google seo - Express Writers

January 2020 Core Update: All You Need to Know (Plus Tips on How to Survive It)

January 1, 2021January 28, 2020 by Adam Oakley

On January 13, Google announced a core algorithm update called the January 2020 Core Update. Immediately, site owners took to social media to express their dismay on (yet another) major change that could affect the years of hard work they’d put into reaching a top spot on Google’s SERPs. Some posted despairing memes. Others begged Google “not to be cruel.” Yet others worried how their keyword rankings would be affected as the new update rolled in. pic.twitter.com/VhifzOau2o — Heba Said (@HebaSaidSEO) January 13, 2020 So, what is the January 2020 Core Update? Should you be worried about it? Most importantly, what changes should you make to your site so you don’t lose your Google rankings? Let’s explore this massive update in today’s brand new blog. [bctt tweet=”Should you be worried about @Google’s January Core Update? What should you do to maintain your rankings? Find out in this new guide by @JuliaEMcCoy” username=”ExpWriters”] January 2020 Core Update: All You Need to Know (Plus Tips on How to Survive It) – Table of Contents January 2020 Core Update, Explained Experts and Content Creators Speak Up about the January 2020 Core Update The Top Sites Impacted by the January 2020 Core Update How to Optimize Your Site to Survive the January 2020 Core Update 5 Aspects of Content That Ranks Well on Google 1. Originality 2. Comprehensiveness 3. Expertise 4. User-Friendly and Trustworthy Presentation 5. User Value 5 Tips to Update Your Content and Continue Ranking Well Despite Major Google Updates 1. Write Content You Can’t Find Elsewhere 2. Improve Content Found on High-Ranking Sites for Your Keyword 3. Proofread to Perfection 4. Step into Your Audience’s Shoes 5. Forget Keywords Moving Forward after the January 2020 Core Update January 2020 Core Update, Explained Google’s number one goal is to provide value to users. Because of this, it has made thousands of changes per year in recent years. However, not all of these changes are noticeable. Most of them are tiny tweaks. The January 2020 Core Update is different. According to Google, this update will have more noticeable and actionable effects for content producers and webmasters. source: Google Webmaster Central Blog [bctt tweet=”The January 2020 Core Update is different. According to Google, this update will have more noticeable and actionable effects for content producers and webmasters.” username=”ExpWriters”] What it boils down to is Google making a brand-new list of the top sites with the most value in 2020. If your site takes a hit and falls in the SERPs, it’s not because it’s a bad site. It’s simply because users are changing. There are a ton of new sites online. And there are sites which have been online for some time, but whose value was never fully discovered. Source: Search Engine Journal Overall, the January 2020 Core Update is going to shake up the SEO world. Let’s look at what webmasters and content creators have to say about it. Experts and Content Creators Speak Up about the January 2020 Core Update Users reacted differently when the news of the January 2020 Core Update was released. Some were dismayed. pic.twitter.com/cN9wSAXasi — Jon Tromans (@JonTromans) January 13, 2020 Others were confused. @JohnMu YOU PEOPLE HAVE ROBBED US OF OUR HARD WORK and Thousands of dollars spent on content. CONFUSED @Google @googlewmc — Kingsley Felix (@Iamkingsleyf) January 14, 2020 Still others decided to laugh it off. I miss the days when these updates had cool animal names — Da Schnitzi (@DaSchnitzi) January 13, 2020 Of course, top marketers and SEO experts had their own opinions. Rand Fishkin’s interest was on the bolded ads, favicons, and brand icons featured in the update. My theory on why this took so long to get to desktop: Google knows it obscures ads & thus increases ad CTR (according to @jumpshotinc data from 2019, the mobile change yielded ~15% more ad clicks), and wanted to wait until a quarter in which they needed to show that growth. https://t.co/5bMQoCLbS2 — Rand Fishkin (@randfish) January 13, 2020 SEMrush listed three prominent changes the update included. What’s new in #Google? January 2020 Core update Brand icons & black ad labels are live on desktop SERPs Brand new SERP features New options in the rich results test More fresh industry news in our first Google News Digest of 2020 https://t.co/7DyriMZo9A. — SEMrush (@semrush) January 20, 2020 A few days after the release of the update, Glenn Gabe tweeted his findings on the “volatile” splash it had made. The Jan 2020 core update volatility seems to be calming down, which makes sense. Danny announced on Thurs that the update completed, although we could see the effects for a week or two. But to me, major volatility should be done. Here are some of the trackers showing volatility: pic.twitter.com/b3nGzW8O31 — Glenn Gabe (@glenngabe) January 18, 2020 Will this update affect you? According to Danny Sullivan, it will, no matter where you live. It’s a global update. It has (and does always unless we say otherwise) rolled out globally. — Danny Sullivan (@dannysullivan) January 16, 2020 The Top Sites Impacted by the January 2020 Core Update In the few days since the January 2020 Core Update rolled in, various sites in different sectors showed significant change in SERP rankings. Let’s look at the winners and losers (so far). 1. Sites with Improved Rankings Since the January 2020 Core Update According to data from Sistrix, sites in the health sector enjoyed gains since the update rolled in. OnHealth.com and verywellhealth.com saw a 37.7% and 34.72% change, respectively. Source: Sistrix.com Other sites with improved ranking include a football site, a movie tickets site, and two news sites. Could this have to do with trending news (the British Royal Family and the Holocaust) and entertainment content? 2. Sites with Lower Rankings Since the January 2020 Core Update The sites which took the biggest hits since the update are carmagazine.co.uk and boxofficemojo.com. Source: Sistrix.com The data shows car buyer and finance sites also taking hits since the update rolled in. Could … Read more

