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2021 Google Algorithm Updates and Their Impact

April 15, 2021 by Eileen

Google has rolled out an unusual number of algorithm updates during the past few months, with alarming regularity. Beginning in September, updates were issued every month, ranging from minor to significant. Since August, many glitches have also caused headaches for search engine optimization specialists, site owners, and developers. Let’s look at the last six months of Google updates and what they mean for your website.

Summary of Recent Google Updates and Glitches

• September 2020

September saw several significant Google issues. On September 2-3, significant fluctuations in local search results occurred. On September 15, a substantial amount of SERP volatility pointed to a possible algorithm update. On September 23, signs of another algorithm update appeared. On September 30, pages that were previously indexed began dropping out of the index. On October 1, via a series of Tweets from their Search Liaison account, Google confirmed the indexing outages that affected mobile-indexing and canonical issues occurred on September 23.

• October 2020

On October 14-15, Google experienced further indexing issues due to “infrastructure changes.” Although not an algorithm update, the indexing issue led to increased traffic fluctuations and impacted keyword rankings.

• November 2020

Several algorithm updates resulted in significant ranking and traffic volatility and fluctuation. From November 4th-11th, increased SERP fluctuations occurred. On November 17th and 18th, considerable ranking and traffic spikes appeared, indicating a significant ranking algorithm update. On Monday the 23rd, indications of yet another algorithm update with notable keyword and traffic spikes occurred.

• December 2020

A core algorithm update began rolling out on December 3 and was fully rolled out on December 16. Unlike other updates, this one came in separate, distinct waves – with the second wave landing December 11. In terms of impact, it was the most substantial algorithm update since the May 2020 update.

The December update resulted in website traffic and keyword rankings undergoing extreme fluctuations. Ranking and traffic movement were seen in virtually every industry. The algorithm’s release immediately before a more stressful-than-usual holiday shopping season was unexpected and seen by many industry professionals as poorly timed.

• January 2021

A Google algorithm update was detected on January 7th and 8th. Another minor update was noticed on January 12, and a third small algorithm update was noted on January 26-27th. While none were as weighty as the December update, organic traffic and rankings were subject to more fluctuations.

• February 2021

While fewer Google algorithm updates happened in February, they were still significant. The first update occurred February 7th-9th, causing massive shifts in organic search visits (from 30-40%).

The Google passage ranking update rolled out on February 10. This update meant that Google’s algorithm will now rank individual passages of text within long-form content. The third algorithm update occurred on February 17. Unusually, direct traffic was impacted as well as organic rankings and searches. Both traffic sources experienced fluctuations of up to 30%.

So What Do These Updates All Mean?

As this post was written, a considerable Google update occurred on March 10. Google announced in May 2020 that, due to the increasing importance of user experience, as of 2021 page experience will become a website ranking factor. The introduction of Core Web Vitals also occurred in May 2020 to provide site owners with experience metrics to integrate user experience into the core algorithm.

What does this mean? Why is Google introducing significant updates to their algorithm every month when previously major updates occurred one to three times per year? As Google usually is less than forthcoming when even confirming an update (much less the reasons behind it), the following is speculative not conclusive.

  1. Google is trying to correct errors impacting other tools. Since the algorithm is updated on a continuous rolling basis, new updates may be affecting other Google tools negatively and their engineers are attempting to correct them. The October 2020 mobile-indexing and canonicalization bug is a prime example of a tool issue that needed to be resolved.
  2. Google is introducing new features and updates too closely. Passage indexing was announced in October 2020. Subtopic ranking began in November 2020. The massive core update dropped in December 2020. Is it possible that Google’s algorithm is having an issue integrating so many new indexing sub-programs? Not likely, but always possible.
  3. Is Google trying to keep up with RankBrain? RankBrain is Google’s machine-learning artificial intelligence at the heart of processing and providing the most relevant search results. RankBrain is one of the top three most important ranking factors in Google’s search algorithm (out of approximately 200 ranking factors).
     
