Google Updates with John Mueller and Billie Geena

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#BrightonSEO GOOGLE UPDATES GOOGLE UPDATES IS SEO DEAD? Has AI Taken MY Job? Help, I think I’m a robot. How far has Google come? Past, Present and Future.

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@johnmu Working on Search since 2008. Has been involved with over 7 Google updates. Leads the Google Search Relations team, which connects website owners with Google Search teams, and creates all the Search documentation for SEOs / site- owners. About John About John

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@BillieGeena Ten years working on digital projects Five years of Technical SEO Eight weeks of running my agency Navigated many updates Survived many client update meltdowns Founder of Uptake Agency About Billie Geena About Billie Geena

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Who’s Going to the SE Who’s Going to the SE Ranking Karaoke party Ranking Karaoke party tonight?? tonight??

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Raise your hand if... Who’s in the audience? Who’s in the audience? @Johnmu // @billiegeena #BrightonSEO

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TECHNICAL SEOS? TECHNICAL SEOS? @Johnmu // @billiegeena #BrightonSEO

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We know you are different dw. DIGITAL PRS/LINKBUILDERS? DIGITAL PRS/LINKBUILDERS? @Johnmu // @billiegeena #BrightonSEO

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CONTENT? CONTENT? @Johnmu // @billiegeena #BrightonSEO

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LOCAL SEO’S? LOCAL SEO’S? @Johnmu // @billiegeena #BrightonSEO

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STRATEGISTS? STRATEGISTS? @Johnmu // @billiegeena #BrightonSEO

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Who does Google Who does Google love the most? love the most? Wonder no more!

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Just at different times and for different reasons We’re all We’re all Google’s Google’s favourite child. favourite child. @Johnmu // @billiegeena #BrightonSEO

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Without a holistic view, importance on the pillars wouldn’t be split evenly. We’d be running around like headless chickens. But without But without strategy, we’d strategy, we’d all struggle. all struggle. @Johnmu // @billiegeena #BrightonSEO

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CURRENT STATE OF CURRENT STATE OF AFFAIRS AFFAIRS What’s happening right now

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Content Technical Webspam Let’s look at some of the things that had the biggest impact on us So many things happen all the time So many things happen all the time @Johnmu // @billiegeena #BrightonSEO

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Reduce risk of effects Reduce risk of effects from Google updates from Google updates

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Updates about content: - Reduce short-cuts - Focus on quality over quantity @Johnmu // @billiegeena #BrightonSEO

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Technical SEO updates: - Implement modern best practices and know what's coming. - Use a common and flexible CMS or delegate to a hosting platform. @Johnmu // @billiegeena #BrightonSEO

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Updates about webspam: - Well, you know. @Johnmu // @billiegeena #BrightonSEO

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What if you don't want to? Life goes on :-) Updates come, updates go. @Johnmu // @billiegeena #BrightonSEO

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What if you don't want to? Life goes on :-) Updates come, updates go. Don't mess with clients' websites. @Johnmu // @billiegeena #BrightonSEO

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What if you don't want to? Life goes on :-) Updates come, updates go. Don't mess with clients' websites. Often, updates reflect updated expectations by users & ecosystem changes. @Johnmu // @billiegeena #BrightonSEO

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PEOPLE WANT A GREAT EXPERIENCE ON THE WEB. DON'T BE AN EXAMPLE IN THE NEXT "THE WEB SUCKS" ARTICLE. @Johnmu // @billiegeena #BrightonSEO

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Always be hustling? Nah. @Johnmu // @billiegeena #BrightonSEO

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Let's zoom out Let's zoom out before before zooming in zooming in @Johnmu // @billiegeena #BrightonSEO

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Algorithms are not one Algorithms are not one simple thing, it's a balancing simple thing, it's a balancing act of lots of algorithms act of lots of algorithms with their own ratings. with their own ratings.

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CWV is one example, because you site has high performance scores does not mean it will rank even if the content is thin. Lots of algorithms, Lots of algorithms, lots of factors lots of factors

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RECENT GOOGLE RECENT GOOGLE UPDATES UPDATES

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CORE WEB VITALS - CORE WEB VITALS - Page experience Page experience guidance guidance @Johnmu // @billiegeena #BrightonSEO

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Is important for success in ranking generally Involves focusing on more than one or two page experience aspects Google updated the page experience guidance to emphasize that good page experience: @Johnmu // @billiegeena #BrightonSEO

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INP to replace FID First Input Delay (FID) will be replaced with Interaction to Next Paint (INP) Search Console reports on it already and you can test your pages now. Coming in March 2024. @Johnmu // @billiegeena #BrightonSEO

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Consider Core Web Vitals for page experience CWV aligns with page experience Does not guarantee success in Search (nothing does) @Johnmu // @billiegeena #BrightonSEO

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Making us ask what does helpful mean since 2022. Helpful Helpful content content @Johnmu // @billiegeena #BrightonSEO

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Helpful means different things to different industries. Some examples are listed in the Search Quality Rater Guidelines. This isn’t a secret sauce to ranking thought. It’s just examples and ideas. @Johnmu // @billiegeena #BrightonSEO

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She’s just finished rolling out, we don’t know much yet August Update August Update @Johnmu // @billiegeena #BrightonSEO

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Raise your hand if you Raise your hand if you was on holiday when was on holiday when the update was the update was announced? announced?

