Google Search demoting content that is starkly different from the main content of the site. Image source: https://searchengineland.com/google-search-demoting-content-that-is-starkly-different-from-the-main-content-of-the-site-447816
It’s time for our monthly roundup, where we discuss all the exciting digital marketing news that happened in October.
If you’ve arrived here from our newsletter, you already have an overview of this month’s key developments.
We like to provide more information in our blog posts, answering some of the questions our clients ask us about each important topic. More specifically, we talk about how these changes affect the work you’re doing in marketing, with some actionable next steps.
Head straight to:
1. Search: Google Demotes Content Unrelated To The Main Website Topic
Why is Google focusing on content alignment?
Google’s focus on aligning content with your website's core offerings is about delivering relevance and credibility in search results.
By ranking sites with a consistent theme higher, Google helps ensure that users find content that directly answers their needs.
This update encourages you to maintain a website with a clear and cohesive identity, which can strengthen your reputation and make it easier for Google to recognise it as reliable sources within specific fields.
Sites with focused themes are seen as more authoritative, which can lead to better search visibility.
How did we find this out?
See examples below from Glenn Gabe, who reported many sites saw huge declines at a similar time. After reporting this, Google responded and has provided further insights on these rankings:
“Our systems aim to understand if a section of a site is independent or starkly different from the main content of the site. This helps us surface the most useful information from a range of sites.”
What if my site uses affiliate content or has broader themes?
If your site features affiliate content or third-party partnerships, you may notice an impact on your ranking visibility if that content seems disconnected from your site's primary focus.
Google’s update favours sites with cohesive, theme-aligned content, meaning that any sections or pages that feel separate or loosely related to the rest of your site might see a drop in visibility.
If your site is content-heavy with broader themes, it's essential to ensure that these sections are tightly integrated and relevant to your main site theme.
Consider auditing your existing content and developing a strategy to support a cohesive and relevant theme.
Does this update impact my subdomains or subfolders if the content is not directly managed by my main brand?
Yes, if your subdomains or subfolders contain content that feels “independent or starkly different” from your main brand’s content theme they may be impacted.
Google has refined its systems to better recognise and assess when subdomain or subfolder content doesn’t reflect your brand’s main focus.
It’s important for you to keep a unified brand strategy across all domains.
What practical steps can I take to ensure content reflects my brand’s identity and core theme?
To align content with your brand’s identity, you should focus on these steps:
Establish Clear Connections: Each page or section should directly support the main theme, with headings, images, and links reflecting brand goals.
Vet Third-Party Content: Carefully manage any third-party or affiliate content, ensuring it adheres to brand values and quality standards.
Reinforce Brand Voice: Use consistent language, style, and tone that embody your brand’s core theme across all pages, subdomains, and folders.
These steps help your site retain coherence and rank effectively while allowing some variety in topics within a unified brand framework.
2. E-Commerce: Google’s Rebuilt It’s Shopping Experience
Google has launched a significant overhaul of its Shopping platform in the United States on October 15th, incorporating advanced AI technology to enhance personalisation.
Shoppers will now see a personalised homepage with products and videos tailored to their interests, along with a "Deals" page offering custom discounts. Plus, AI-generated guides and dynamic filters for faster searches, and augmented reality tools for virtual try-ons.
You should expect to see this rolled out to more countries and users in the coming weeks.
How will these updates affect my organic and paid visibility for e-commerce products?
The updates aim to significantly impact both organic and paid visibility for your e-commerce products.
With AI-driven product briefs providing detailed information, you can optimise your product data—including clear descriptions, high-quality images, and accurate attributes—to achieve improved visibility in search results.
For paid campaigns, the personalised shopping experience opens up new avenues for targeted marketing, with the ability for you to create tailored ads that resonate with your user preferences.
Does Google’s updated shopping prioritise any types of product listings?
Yes, Google’s updated shopping experience does prioritise certain types of product listings and attributes.
To ensure your product listing is of the highest quality, focus on the following:
High-quality images
Clear product descriptions
Accurate specifications
AR features
To remain competitive, you must adapt by optimising your product data for AI-driven recommendations, experimenting with dynamic ad campaigns, and continuously seeking feedback to refine offerings based on consumer insights.
How should I adjust content strategies for products in Google shopping?
You should refine your content strategies to align with the new AI-driven shopping experience by creating high quality listings that work for your brand.
Additionally, consider personalisation by segmenting your audience and crafting tailored messaging for different consumer profiles.
Monitoring performance metrics and adapting your strategies based on user feedback will be crucial for optimising visibility and engagement of your products.
3. SEO: Google Retires The Sitelinks Search Box Feature
Will the removal of this feature impact SEO or the visibility of my branded search terms on Google?
The removal of the sitelinks search box is unlikely to have a significant direct impact on SEO or the visibility of branded search terms.
If your site relies on sitelinks, consider adjusting your internal linking and SEO strategies to optimise for user navigation.
Did this feature’s removal result from a broader trend in search behaviour that I should be aware of?
