Normally, our SEO clients get a report each month that explains, along with their rankings, what is happening with their account. At the time of the reports, we mentioned Google releasing a major algorithm shift in early August. We didn’t know what to say at the time, except to just mention it and promise to study it. This algorithm update was one the most drastic changes we have seen in a long time. This time they weren’t going after a specific target, but the nature of websites altogether! No site within any niche was safe. Not even the top results on the page could withstand its algorithmic inertia. Ours rode the wave higher!
Well, now we have had time, along with other SEO professionals, to study this wave of rank fluctuations and notched that a peculiar site pattern emerged. The best part is that we all like to share what we find! After it was brought to our attention, we also noticed what others found – that Google now seemingly profiles your site! They are determining what your core intent is supposed to be.
What does that mean? It now means that adding content for the sake of content will hurt you. If you are a sales site, a blog will no longer give you more subject content for Google to love. This also applies in reverse, an informational site with a sales component will now have a primary type and a secondary type. The two categories are no longer one primary site and rated as such. To show this in a simple way. It your website has e-commerce and a blog, and has a score of 98 (This is a made up score based on your blog scoring 49pts and your e-commerce scoring 49 points), now you may only have a 75 total points because while your blog may be 49pts, you get less points for the e-commerce part or vice versa since they are two different site profiles.
So is this all that happens when you engage in behavior that Google believes is not behooving of your profile?
At the niche level, sites within the health and finance industries were most impacted. There was a clear and notable emphasis on Your Money Your Life (YMYL) sites. Google has always had an extreme focus on this category the last few years. These are sites that help a user live both a healthier and more financially sound life.
They were hit hard, but these same things are are what can and maybe already have hit you. For example, it seemed that health sites that were a bit too aggressive in their ad placements, though far from what would ever be called spammy, were not treated too kindly by the update. Google figures they are supposed to be there to give health information and not sell products.
The simplest thing you can do is call us to review your site. You can also as a “Self-check”, look at your site. Look for things like, are you showing the author of your blog posts? Did you add something secondary like promoting pet food on your pet sitting website (Although related, it’s not possibly anymore). Did you go overboard on certain keywords because your site isn’t strong enough on subject matter?
Strap in kids, it’s about to get bumpy as Google fine-tunes their newfound power.
