It is well-known in the SEO world that Google regularly makes updates in its algorithm and rating parameters. Google publicly announces many of the broad-based updates through its various social and public channels. However, recently, there was an algorithm update in November that wasn’t at first announced by Google. The updates made by Google on 7th and 8th of November had a rippling effect on many US-based small scale affiliate sites. Some of the niches that were most affected after the Google algorithm update in 2019 were travel, e-commerce, health, and food.
After much discussion and hype about the impact of the Google November updates, Google confirmed on Twitter that updates were implemented. The search engine giant further stated that recent updates are a part of their routine updates that are periodically rolled out, and are not of the scale that needs public announcement like the BERT, Mobile Speed, or Penguin Updates. The announcement was first made by Google on its Twitter account named – Google SearchLiasion.
Google’s announcement mentions that there isn’t much for the site owners to worry about. However, webmasters in the US have noticed a traffic dip in the range of 20 to 30 percent in several niches. As per some of the earlier updates like the Google Algorithm Update in March 2019 and the Google Algorithm Update in September 2019, it was mentioned that the company is in the process of changing its ranking algorithm and to expect a regular flow of updates.
Google mentions that the November update isn’t specific to any particular industry or niche but is more focused on the types of search queries made by users. However, due to the lack of more information about the specific nature of updates, it all comes down to analytically speculating on the anatomy of November updates. After the repercussions of the Mobile Speed Update by Google in 2018, Google changed its communication policy with regards to updates. In 2019 alone, Google has made four announcements regarding the updates they rolled out.
Google Algorithm Update March 2019
In this update, there were several changes made in the ranking algorithm, specifically to health and other related topics. The algorithm was shifted largely towards more trusted sources to ensure the end-users are connected to authoritative sources. Health and other sensitive topics can have severe implications if the wrong information reaches users. Google wants to ensure that search queries and intent are measured in a way that allows its algorithm to connect dots within its content network reliably, ensuring that the most authentic and trusted sources are ranked higher for better user experience.
Google Algorithm Update June 2019
It’s one of the historical core updates that Google announced even before it was implemented. It helped push video carousels up in the search results and largely impacted news based websites. The focus of Google here was to help bring the most authentic and reliable news sites to the public. The keyword here is quality, and the news sites with low-quality content witnessed a significant dip in their rankings. The focus in this update was also to help the original sources of news to stay on top spots for longer.
Google Algorithm September 2019
Again, in September 2019, the company announced the rollout of a core update in advance. The update was primarily oriented towards the quality of the content and encouraging website owners to focus on quality and researched content. Some industry professionals reported the healthcare and financial sector being hit by the update, with many sites seeing a sudden drop in rankings and traffic.
After the November updates were rolled out, there have been a lot of discussions on Twitter, Facebook, and other social media and community channels about its scale and impact. While many of the sectors aren’t reporting any significant changes, YMYL domains, health sites, financial sites, food blogs, and lifestyle websites, have noticed a drastic decline in rankings and traffic in the range of over 30 percent in some instances.
However, the travel niche seems to have gained from the November update. Many of travel sites have not only climbed up in Google’s rankings, but their traffic has also been shooting up considerably. Many SEO veterans like Glenn Gabe, Casey Markee, and Alan Bleiweiss took to Twitter to share what they think about the November 2019 update with the world. They also shared their findings with regards to how their sites’ statistics and analytics reacted to the November update.
Even though experts from different niches have mixed opinions about the Google November 2019 update, one fact that many SEO experts agreed on is that the update was aggressive, especially on small affiliate websites. Most of the affiliate websites that were hit by the recent November update are from the United States. One well-known SEO expert, Kevin Indig, VP of SEO & Content at G2, not only called the November update aggressive but even compared it to the Penguin Update of 2012.
Even though some markets did record some gain, the blanket opinion seems to be negatively pointing towards the November 2019 update. Google algorithm updates are rolled out frequently. It is why it’s essential to keep track of the latest SEO updates in 2019. For website owners, SEO experts, and professionals in the field of digital media, it’s crucial to stay in the know about every Google update. It helps in making essential changes in SEO strategy to get an edge over the competition. It also ensures the current rankings are not severely impacted. Appropriate tweaks in SEO strategy can help control damage caused as an after-effect of a Google algorithm update.
