SEO From The Front Lines

Episode 18 of 'SEO From The Front Lines", I cover my blog post regarding site-level impact on rankings versus page-level. It's an incredibly important topic that site owners and SEOs need to understand. Based on Pandu Nayak’s comments at a recent creator summit where he said Google only using page-level ranking signals, and NOT site-wide signals, I decided to use the ‘Gabeback Machine’ to prove that statement wrong. Over the years, I have documented many, many examples of Googlers explaining that there are site-wide signals that can have a big impact on rankings across a site. The examples include tweets, videos, patents, and even Google’s own documentation about major algorithm updates. That includes videos, tweets, patents, and even Google's own documentation explaining more about site-wide signals. My blog post also contains information about major algorithm updates like Panda, Penguin, the helpful content update (HCU), and Pirate which all had a site-level classifier (or employed site-wide impact). Then I cover many statements from Google about broad core updates, site-level evaluation, impact to Google surfaces like Discover and News, and more. So join me as I use the ‘Gabeback Machine’ to document Google’s site-level impact to rankings. Yes, it’s real. Chapters: 00:00 Pandu Nayak's comments about page-level versus site-level ranking signals. 01:42 An introduction to the 'Gabeback Machine'. 02:30 Google's history of crafting major algorithm updates outside of broad core updates. 04:09 Exhibit 1: HCU 05:13 Exhibit 2: Penguin 05:45 Exhibit 3: Medieval Panda 06:45 Exhibit 4: Pirate 07:40 Site-level is at the hostname level (subdomain) 08:28 Exhibit X: Links, Tweets, Videos, and Patents 08:56 Quality is a site-level signal. 09:31 Paul Haahr about site-wide signals. 11:21 FAQ from the March 2024 core update about site-wide signals. 12:10 Lower-quality content can pull down the higher-quality content. 13:30 Rich snippets impacted by overall quality. 13:52 Panda scores impacting rich snippets. 14:14 Google researchers about authority and trust. 15:05 Discover impacted by site-level quality signals. 15:40 Pages can rank higher from the start on sites that Googler trusts. 16:06 Revisiting Pandu's comments about page-level versus site-level signals. My blog post covering Google's site-wide signals: https://www.gsqi.com/marketing-blog/google-site-level-impact-gabeback-machine/ Follow me on Twitter: https://x.com/glenngabe Connect with me on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/glenngabe/

In episode 17, I cover some huge visibility drops for sites that are violating Google's 'Site reputation abuse' spam policy. For example, some prominent sites are dropping over time including some of the largest publishers on the web. Over time, Google seems to have algorithmically hit large publishers with affiliate sections of their sites, including Forbes, Fortune, CNN Underscored, WSJ Buyside, Marketwatch Guides, and more. It makes you wonder if Google is testing its 'Site reputation abuse' algorithm update, or if other changes are impacting those sections strongly... 00:00 A Nightmare on Affiliate Street - Site Reputation Abuse and Large Publishers Dropping 01:32 Forbes Advisor drops. 03:05 APNews Buyline and Times Stamped dropped as well. 04:30 Fortune Recommends drops on October 11th. 06:15 More sites drop including Marketwatch Guides, WSJ Buyside, and CNN Underscored 07:40 Revisiting manual actions from May 2024 for 'Site reputation abuse" 08:35 Wrapping up, moving forward, and stay tuned for updates about this. Here's the blog post with all the details: https://www.gsqi.com/marketing-blog/a-nightmare-on-affiliate-street/ Follow me on X: https://x.com/glenngabe Connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/glenngabe/