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LET’S GET SERIOUS @Johnmu // @billiegeena #BrightonSEO

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Ok, Google play arms Ok, Google play arms of an angel by Sarah of an angel by Sarah McLachlan McLachlan @Johnmu // @billiegeena #BrightonSEO

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UA @Johnmu // @billiegeena #BrightonSEO

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UA @Johnmu // @billiegeena #BrightonSEO

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FAQ SCHEMA @Johnmu // @billiegeena #BrightonSEO

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FAQ SCHEMA HOW TO SCHEMA @Johnmu // @billiegeena #BrightonSEO

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ENERGY LEVELS @Johnmu // @billiegeena #BrightonSEO

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HOPE @Johnmu // @billiegeena #BrightonSEO

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JOY @Johnmu // @billiegeena #BrightonSEO

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MOBILE USABILITY REPORT @Johnmu // @billiegeena #BrightonSEO

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John... Do you plan on John... Do you plan on taking anything else taking anything else we love away? we love away? @Johnmu // @billiegeena #BrightonSEO

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Finding value for Finding value for users & site owners users & site owners For example rich results: how can they be useful for For example rich results: how can they be useful for users & site-owners without overwhelming them? users & site-owners without overwhelming them? Could Google more selectively show them? Could Google more selectively show them? @Johnmu // @billiegeena #BrightonSEO

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@Johnmu // @billiegeena #BrightonSEO

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Google’s F U T U R E @Johnmu // @billiegeena #BrightonSEO

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SGE @Johnmu // @billiegeena #BrightonSEO

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WHY SGE? Our focus on the quality of content, rather than how content is produced, is a helpful guide that has helped us deliver reliable, high-quality results to users for years. Also, we would recommend thinking about who, how, and why about your content. @Johnmu // @billiegeena #BrightonSEO

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Question time Answering your questions @Johnmu // @billiegeena #BrightonSEO

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How have the increase in AI content and increasing prioritisation of generative search impacted the Helpful Content Updates from 2022? - Alice Rowan @Johnmu // @billiegeena #BrightonSEO

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Why does content that doesn't meet the Helpful Content Guidelines rank over content that does meet it? - Anonymous @Johnmu // @billiegeena #BrightonSEO

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Is digital pr link-spam? - Anonymous @Johnmu // @billiegeena #BrightonSEO

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Can't google pause updates over the holidays? - Anonymous @Johnmu // @billiegeena #BrightonSEO

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How is this update going to impact rankings? - Sanjay Nagpal, India Today Group @Johnmu // @billiegeena #BrightonSEO

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It’s not fair - Anonymous @Johnmu // @billiegeena #BrightonSEO

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What’s planned for the future with SGE? When will it roll out in my country? - Anonymous @Johnmu // @billiegeena #BrightonSEO

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After SGE was rolled out, for many of our keywords, we are seeing keyword-stuffed pages dominating the top positions on the SERP. Why? - Richa Veere, STI @Johnmu // @billiegeena #BrightonSEO

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Should I work on / launch a site before or during updates? - Anonymous @Johnmu // @billiegeena #BrightonSEO

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Which data does an update use? How far back does it go? - Anonymous @Johnmu // @billiegeena #BrightonSEO

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I had a technical issue right before the core update. Am I screwed? - Anonymous @Johnmu // @billiegeena #BrightonSEO

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Are you doing more updates nowadays? - Anonymous @Johnmu // @billiegeena #BrightonSEO

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The algorithm is learning by itself and is rolling out 'unconfirmed' updates. 'Official' updates are G understanding what it has done, packaging it up and announcing to the masses -Anonymous @Johnmu // @billiegeena #BrightonSEO

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Will SGE put me out of work? - Anonymous @Johnmu // @billiegeena #BrightonSEO

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CLIENT QUESTIONS @Johnmu // @billiegeena #BrightonSEO

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PLEASE EXPLAIN @Johnmu // @billiegeena #BrightonSEO

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NOTHINGS HAPPENING @Johnmu // @billiegeena #BrightonSEO

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WHY DIDN'T IT WORK THIS TIME?

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WILL THIS BE ENOUGH?

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BUT WHAT ABOUT THE OTHERS?

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WHAT DID YOU DOOOOO @Johnmu // @billiegeena #BrightonSEO

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OK, THEN LET'S ESCALATE @Johnmu // @billiegeena #BrightonSEO

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Stay updated The search status dashboard is the place to be. Subscribe with the RSS feed (check "RSS to email") Search Central Blog (also RSS feed) + our socials Follow Barry Schwartz, of course

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Final Take aways don't panic monitor technical trends before they're "updates" prepare: flexible infrastructure be objective about content quality: schedule for review and delete or fix stay informed make update-memes for bonus points

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Billie Geena We’ve been John Mueller & Ask us stuff @Johnmu @BillieGeena #BrightonSEO