google fred

Google has become increasingly cagey about its updates. If there is one, unless it’s gargantuan, you probably won’t hear about it from the search engine. Take a look at some of their communications on Twitter via their spokespeople, John Mueller and Gary Illyes: Yes, we make changes almost every day. — John ☆.o(≧▽≦)o.☆ (@JohnMu) March 9, 2017 we have 3 updates a day in average. I think it’s pretty safe to assume there was one recently… — Gary “鯨理” Illyes (@methode) March 9, 2017 It’s like it’s physically impossible for them to come out and say it. Because of this secrecy and caginess, marketers and webmasters have to play a game of detective whenever they notice changes to search. This “volatility,” as it’s commonly termed, shows up in their automated statistics, particularly those for SEO visibility. From there, they have to read the clues and compile data to come to any conclusions. The most recent Google update waves that rolled through the internet happened in March 2017. It’s now simply known as “Fred.” (Gary Illyes jokingly said all the updates should be called Fred, and it stuck for this one in particular.) There was no announcement, no forewarning. SEOs and webmasters noticed the “volatility” affecting their stats and their rankings. Then they compared notes, which all lined up. Here’s a good example from Glen Gabe, the marketer in front of G-Squared Interactive. He shared how Fred affected a site that had heavy advertising: Overnight, the site lost almost 60% of its organic traffic from Google. That’s a huge amount. Lots of other sites reported traffic losses just as deep, but Google kept mum about it. So, that begs these questions: What did Fred do? What kind of sites, exactly, did it affect? How do you stay on Google’s good side if they won’t offer guidance about their algorithm updates? And, perhaps most importantly, what does the biggest Google update in 2017 mean for you and your site? Let’s delve into this topic together. Grab a tea or a coffee, and join me! Google’s “Fred” Algorithm Update: The Shot Heard ‘Round the World This update sent shockwaves through the internet. Some marketers discovered their traffic had been hit hard (down anywhere from 50% to 90%). It was obvious that Google had done something big, but they wouldn’t cop to it outright. This tight-lipped response was nothing new, but it understandably rankled the SEO community, and not just because it was/is frustrating. Not just because it was/is frustrating, but also because Google’s zipped lips are no help in the face of huge chunks of organic traffic gone overnight. Kristine Schachinger for Search Engine Land summed up the frustration in her column: Here’s What Fred Tweaked So, we know that Fred was mainly a quality update – but what aspects of quality did it affect? SEOs analyzed the stats from hundreds of affected sites to figure out what it did. They found that this update mainly affected content sites whose goal was revenue (as opposed to providing value to users). Specifically, Barry Schwartz termed these sites as “ad heavy, low value.” These sites had features like: 1. Heavy Advertising One of the defining features of all sites badly hit: ads. Each and every one had heavy servings of advertising. Or, they had generous helpings of affiliate links sprinkled into their content. These ads were liberally integrated, pushy, and deceptive. Lots looked like on-site links but actually took you elsewhere. 2. Redundant or Non-Expert Information In most cases, sites that suffered an organic rankings dive also featured redundant, non-expert, or rehashed information. This was thin content – not well researched at all, stuff that merely skimmed the surface. 3. User Experience (UX) Interference The user experience is how easily a visitor can navigate your site, click around, and find what they need. This is a big factor for site quality because a poor UX can totally impede that information-gathering process. Here are some examples of roadblocks to a good UX. Glen Gabe calls these “low-quality user engagement problems”: Disruptive pop-ups that take over the whole screen Confusing navigation and site hierarchy Too much advertising – so much so that it drowns out the content Problems viewing the site on mobile 4. “Jacks-of-All-Trades, Masters of None” Content Another common feature was that most of the sites with traffic hits had a content format, like a blog. However, topics covered a wide range of information without any rhyme or reason. Some of these hit sites publicly shared their URLs. Here’s an example of a few posts from one of them: The content was not published to inform users; rather, it only served as a vehicle for advertising. In particular, the above blog featured useless information that Wikipedia or the “help” section of a product website already covered better. Here’s How to Keep Fred Happy Now that you understand what the Fred update did and who was affected, you can keep your own site compliant and Fred-friendly. This will be important for the future because Google is never going to stop throwing out updates. In fact, it’s pretty much a standard monthly thing these days. Here’s how to stay on Fred’s (and Google’s) good side to keep your chances of getting blindsided by any future update slimmer. 1. Recommit Yourself to Quality Content and Good SEO Practices If you’re already on top of your on-page SEO and content quality, good. Keep going. This commitment is one that builds on itself in terms of positive gains. The longer you stick with it, the better the results you’ll see. If you’ve cut corners, tried some “shortcuts,” or are just plain unsure about where you stand, you need to recommit yourself to quality. That means you should start making improvements to your site and content right this second. The sooner you start, the sooner you can get on your way to climbing the ranks, not falling into a black hole of Google penalties. 2. Pay Attention to UX UX … Read more