I cover two case studies underscoring the importance of catching sneaky mobile SEO problems in Google's mobile-first indexing world. The first case study involves canonical tags that weren't being published on mobile versions of the pages across a site with 100K+ urls. The second case involves thin content becoming even *thinner* since less content was being published on mobile versions of the pages. That was on a stie with 40M urls. I also covers several tools and tips for surfacing those problems. I also cover tools and tips for surfacing mobile SEO problems, including the URL inspection tool in GSC, crawling tools like Screaming Frog, Sitebulb, and Lumar, Chrome extensions, and then even site queries using quoted text. With Google switching to mobile-first indexing, it's using Googlebot-Smartphone for indexing purposes. That's why it's important to make sure all of your content, structured data, directives, canonicals, and more are located on the mobile versions of your pages. If not, Google will not pick that up. 00:00 The importance of catching tricky mobile SEO problems. 00:40 Google's switch to mobile-first indexing. 01:38 Case Study 1: Playing hide and seek with canonicals. 03:10 Case Study 2: Thin pages becoming *thinner* on mobile. 05:35 Tools and tips for checking for mobile-first indexing problems. 9:37 Summary: Make sure you don't miss the mobile view. Blog post: https://www.gsqi.com/marketing-blog/mobile-first-indexing-seo-problems-case-study/ Follow me on X: https://x.com/glenngabe Connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/glenngabe/

In this episode of “SEO From The Front Lines”, I cover the ranking swings and volatility in Google Search post-August core update. There has been a lot of chatter about ranking changes AFTER the Google August 2024 core update rolled out. After digging in, I noticed a ton of volatility across several dates post-core update. And beyond that, I noticed that a number of sites heavily impacted by the August 24th tremor have started to reverse course on some of those dates. For example, sites that surged on August 24th started dropping on September 6th, 2024, September 10th, and now September 14th. And on the flip side, some sites that dropped with the August 24th tremor are now surging. Beyond that, there are some sites that were unaffected by the August core update that are surging or dropping. And for sites heavily impacted by the September helpful content update (HCUX), a number that started surging back with the August 2024 core update are now dropping a bit. It’s not like a full reversal, but definitely reversing course somewhat. In this video, I cover what I’m seeing and why I think this might be happening. 00:00 Crazy ranking swings and volatility AFTER the August 2024 core update completed.00:49 My initial tweet about the volatility and reversals I was picking up across sites.01:56 Examples of sites reversing course and dropping on 9/6, 9/10, and 9/14.02:59 Examples of sites reversing course and surging back post-August core update.04:38 Barry Schwartz picked up a lot of chatter and volatility on 9/6/24.05:08 Important dates to review for site owners and SEOs.05:31 Helpful content sites impacted and dropping after surging with the August core update.06:36 Examples of visibility trending for HCU(X) sites impacted and dropping.08:01 PSA about rank tracking your most important queries. 09:22 What’s happening, and the possible decoupling of algorithms from broad core updates. 11:17 Quick summary about the recent volatility post-August core update. Follow me on X: https://x.com/glenngabe Connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/glenngabe/

In Episode 14 of ‘SEO From The Front Lines”, I cover how some publishers are hijacking the browser back button and providing a feed of articles that drives users to more publisher content, including sponsored content and ads. That’s versus allowing them to return to the sites they visited from… Disabling, or hijacking the back button, is a tricky and deceptive tactic, since users might not know they actually stayed on the same site. And that’s especially the case when visitors arrive on the site from Google Discover since the publisher feed looks very similar to the Discover feed. I also cover some reasons that some publishers are choosing to hijack the back button. For example, driving users to a publisher’s feed after hitting the back button can yield more pageviews, more ad impressions, and more ad revenue. But there’s another possible benefit of doing this… It can lead to more engagement for users that remain on the site, even if that’s not what the user intended to do. And with Google’s Navboost system at play, which tracks 13 months of user interaction signals (and can impact rankings), publishers could be gaming Navboost. And that led me to Google’s spam policies, if Google should issue manual actions for hijacking the back button, or if they should just tackle it algorithmically. I also cover how hijacking the back button was often the tip of the iceberg from an aggressive and deceptive advertising situation (and how some sites employing that tactic have seen big drops during major algorithm updates, including broad core updates). And I end the video with some advice for publishers that might be currently hijacking the back button. My recommendation is to run a user study to better understand how real, objective users feel about having their back button hijacked, not being able to easily leave a site, etc. By running a user study, publishers can listen to, and watch, frustrated users on their own sites. It might just lead to publishers reevaluating their decision to hijack the back button. 00:00 Hijacking the browser back button and its impact on SEO. 01:32 Reasons publishers are hijacking the back button. 02:59 What the feed of content and ads looks like when the back button is hijacked. 03:57 Google’s stance on publishers hijacking or disabling the back button. 05:42 An introduction to Navboost and Google tracking 13 months of user interaction signals. 07:53 Google’s spam policies. 09:40 A Navboost twist and negative user interactions signals. 11:21 Aggressive advertising and broad core update impact for sites hijacking the back button. 12:47 My case study about The SEO Engagement Trap. 14:11 Publishers have serious decisions to make about ‘back button hijacking’. 14:36 Running a user study to understand user frustration from hijacking. 16:02 Quick recap and read my latest blog post covering hijacking the back button. Read my blog post covering 'back button hijacking' and its impact on SEO: https://www.gsqi.com/marketing-blog/hijacking-the-back-button-gaming-navboost/ Google’s Core Algorithm Updates and The Power of User Studies: https://www.gsqi.com/marketing-blog/google-core-ranking-updates-user-studies/ Visualizing The SEO Engagement Trap: https://www.gsqi.com/marketing-blog/user-frustration-behavior-flow-google-analytics/ Follow me on X: https://x.com/glenngabe Connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/glenngabe/

