Search Engine Recap - Week 19 (2024)

Welcome to Week 19, where we will cover new documentation for Product Structured Data, Site Reputation Abuse, and advice for those negatively affected by the recent core update. Here's an overview.

Google Updates Structured Data Documentation for Products

Google has updated its Product Structured Data documentation by dividing it into three focused pages.

This update aims to simplify the material by categorizing the information into divided topics.

This includes an introduction to Product Structured Data, Product Snippet Structured Data, and Merchant Listing Structured Data.

The change is aimed at improving accessibility and relevance especially for e-commerce sites and people in SEO in general, providing clearer guidance on using structured data in various contexts such as product reviews.

There are also specific sections on choosing markup depending on the user's needs and product information.

"Site Reputation Abuse" Update Has Begun

Google has announced the start of its "Site Reputation Abuse" update, targeting businesses that have gained traffic through manipulation and third-party content on other domains - also known as parasite SEO.

This manual action is currently underway, with an algorithmic update expected to follow.

The policy aims to combat strategies where domains primarily host content to exploit ranking opportunities without creating real value.

Several major brands have even changed their websites to comply with these new guidelines from Google.

Considerations Following a Core Update

We conclude with several important factors that businesses should consider if their website has been negatively impacted by a core update.

Considerations include understanding that the effects of updates are not necessarily permanent, and improvements to one's domain can influence the retrieval of rankings.

In general, core updates can change how Google assesses websites, and rebuilding does not necessarily mean regaining the same rankings as before.

Moreover, it's crucial to remember that Google continually adjusts its algorithms, which affects ranking factors.

Adapting a website to current web standards and user expectations - as well as focusing on User Experience - is therefore essential.

Additionally, improvements in the actual user experience can help regain the top positions one might have had before.

Takeaways and Recommendations

Week 19 saw a few but relevant updates that, among other things, make structured data more understandable so it can be optimized as effectively as possible.

Furthermore, it will be exciting to follow the effect of the Site Reputation Abuse update, which has taken effect. It already appears that many domains are affected.

Finally, it's important to stay updated on what can be done if one has been hit by a core update—and remember that it is possible to regain one's results if optimized better than the competition to benefit one's target audience.

Need to boost your results? You're more than welcome to reach out to us. As a specialized SEO agency, we empower businesses across the country to reach the top of the search engine.