In this solo episode of SEO 101, Scott Van Achte explores Google’s recent core update that impacts organic ranking overlaps and highlights the importance of high-quality content. He reviews the updated Quality Raters Guidelines, discusses AI’s influence on search visibility, and shares actionable strategies to enhance engagement and optimize for AI-driven searches.
Show Notes:
NON SEO NEWS
- Google’s Domain Change:
- Google is redirecting country-specific TLDs (e.g., Google.ca, Google.fr) to Google.com.
- Reason: Improved ability to provide local search experiences since 2017.
- Impact: No significant effect on SEO, though referral differences may be noted in Analytics.
- LinkedIn Engagement Study:
- Analyzed 48,000 company pages and 577,000 posts.
- Posts with links receive 13.57% more interactions and 4.9% more views.
- Carousel posts have the highest engagement rate at 45%.
- Text-only posts perform the worst.
SEO NEWS
- Google AI Overview Update:
- Recent core update shows a drop in organic ranking overlap with AI Overviews.
- Sites in the top 10 have a 15% chance of appearing in AI Overviews, down from 16%.
- Some industries (travel, entertainment, restaurants) saw slight increases.
- Quality Raters Guidelines Update:
- Focus on combating content abuse and low-effort content, especially generated by AI.
- Stricter regulations on misleading claims.
- Importance of ensuring high-quality, valuable content remains.
AI NEWS
- Google Ads and AI:
- AI helped remove 5.1 billion bad ads and suspend 39.2 million advertiser accounts in 2024.
- AI Overviews Linking:
- Reports of AI Overviews linking back to themselves, creating recursive links.
- B2B Buyer Behavior:
- Study shows 90% of B2B buyers click on AI Overview citations for verification.
- Emphasis on creating authoritative, un-gated content for visibility.
Tips for Improving Site Visibility in AI Search
- Add Structured Data: Helps search engines understand content specifics.
- Target Long-Tail Keywords: Match detailed search queries, especially for voice search.
- Incorporate Visuals: Use images and videos to enhance engagement.
- Encourage Interaction: Create content that invites comments and discussions.
- Keep Content Updated: Regularly refresh articles to maintain rankings.
Questions & Comments
- Caution with Redirects:
- A case of mislabeling 404 errors caused issues with paywalled content.
- Recommend using a 401 status for unauthorized content to prevent confusion
Sources:
Google Search to Redirect Its Country Level TLDs to Google.com – Announcement regarding Google’s decision to redirect country-specific TLDs (e.g., Google.ca) to Google.com, enhancing local search experiences.
LinkedIn Study Shows How to Increase Engagement – Findings from a MetroPool study analyzing LinkedIn posts, revealing that posts with links receive significantly more interactions than those without.
Google AI Overview – Organic Ranking Overlap Drops After Core Update – Insights on the impact of Google’s latest core update, showing a decrease in organic ranking overlap with AI-generated overviews.
Update Google Quality Raters Guidelines – Overview of updates to Google’s Quality Raters Guidelines, focusing on content quality, misleading claims, and the use of AI in content creation.
Google Using AI to Improve Police Ads – Highlights from Google’s annual Ads Safety Report, detailing how AI has helped improve the integrity of paid ads.
Google AI Overviews Linking Over & Over Again To Itself – A discussion about a bug in AI Overviews where links point back to themselves, creating recursive links.
Google AI Overview Study: 90% Of B2B Buyers Click On Citations – Study findings indicating that 90% of B2B buyers engage with AI Overview citations, emphasizing the importance of authoritative content.