Google’s August 2024 broad core update finally completed on September 3, 2024 after a 19-day rollout. It was a huge update that impacted many sites across the web. In the final episode of core update notes, I cover HCU(X) sites recovering, the big tremor from 8/24 into 8/25, forums seeing volatility, an update on a site pumping out a ton of AI content, and then how site owners can move forward after the update. That includes understanding the difference between relevancy adjustments, intent shifts, and quality, running delta reports to understand the top queries and landing pages that dropped based on the core update, and then how to take a “kitchen sink” approach to remediation. 00:00 Final "Core Update Notes" for the August 2024 broad core update. 00:40 The August core update completed in 19 days. 01:24 More about September helpful content update sites surging. 03:48 And some September helpful content update sites dropping even more. 05:42 Continued movement for sites seeing impact post-update. 06:21 The August 24th Tremor was big for some sites. 08:13 Was the tremor commerce-focused? 09:12 Another reminder that links will not save you from broad core updates. 10:12 Huge drop: An update on a site pumping out tons of AI content. 11:03 Forums volatility: A correction? 12:17 Reddit still surging, Quora flat. 13:13 Understanding the difference between relevancy adjustments, intent shifts, and quality problems. 14:33 If "Quality" is the issue, then focus on the Usual Suspects. 15:40 "Quality" is more than just content. 16:49 Run a Delta Report (or several). 17:55 Use the "Kitchen Sink" approach to remediation. 19:09 When will the next core update roll out and wrapping up. Blog posts I reference in the video: Google’s Broad Core Updates And The Difference Between Relevancy Adjustments, Intent Shifts, And Overall Site Quality Problems https://www.gsqi.com/marketing-blog/google-broad-core-updates-difference-between-relevancy-adjustments-intent-shifts-overall-site-quality/   Google’s Core Algorithm Updates and The Power of User Studies: How Real Feedback From Real People Can Help Site Owners Surface Website Quality Problems (And More) https://www.gsqi.com/marketing-blog/google-core-ranking-updates-user-studies/ Smart Delta Reports – How To Automate Exporting, Filtering, and Comparing Google Search Data Across Timeframes Via The Search Console API and Analytics Edge https://www.gsqi.com/marketing-blog/how-to-automate-delta-report-gsc-api-analytics-edge/ Follow me on X: https://x.com/glenngabe Connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/glenngabe/