Yes, the removal of the sitelinks search box reflects a broader trend in search behaviour. We’re seeing a trend of simplified and streamlined interfaces to make searching faster and less cluttered.
What are the best alternatives to guide users to specific content within my site now that the sitelinks search box is gone?
To guide users effectively to specific content without the sitelinks search box, consider these strategies:
Enhanced Internal Search Functionality: Improve the internal search feature on your website, making it more intuitive and efficient. Ensure it provides relevant suggestions and filters.
Well-Organised Navigation: Implement clear and organised navigation menus with logical categories and subcategories, helping users find specific content quickly.
Rich Snippets and Structured Data: Utilise structured data to enhance search results. This can help your site’s content stand out, making it easier for users to find relevant sections or pages.
Content Hubs: Create dedicated landing pages or content hubs for specific topics, which can serve as central resources for users seeking information on particular subjects.
4. Social: YouTube Citations Surge In Google’s AI-Powered Overviews
BrightEdge reports a 310% increase in YouTube citations within Google AI Overviews (AIO) since August 2024, signalling the rising importance of video content in search visibility.
While organic search rankings are up overall, the overlap with shopping queries has decreased, indicating a shift in how Google presents e-commerce information.
With Google focusing on supplemental information for e-commerce queries, now is the time to audit and optimise your content for better visibility in AI-driven search results.
Image source: https://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/400334/youtube-citations-in-google-ai-overviews-surge.html
How do these trends reflect changing user behaviour?
Organic search rankings seems to have become less aligned with AI Overviews for shopping queries—this suggests a shift in user behaviour towards seeking more direct and summarised information.
As users increasingly seek direct, summarised information, you must adapt your marketing strategies to align with this new paradigm.
How can I make the most of Youtube and video content?
The significant increase in YouTube citations in AIOs suggest that video content is becoming a crucial element in search results.
To capitalise on this trend, you should focus on producing content that is:
Informative and Engaging
Create tutorials, product demonstrations, and how-to videos that provide value to your viewers. This type of content not only informs your potential customers but also encourages engagement and shares.
Optimised for Search
Ensure that your video titles, descriptions, and tags are optimised for relevant keywords. This increases the likelihood of you being featured in search results and AI Overviews.
Short and Concise
Given that users often seek quick information, producing shorter videos that deliver essential insights or highlights can be more effective in capturing your viewer's attention.
Visually Appealing
High-quality visuals, clear audio, and engaging editing can enhance user experience, making your content more likely to be cited by AI and shared by users.users.
How significant is video content in search rankings for e-commerce queries, and should I prioritise it over other content formats?
Video content is increasingly significant in search rankings for e-commerce queries, particularly as Google integrates AI Overviews that cite YouTube videos.
While video should not completely overshadow other content formats, you should consider adding it to your strategies alongside them due to its growing influence.
5. AI: ChatGPT Launches Real-Time Search Function
OpenAI's SearchGPT is rolling out now for ChatGPT Plus and Team users. There will is a wider rollout planned for enterprise and educational users soon after, and free users can expect access in the upcoming months.
Image source: https://www.searchenginejournal.com/searchgpt-launches-as-chatgpts-real-time-search-feature/531461/
How does ChatGPT’s real-time search differ from Google Gemini and Microsoft Copilot?
ChatGPT's real-time search integrates both automatic and manual search triggers, unlike Google Gemini, which is ad-supported and heavily reliant on its knowledge graph. Microsoft Copilot combines Bing integration with multimodal search.
ChatGPT's unique offering lies in its conversational interface and the source attribution sidebar, which allows users to verify information directly from reputable sources, enhancing the reliability of the data provided.
How can I benefit from using real-time data?
Real-time data access equips you with the most current information, enabling you to make informed decisions quickly.
This feature can be utilised for any time-sensitive campaigns, trend tracking, and responding promptly to breaking news, ensuring that your marketing strategies remain relevant and effective.
How will SearchGPT impact organic search performance and existing SEO KPIs?
SearchGPT’s launch may disrupt traditional organic search patterns by increasing competition among content sources.
You should anticipate shifts in SEO KPIs, such as traffic referral patterns, user engagement, and conversion metrics, as ChatGPT provides citations from various publishers, potentially affecting direct traffic to individual sites.
What opportunities does SearchGPT’s source attribution provide for driving traffic to our site?
With built-in source attribution, you can track traffic coming from ChatGPT using UTM parameters.
This presents an opportunity for you to enhance visibility and traffic through strategic content creation that aligns with trending queries, allowing you to benefit from real-time traffic driven by citations in ChatGPT responses.
How should I optimise my content for visibility within ChatGPT’s real-time search feature?
To optimise for visibility within SearchGPT, you should focus on:
Creating high quality and timely content
Using clear and concise language
Ensuring your sources are credible
Implementing UTM tracking
With the launch of SearchGPT, the landscape of real-time information retrieval is evolving, presenting both challenges and opportunities for you.
Keep a close eye on performance metrics and adapting strategies accordingly will be key for you to leverage this new tool effectively.
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