Search Engine Recap - Week 10 (2024)

Welcome to week 10, where we will discuss Google's major new core update, updated Quality Rater Guidelines, and also a new rich result format. Here's an overview for you.

Google Rolls Out Major Core Update

Google has announced an in-depth core update, which is a broad algorithmic update targeting low-quality content and introducing new spam policies to tackle domains attempting to manipulate the search engine.

This update is expected to take up to a month to fully roll out, which is twice as long as usual. Hence, this core update is being compared to some of the bigger updates in history, such as Panda and Penguin, and we are already seeing significant changes in search results nationally and internationally.

The update primarily aims to reduce useless content by 40% on the search engine and focuses on enhancing user experience by prioritizing high-quality and relevant content.

Additionally, four significant changes in the assessment of link signals are introduced, affecting rankings and necessitating a revisit to link-building strategies.

Insights into manual actions - known as manual penalties - show a stricter approach to enforcing Google's guidelines, emphasizing the importance of adhering to ethical SEO guidelines - in other words, compliance with E-E-A-T.

SEO professionals should, therefore, prioritize content quality, adapt to the updated documentation on link signals, and ensure compliance with Google's guidelines to effectively navigate through the changes.

This is the first core update since November and comes at an opportune time, considering Google's current focus. With new technologies being developed and the ongoing presence of thin AI content on the internet, it appears that Google - on behalf of users and website owners - needs to clean up and shine a light on those who deserve it.

It will be interesting to follow the next month to conclude the impact of the update.

Update to Google's Search Quality Evaluator Guidelines

Following the new core update, Google has updated its Search Quality Evaluator Guidelines with a focus on the credibility of websites.

The update to these guidelines emphasizes how Quality Raters identify untrustworthy websites and content through specific characteristics, illustrated by examples in the updated guidelines.

These guidelines serve as a reference for Google's Quality Raters (who can also be described as quality evaluators).

This is used to assess the credibility and quality of websites, which indirectly - as feedback - influences the development of Google's search algorithms.

All SEO professionals should, therefore, focus on producing high-quality and credible content and regularly review these guidelines to align with Google's standards. This will improve the chances of ranking high in search results.

Google Announces New Carousel Rich Result Format

We wrap up with another update from Google. Google has announced a new carousel rich result format that can display lists of local businesses, products, and events in a scrolling carousel.

This format requires the use of ItemList structured data, with specifications for each item such as price, reviews, and images. The feature is currently in beta and aims to provide users with a more dynamic and informative search experience.

For those in SEO, this emphasizes the overall value of implementing structured data to enhance visibility and engagement in Google's search results. Ensure your strategy is up to date with structured data.

Takeaways and Recommendations

The format of Google's new core update underscores the importance of delivering valuable content that follows guidelines rather than avoiding them. This is already evident through algorithmic and manual actions by Google worldwide.

This has also made it natural to update the Search Quality Evaluator Guidelines simultaneously. Overall, this shows that Google is generally enhancing both its search engine and guidance on all fronts. It will be exciting to see how the search results look as we enter April.

Lastly, it will be interesting to see how the new rich result format unfolds further. With new forms of structured data, Google continues to expand opportunities for businesses to promote their products and messages. Therefore, it's crucial to adapt to these updates.

If you want to know more about what the updates mean for your business, feel free to reach out to us. As a specialized SEO agency, we work daily to translate developments from the search engine into proactive actions that boost results.