    Google’s engineers admitted in March 2016 that they don’t fully understand how RankBrain works, less than six months after their October 2015 announcement confirming its existence and integration into the core algorithm. Is it possible that the machine-learning AI has moved even further along in its evolution to a point where Google’s engineers are struggling to keep up? It’s a concerning and somewhat alarming possibility that Google’s custom Tensor Processing Unit combined with the AI has evolved beyond Google’s engineers to do anything but play catch up.
  4. Everything is focused on the big experience update. This update is unusual already as Google announced it well in advance of its release and introduced a suite of metrics to help website owners improve their sites before the update occurred. Is Google playing hardball now to get search engine professionals and developers motivated to make potentially costly and extensive changes in anticipation of the May 2021 update and semi future-proof their sites? While Google’s Ad revenue increases in direct response to lower quality scores, it’s possible that Google is assisting site owners because they are feeling pressure from other ad networks, including Facebook and Apple.

Time will tell what the result of this continuing series of algorithm updates is. Until then, as a site owner, all you can do is continue to improve on-page and off-page search engine ranking factors. Improvements can include:

  • Publishing relevant and authoritative content.
  • Improving your link profile.
  • Enhancing user experience factors such as page load speed.

We are the Search Engine Optimization Experts

The Google-certified SEO specialists at Efferent Marketing can help your site prepare for upcoming Google updates. Our team stays current with all of Google’s announced updates, and we develop comprehensive strategies so that algorithm-induced changes are minimal.

If your site was negatively impacted by a Google update or was assessed a penalty, we can assist in site recovery. Contact Efferent Media today for a website audit and assessment by calling (631) 867-0900 or email us at info@efferent.media.

Filed Under: General News, SEO

Google My Business Hijacking – What to Know and How to Prevent It

November 20, 2020 by Eileen

GMB Map Location ListingGoogle My Business (GMB) pages are a vital component of local and overall SEO. When GMB pages are optimized, they provide critical information to customers including contact information, reviews, service catalog, and more. As the pandemic continues, the value of GMB pages has never been more vital as customers continue to search for updated store business hours, online dinner menus, and virtual doctor appointments.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: General News, Medical Professionals, SEO

10 Tips for Successfully Working from Home

March 26, 2020 by Beth Rimmels

Woman working on her laptop in her home.Switching to remote work because of the Covid-19 outbreak was probably a bit of a shock. Typical office camaraderie may have disappeared with social distancing, everyone is worried, and your usual discipline and focus might be lagging.

Here at Efferent Media, we have experience with remote work because we allow our staff to work from home when weather is bad to keep them safe. Here are a few tips we’ve learned along the way for remote work success.

Work From Home Tips –

  1. SET UP A WORK SPACE:

  2. Obviously, this is easy if you have a home office. If you don’t, find a spot with a good chair you can use as your work from home space. Working from your couch sounds appealing but odds are your back and/or neck won’t like it after a day or two because you’re probably not maintaining good posture or ergonomics.

    If your space is small, you might need to use your dining room table even though you’ll have to put away your laptop for meals. A good space setup will also help you focus on work so do what you can to create a good environment.

  3. GET DRESSED:

  4. Working in your pajamas is also tempting but can wreak havoc on your mood and mindset. Being comfortable is OK. Taking a shower and getting dressed is a small but crucial step to maintain a healthy mindset. Some people even like to change clothes at the end of the work day to create a mental shift between work time and leisure time even if both outfits involve sweatpants or hoodies.

    And that can also apply to your children. “Have everyone dressed and ready for the day, the same time we would normally,” said Krista Baroncelli, Efferent Media’s Director of Client Success. The routine helps children feel more normal in this unsettling time.

  5. SET GROUND RULES:

  6. If you have children, family members, partners, or roommates home right now – and due to the coronavirus shelter-at-home rules you probably do – create clear rules about your working time.

    If you’re having conference calls or video conferences, negotiating no-interruption time is crucial. If you’re dealing with kids, a little bribery may be necessary as in “play quietly or do your school assignment while I’m on the call and then we’ll have lunch together or take a walk.”

    “Create a routine and try to stick to a schedule, create a schedule for the kids as well,” said Emily Aquino, Efferent Media’s Creative Director. “Take breaks together, set lunch and snack times, and create a snack bin/basket so the kids can grab and go without bothering you.”

