The world of SEO is always evolving, and keeping up with the latest news is essential for staying ahead. Here are the key updates from the past few weeks you should be aware of!
Google’s New Spam Policy: What’s Changed?
Google has recently updated its spam policy, introducing a new focus on sites using “extensive automation to produce content.” This seems to target human-tweaked AI content, signaling that even AI-generated content must meet Google’s quality standards. It’s a clear indication that quality over quantity remains key in content creation. (Source: Marie Haynes)
Volatility After the August Core Update
The effects of the August Core Update are still shaking things up. Some sites that recovered slightly after the update are now losing their gains. This includes websites hit hard by last year’s Helpful Content Update (HCU), which are now watching their improvements fade. It’s a stark reminder that in SEO, success can be short-lived without a solid content strategy in place. (Source: Abby Gleason)
‘From Small Businesses’ Carousel Testing
Google is testing a ‘from small businesses’ carousel on mobile. This new feature appears linked to the ‘small business’ attribute in Google Business Profile, potentially providing small businesses with an opportunity for more visibility in search results. (Source: Barry Schwartz)
Cloudflare’s Speed Brain: A Boost for LCP
Cloudflare has introduced Speed Brain, a speculative model designed to reduce Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) by up to 75%. This tool works by prefetching content for the next likely page, speeding up loading times significantly. It’s now available for all Cloudflare users at no additional cost. Talk about a game-changer for site speed!
Forbes Advisor’s Ranking Drop
Recently, Forbes Advisor lost rankings for over 1.7 million queries. This drop could result from a manual penalty and might be connected to the parasite SEO issues Forbes has faced. It’s a cautionary tale about the consequences of not tackling SEO problems promptly. (Source: Glenn Gabe)
Google Testing ‘For You’ and ‘Preferred Source’ Labels
Google is experimenting with ‘For You’ and ‘Preferred Source’ labels. This seems to be another step towards personalizing search results, similar to what we’ve seen with Google Discover and Google News. The implications? Tailored SERPs could change the game for content creators and SEO strategies alike.
WP Engine Banned by WordPress
WP Engine recently faced a ban from WordPress, impacting plugins, tools, and hosting services they offer. While this ban is being temporarily lifted, users should consider exploring alternative solutions. Better safe than sorry!
Google Highlights Content Creators in Knowledge Panels
Google now showcases content creators and their expertise in Knowledge Panels. This new feature could be a credibility boost for those who establish themselves as trusted sources online. (Source: Jason Barnard)
JSON-LD or Microdata? No Benefit Found
SearchPilot confirms that there’s no SEO benefit to using JSON-LD or Microdata for your markup. Despite Google listing JSON-LD as the best practice, it appears that choosing between the two doesn’t impact your ranking. (Source: Rida Abidi)
Cloudflare’s AI Audit: Charging AI Bots
Cloudflare’s AI Audit now allows websites to charge AI bots for scraping content. This move offers some compensation to content creators whose work is often used by AI-powered search tools without credit or payment. A small victory for those looking to protect their content!
Google Adds Support for Sale Pricing and PriceType Structured Data
Google has expanded support for sale pricing and priceType structured data, making it easier for businesses to specify sale prices. Users can now directly compare sale prices with the original listing, streamlining the shopping experience.
Google Removes the cache: Search Operator
Google officially removed the cache: search operator, which was announced back in March 2024. In its place, Google now includes links directly to the Internet Archive. This change could impact how SEO professionals check for cached versions of pages. (Source: Roger Montti)
Staying on top of these updates is essential for any SEO strategy. Whether it’s policy changes, new tools, or testing features, adapting to the ever-changing landscape is key to success.