Infographic: A Timeline History of Google’s Major SEO Content Updates (An Actionable Retrospective for Users, Publishers, and Content Creators)

December 31, 2020August 13, 2013 by Tara Clapper

This post, a full history on Google’s SEO content algorithm updates, has been updated by our team in May of 2017. Infographic: A Timeline History of Google’s Major SEO Content Updates (An Actionable Retrospective for Users, Publishers, and Content Creators) We’re used to Google updates and announcements now, but do you recall the old days of improved search? Panda, Penguin, and even Mobilegeddon really shook things up for content creators, publishers, and Google users. Content writers have had to adapt considerably: not only do we have to know about past and upcoming changes, we must advise our clients on inbound content strategies that benefit the end user in current times. About Our Google Updates Timeline This timeline shows not only the Google SEO and algorithm updates, but how they affect content creation and content marketing. This list also includes unofficial updates, during which users noticed fluctuations, but there was no official Google statement or announcement. Users affectionately branded these updates “ghost,” “zombie,” etc. Perhaps we’ll get vampires and werewolves soon, too! I did not include each and every unconfirmed update, though I did mention them in some instances. 2017 February-March: Fred What: Analysts noticed search engine ranking changes, but Google remained quiet on the details. Google’s Gary Illyes said the update targeted aspects of already published guidelines, but observers specifically noticed the targeting of low-value content. Other algorithm updates preceded Fred, but details are sketchy and it’s unknown whether they are related to Fred. Users: Better quality search results. Publishers: As always, you need to be on top of your content game. Now is a great time to go back through some mediocre content and improve quality. Content Creators: Work on restructuring and improving previous content to maintain or improve ranking. January 10: Intrusive Interstitial Popup Penalty What: This Google update penalized sites with intrusive pop up ads. Users: Google is more likely to lead users to sites without annoying pop ups. Publishers: Publishers must reconfigure sites to function and funnel traffic without pop up ads. Rely on persuasive content to meet your goals. Content Creators: What is the purpose of the ads formerly appearing on the site for which you’re writing? Consider this strongly when you construct calls to action (CTAs) and the content itself. Use streamlined graphics to accomplish this task. 2016 September 23: Google Penguin 4.0 What: Google’s algorithm began updating in real time and providing page-specific analysis, which was more specific than its previous incarnation. Users: Outdated site changes and website hacks will affect your search results less often. Publishers: Your pages may index faster when you publish or update content. Content Creators: Even if it doesn’t hit Google News, your timely content has more value. You’re still competing with social media, but you can create a live blog that updates as time goes on, just as news sites do during major events. This is creating a liveblogging trend on regular blog platforms like WordPress – it’s not just for microblog sites like Twitter anymore. In September of 2016, many site owners reported penalties and promotions in SERPs (search engine page results) May 12: Mobile Friendly (Boost) Update What: This boosted mobile-friendly sites in the SERPs beyond the existing preference. Users: If you’re on mobile, this will serve you more posts that will display well on your device. Publishers: There’s a further emphasis on mobile. If Mobilegeddon didn’t wake you up, this should do the trick. Content Creators: Mobile-friendliness includes a lot of factors, not all of which are disclosed by Google. Mobile-friendly content contains short paragraphs, bullet lists (when applicable), and immediate information. February 23: AdWords Update What: Google axed sidebar ads. Instead, you got another ad at the top when you search (total four). Users: Be aware of which results are ads (there’s still an ad box to the left of the result to indicate that it’s an advertisement). If you’re on mobile, ads will take up most of your screen initially after your search. Publishers: If you’re not pouring money into advertising, direct your content efforts towards appearing in the Google Knowledge Graph. Content Creators: Aim for the knowledge graph, find out what people are asking and answer their questions, and hone your keyword and content planning strategy. In January of 2016, it’s clear that Google was tweaking and updating their algorithm. This is called the “Ghost Update.” 2015 October 26: RankBrain Announcement What: Google announced that RankBrain has been active for half a year. RankBrain intelligently learned from searches. This artificial intelligence improved the algorithm to get users the information they need. Users: This helps you have a better search experience. RankBrain may not only learn about audiences in general, but you specifically, especially if you’re signed into Chrome as you browse. While that’s creepy, it’s also useful. Publishers: RankBrain means your site needs to be geared towards usefulness, even if you’re selling a product. If you’re selling gardening equipment, your free garden planner and your how-tos should be front and center – NOT your latest sale item. Content Creators: You’re officially writing for the people, not the search engine. You’re not in the race to rank unless you’re also taking the time to be the most useful. There may have been an update/incident on October 15. This was an indication of what was to come – and also of the new normal, which means small tweaks and unannounced algo updates every now and then. People call this one the “Zombie Update.” August: Local 3 Pack / “Snack Pack” Update What: Google began showing three local map results instead of a list of seven. Users: Google’s more integrated with its maps app now, so while you’ll get less results without having to scroll, you can click on any of them and easily navigate or call the business. Google will also tell you the hours of the business and other important info you need on the go. Publishers: If you have a local business and want to know where to spend your advertising … Read more