SEO Series: What the Heck is Going on at Google?!

Have you recently found yourself saying, What the heck, Google?! Google search results have been experiencing significant changes, with an increase in discussion sites like Reddit and Quora appearing in search results. This is due to Google's emphasis on first-person experience (EEAT) and combating misinformation. However, the results often include outdated information and unreliable advice.Additionally, Google's AI overviews, formerly known as Search Generative Experience (SGE), have been quietly rolled out, providing automatic answers to queries but sometimes pulling in inaccurate information from sources like forums. The leaked Google algorithms reveal that clicks, click-through rates, and length of page visits are ranking signals, while on-page SEO and technical backend optimization are less important than we previously thought. To adjust to these changes, marketers should diversify their strategies and focus on reaching their audience where they are through channels like YouTube, events, thought leadership, referrals, digital advertising, and public relations. Content strategies should prioritize deep technical content, real-world projects, and data, rather than introductory topics. It's important to stay flexible and adjust plans as Google's search landscape continues to evolve.TakeawaysGoogle search results now prioritize content from discussion sites to provide a first-person perspective.However, this shift has resulted in outdated and unreliable information appearing in search results due to a lack of oversight.Google's AI overviews, previously known as SGE, provide automatic answers to queries but may pull in inaccurate information and are not always pulling from the most authoritative sources.Clicks, click-through rates, and length of page visits are ranking signals, while on-page SEO and technical backend optimization are less important.Marketers should diversify their strategies and focus on reaching their audience through channels like YouTube, events, thought leadership, referrals, digital advertising, and public relations.Content strategies should prioritize deep technical content, real-world projects, and data, rather than introductory topics.ResourcesConnect with Erin on LinkedInConnect with Wendy on LinkedInAn Anonymous Source Shared Thousands of Leaked Google Search API Documents with Me; Everyone in SEO Should See ThemReddit shown excessively in Google product review search results, study findsTREW Marketing Strategy ServicesRelated Episode: The Evolving Search Landscape of 2023, from E-E-A-T to AIRelated Episode: What We've Learned from Google's Search Generative Experience (SGE)