In this solo episode of SEO 101, Scott analyzes the December 2024 Google Spam Update and its effects on site rankings. He discusses the reintroduction of continuous scroll for Image and Video results and explores the importance of blogging for authority and fresh content, along with best practices for optimizing your website.
Show Notes:
SEO NEWS
- December 2024 Google Spam Update
- Ran from Dec 19 to Dec 26, 2024.
- General spam update; not link spam related.
- Manual site reputation abuse policy remains unchanged.
- Holiday timing may obscure traffic decline reasons.
- Continuous Scroll is Back
- Reintroduced for Image and Video results; other tabs limited to 10 links.
- Applicable on both desktop and mobile platforms.
- Google’s Search Market Share Drops
- First time below 90% since 2015; sat at 89.73% in December.
- US market share also below 90% at 87.39%.
- Search traffic may have shifted to platforms like ChatGPT.
SEO Tips
- Do You Need a Blog?
- Adds authority and a human voice.
- Structured markup, author bio, and social media links recommended.
- Good for long-tail queries and fresh content.
- What to Blog About
- Business stories, current events, product comparisons, contests, tips, FAQs, and press releases.
- Alternate Content Suggestions**
- Service/product pages, resource pages, evergreen content.
- When Not to Blog
- Lack of content ideas or inability to maintain quality and regular posts.
MUELLER FILES
- Country Codes in URLs and SEO**
- John Mueller: Adding country codes doesn’t improve regional rankings.
- Changing URLs causes temporary fluctuations but no long-term ranking benefits.
- Use ccTLDs and HREFLANG tags for country-specific content.
AI News
- Manual Actions in AI Overviews**
- Pages with manual actions can still appear in AI Overviews after demotion.
- Noted by Lily Ray and confirmed by Glen Gabe.
Questions & Comments
- Weather Widgets on Local Business Sites**
- May enhance local focus but relevance is low for car repair businesses.
- Little to no expected impact; context matters for usability.
Sources:
December 2024 Google Spam Update – Overview of the December 2024 Spam Update, including its timeline and impact on website rankings.
Continuous Scroll is Back – Details on the reintroduction of continuous scroll for Image and Video results in Google search.
Google’s Search Market Share Drops – Analysis of Google’s market share dipping below 90% for the first time since 2015, including implications for search behavior.
Do You Need a Blog? – Discussion on the benefits of maintaining a blog for authority, content freshness, and SEO.
Adding Country Codes to URLs Won’t Help for SEO – Insights from John Mueller on the ineffectiveness of adding country codes to URLs for improving regional rankings.
Google Can Show Sites with Manual Actions in AI Overviews – Information on how pages affected by manual actions can still appear in AI Overviews, as noted by industry experts.