    “I let them know when I am on a call and coordinate some outside playtime with them before and after. I also schedule their school quiet reading time at the times I know I’ll have a call,” added Baroncelli.

    Also set guidelines with friends or relatives that may be bored at home that they can’t call you during your work hours unless it’s an emergency. People who regularly work from home can attest to the importance of this.

  7. MAKE A TO-DO LIST:

  8. If you haven’t worked from home before, staying focused on your tasks can be a challenge, especially if current events are causing worry, and they probably are. Start the day by setting goals and making your task list for the day – and do this before you check email to avoid distractions. Make the list achievable and check things off as you go to maintain a sense of accomplishments.

    Being organized helped Efferent Media’s web developer Malachi Perrin adapt to working from home for the first time. “I thought I was going to be a little more distracted, but I’m not distracted at all. I have the same focus now as I do in the office,” said Perrin.

  9. KEEP CLEARLY DEFINED WORK HOURS:

  10. When working from home, it’s easy to let work bleed over to what should be your free time. That can be very bad for your mental health. You can also lose a sense of what day it is. Set clear work hours and stick to them unless it’s a genuine work emergency. This will help you adapt back to normal life when the quarantines are over.

    “When I’m writing a piece of copy, I’m going to continue until I’m done, even if it’s after 5 p.m., because I don’t want to lose the flow, but making sure I otherwise keep a schedule is vital to avoid burnout. Days can blend into each other when working from home continuously. Having the evening free to read, watch a movie, video call will friends, etc. helps to manage stress,” said Beth Rimmels, Efferent Media’s Senior Copywriter.

  11. COMMUNICATE WITH COWORKERS:

  12. This is essential for a distributed team. Everyone needs to know what the others are working on for efficiency, plus the communication can be useful to everyone’s mental health. Fortunately, there are a lot of tools that are either free, affordable, or enterprise level, depending upon what you need.

  13. TAKE BREAKS:

  14. Getting up, walking around, and stretching is good for your back, your general health, and mood. Set a timer, if necessary, to remind you to stand up now and then. Getting some fresh air when the weather is good is also important for your health. The COVID-19 outbreak might make outdoor activity tricky but you can walk outside so long as you maintain social distancing.

    Having pets can make this tip easier to follow, especially if it’s a dog that needs walking. “Having something else to take care helps me to get up and get out, even if I don’t want to,” said Eileen McGovern, Efferent Media’s Search Manager. “she [Eileen’s rescue puppy] still has needs, and it helps structure my day.”

  15. SPEAK UP:

  16. If you’re naturally quiet in meetings then conference calls might be tricky for you but speaking up and being heard is essential. You want people to know what you’re working on and you definitely don’t want to risk being forgotten.

  17. TAKE A SICK DAY IF NECESSARY:

  18. Working from home doesn’t mean working while sick – you’ll be less productive and more prone to mistakes. Even at home, it’s often best to take a day to rest and recover than to push through and be sick longer.

  19. KEEP LEARNING:

  20. Take advantage of training opportunities if they arise. More and more professional training is online now so if it fits your situation or schedule, say yes if given a chance to learn new skills.

#InThisTogether

During this stressful time, Efferent Media is here to help. Marketing can help keep your business going, and your website’s visibility and authority is more important than ever. Call us at (631) 867-0900 or fill out our contact form, and we’ll provide a complimentary SEO website evaluation and marketing consultation. We’re all in this together.

Filed Under: General News

Favicons and Changes to Google’s Search Results Page

June 14, 2019 by Joe Czarniecki

The Internet Has Come a Long Way

Remember the dial-up days when your internet connection was a continuous phone call between the internet company and your computer? Dropped connections, downloads taking several hours, and picking up the phone only to hear those roaring staticky “bleep-bloop” sounds are thankfully a thing of the past. Taking into account both large and small updates, to say a lot has changed would be an extreme understatement. From when Tim Berners-Lee invented the World Wide Web in 1989, it has drastically progressed at an exponential rate.

Google Implements a Visual Redesign

In the ever-changing landscape of the internet, there has been a vast number of major and minor changes over the past three decades. Efferent Media takes pride in keeping up with the latest trends and best practices. In this instance, although minor, favicons are visual to anyone using Google as their search engine. You may have already noticed a difference when searching on mobile because the implementation was seen there first, only soon to be noticed on your desktop, laptop, etc.