This is Part 3 of "Core Update Notes" for the August broad core update. I cover an update on September Helpful Content Updates sites (HCUX), tremors I'm seeing during the update, sites violating Google's Site Reputation Abuse spam policy, how YMYL sites can surge even with a fraction of the links of competitors, how Google will eventually catch up with sites heavily publishing AI-generated content without human involvement, how LinkedIn pulse and advice are dropping with the August core update, and more. 00:00 "Core Update" notes for August 30th 00:51 An update on sites impacted by the September helpful content update (HCUX) 02:38 Algorithm update "Tremors" - or changes pushed by Google during the core update 05:00 Site reputation abuse - big drops and some surges 07:07 YMYL site impact - not always about the links... 08:26 Links will not (always) save you from a broad core update. 09:28 Pushing the Limits? Google will eventually catch up. 10:42 Recovery from the June 2024 spam update? 11:37 PSA: Domain name changes and migrations DURING broad core updates. 12:36 LinkedIn Pulse and Advice directories dropping. 14:14 Things to Know SERP feature impact. 16:18 Summary of "Core Update Notes" for August 30th 2024 And make sure to check out the other episodes covering "Core Update Notes" from the August core update: Core Update Notes from August 19, 2024 https://open.spotify.com/episode/4TK7m2NAhw5Kth25f1f0tb Core Update Notes From August 23, 2024 https://open.spotify.com/episode/3U5ugx08nT6IuFnPPn0jxR Follow me on X: https://x.com/glenngabe Connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/glenngabe/

Part 2 of "Core Update Notes" for the August Google broad core update. I cover the latest with helpful content update sites surging back from the dead, reviews sites also rising from the ashes, Google confirming that AI overview rankings can be impacted by broad core updates, how SERP features could be impacted during core updates, and the connection between the May 3rd and May 10th unconfirmed updates and the August core update. 00:00 Google August 2024 Core Update Notes - 8/23 Edition00:37 An Update On September Helpful Content Sites (HCUX) 02:18 An example of a full recovery from the HCU(X)? 04:00 The Aug core update connection with the May 3rd and May 10th unconfirmed updates. 05:40 Gif and Meme sites: SERP features impacted versus 10-blue links. 07:20 Confirmed: Core updates can impact AI overview rankings. 08:50 Reviews sites rise from the ashes. Not just HCU(X) sites. Follow me on X: https://x.com/glenngabe Connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/glenngabe/

Episode 10 of 'SEO From The Front Lines" covers what I'm seeing so far with the August 2024 core update. Includes sites heavily impacted by the September Helpful Content Update surging back, if Google is handling site reputation abuse algorithmically, the ranking bug that happened while the core update started rolling out, impact to YMYL sites, and more. 00:00 August 19th "Core Update Notes" - What I'm seeing so far. 00:49 Some September Helpful Content Update (HCUX) Sites Finally Surge 02:25 Screenshots of HCU(X) sites surging back. 05:04 It's relative. Big surges, but many HCU(X) sites were down big-time. 05:55 Is Google handling Site Reputation Abuse algorithmically with the core update? 07:48 Google confirms a ranking bug that's not related to the core update. 09:22 Site pumping out tons of AI-generated content finally drops. 10:50 Some YMYL sites are seeing a lot of movement. 12:12 Recap and stay tuned for more "Core Update Notes". Follow me on X: https://x.com/glenngabe Connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/glenngabe/

With Google's hidden gems update in the fall of 2023, both Reddit and Quora surged like crazy. Although many are focused on the surge of Reddit, with good reason, it's important to understand that many forums surged in the fall of 2023. I have covered this heavily on X over time. So I just rank the visibility numbers for 97 forums I'm tracking across verticals. The percentage change year-over-year was wild. 88% of the forums saw 100% growth or more. And a number saw 1000% growth or more. In this episode I also show several screenshots of forums that surged since the fall of 2023, while also explaining that several have seen drops recently with the volatility we have seen this summer (as we lead up to the next core update). Those sites are still up big-time YOY, but they have seen a downturn recently. Is that a foreshadowing of what's coming for those sites with the next core update? We'll find out soon. 00:00 How Google's Hidden Gems Updated Yielded Explosive Growth Across Many Forums. 00:24 Quora and Reddit Surge in the fall of 2023. 1:03 Google write a blog post about the upcoming hidden gems update. 1:33 The hidden gems update rolls out and Google never announced it. 2:45 Google announced a Reddit partnership. 4:00 Tweets from Glenn and Lily Ray about other forums surging. 5:30 Tracking the visibility changes across 97 forums. 7:10 Showing examples of forums that surged in search visibility. My blog post covering the surges across forums: https://www.gsqi.com/marketing-blog/beyond-reddit-and-quora-google-hidden-gems-update-forums-surge/ Follow me on X: https://x.com/glenngabe Connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/glenngabe/