Search Engine Recap - Week 25 (2024)

We welcome week 25, which delves into Google's just-announced spam update, a new SGE study, and updated documentation on structured data. Here is an overview.

New Spam Update from Google

Google has rolled out a June 2024 spam update targeting websites that violate their spam policies.

The update, which started on June 20, is expected to take a week to complete. It focuses on improving the quality of search results by addressing issues such as AI-generated content, link manipulation, and misleading experiences.

However, this update is separate from the Site Reputation Abuse update, which has been announced several times.

Websites that employ overly clever and spammy tricks may therefore experience a decline in their rankings, while legitimate domains can expect progress.

However, the update has sparked dissatisfaction among many, as they are frustrated with losing traffic to large platforms like Pinterest and Reddit.

Critics claim that these updates disproportionately harm small domains and independent websites, but since the update is not yet fully rolled out, it is too early to draw any conclusions.

New Study on Google's AI Results

A new study has shown that Google has again reduced the frequency of AI-generated overviews in search results, now appearing in just under 10% of searches. However, these overviews are more detailed, typically including fewer but more relevant links.

The presence of AI overviews varies across industries, with higher occurrences seen in topics like food and technology.

However, this is expected to be just a temporary snapshot, as Google continually aims to improve the accuracy and reliability of AI-generated content in search results, to help as many as possible.

E-commerce and UGC Prioritized Even More by Google

New data from Amsive shows that Google is increasingly prioritizing e-commerce sites and User-Generated Content in search results, which reduces the visibility of many product reviews and affiliate content.

Search results that previously led to review sites now highlight online retailers and UGC platforms such as Reddit and YouTube.

This shift is particularly due to Google's focus on delivering the best results on E-E-A-T, which many affiliates fail to meet.

Therefore, there should be a greater focus on social media, video content, and digital PR strategies. E-commerce sites can benefit from incorporating more user reviews and UGC to maintain high rankings.

Update to 'Organization Structured Data'

We wrap up with Google, which has updated its documentation on organization structured data for merchant returns, clarifying the prioritization of return policies.

If both sitewide and product return policies are present, Google will by default use the product policy.

This clarification aims to resolve ambiguities and improve the accuracy of return policies in search results.

Additionally, Merchant Center data will continue to take precedence over structured data for products listed in Merchant Center feeds.

Takeaways and Recommendations

Google's new spam update once again underscores Google's perpetual focus on delivering the best for people.

If you are fond of using overly clever tactics and running large-scale content with AI, as well as buying links, you are in a vulnerable position.

It is also interesting to see the latest studies from Google, which show that although SGE has been rolled out in the US, it is still being extensively tested to make it as good as possible.

Once again, the coming period will be exciting to follow, as well as how this also affects markets outside the US.

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