The intention of both changes is to make it easier to find the source of the information being provided. The first change is to the ad displays at the top of the page. We are sure you can recall a green ad identifier and URL or breadcrumb trail placed under the listing. That will now be black and placed above the listing.

The second change is to the organic listings. The green internet address or breadcrumb trail will now be black and placed above the listing as well. Companies will also have the added benefit of displaying favicons to their organic listings. The favicon is a small, custom image that is 48×48 pixels in size. The illustration below shows how Efferent Media has utilized the element.

favicon example

To find out how your favicon can be included in Google Search results, check out this article. In case you haven’t noticed the change, below is both the old and new design of the Google search results page for mobile users.

mobile search results example

Conclusion on Favicons

This redesign is a visually pleasing facelift to the search result page. Some SEOs are enjoying Google’s favicon mobile search results interface. They are under the impression the intention was to present ads in a manner where they don’t stand out, looking more like the traditional organic search results. Regardless of the speculation or reasoning, your company will now have more real estate to take advantage of on the search results page. Have you added a favicon to your website yet? If not, we’re happy to help you out by providing the proper information to do just that. Get in touch with us today for help with this or any of your digital marketing needs.

Filed Under: General News, SEO

In Case You Missed It: Pressure on Facebook, Monetizing GMB, and Italian Regulators Look at Google

May 24, 2019 by Beth Rimmels

Pressure on Facebook Grows

facebook logosFacebook co-founder Chris Hughes wrote a long opinion piece in the New York Times calling for Facebook to be broken into smaller, separate companies. Hughes is far from the first to do so. Presidential candidate Senator Elizabeth Warren also has a proposal for breaking up Facebook, Google and Amazon for anti-trust reasons that has been attracting praise and attention. The fact that a co-founder is now adding his voice for ending Facebook’s monopoly shocked many in the tech industry. Hughes provides historical context, solid reasons for why and ideas as to how to do it.

mark zuckerbergMeanwhile, Natasha Lamb, managing partner at Arjuna Capital, which is a Facebook shareholder, wrote an opinion piece that makes a case for why Mark Zuckerberg should exit Facebook. The article endorses a “Vote No” campaign, started by civil rights groups and shareholders, promoting a vote against Zuckerberg as a member of Facebook’s board. The annual meeting on May 30 also has votes scheduled on several shareholder proposals to create independent oversight, long term accountability, bring on independent advisers and to review content policies.

Not surprisingly, Facebook is having problems hiring, according to a report by CNBC. Former Facebook recruiters told the business news network that since the Cambridge Analytica scandal broke, Facebook has had a sharp decline in job offer acceptances. The more than a half dozen former recruiters said that of those candidates taking interviews with Facebook, they’re asking much tougher questions about how the company works and its privacy policies. Carnegie Mellon University graduates had the steepest decline to just 35% of recruits accepting Facebook job offers. Facebook spokesperson Anthony Harrison disputed the report but refused to cite any specific inaccuracies. This follows earlier CNBC reports that more current Facebook employees are reaching out to former coworkers for new job leads and that start-ups are finding it easier to sway staff to leave Facebook and Google due to scandals.

Is Google Boosting GMB to Monetize It?

gmb with a magnifying glassGoogle My Business has undergone many changes in the past year, all of which allow small, local businesses to better promote their products and services to clients. From product and offer to posts to better CTAs, Google has been working to make GMB essential to local marketing. Analysts have long thought that it was only a matter of time before Google started charging for access to features or some other monetization plan. Now RankRanger has put together an analysis of Google’s actions in regard to GMB and how it might lead to monetization.

Italian Regulators Examining Google’s Abuse of Market Dominance

The Italian Antitrust Authority has approved an initial preliminary procedure against Alphabet Inc., Google LLC and Google Italy S.r.l., which is collectively referenced to as “Google” in the documentation, for allegedly abusing its dominance in the smart device market.

Just a month ago, the Italian Antitrust Authority began a similar investigation into Amazon. CNBC has more details on the investigations.

Filed Under: General News

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