and Black Hat World.
