Google’s August 2024 core update rolls out

Here we go again. Google recently finished rolling out another algorithm update. And it was a big one.

According to the people at Google, this was meant to show “more content that people find genuinely useful and less content that feels like it was made just to perform well on search”. But the consensus in the SEO community is that the August update was correcting some of the websites mistakenly decimated by previous updates (like the Helpful Content Update). Brands like HouseFresh lost almost all of their traffic – but early signs are they might be making a comeback.

But it’s not all good news. Many websites experienced further decline, and for some this update was too little too late. Barry Schwartz reported that the company Hardbacon sadly filed for bankruptcy the day before the August 2024 update, as it had been hit hard by previous Google updates. Just a day later, its traffic began to rise again. Gutting.

What does this mean for digital PR?

If your site (or a client’s site) has recently experienced a sudden change – this is probably the reason. So keep a close eye on your GA4 and Search Console accounts.

This search volatility is also a timely reminder for any business that relies heavily on Google. If your income is solely dependent on your Google rankings, your business is at risk. It’s as simple as that. No matter how excellent your website is, recent algorithm updates have shown that no one’s safe.

The solution to that risk? Brand building. A strong brand is algorithm-proof and future-proof. By showing up across all the channels your audience use, you can ensure you’re always front-of-mind – whatever your position on Google.

Google’s AI Overviews pick up speed in the UK

AI Overviews (AI-generated summaries) have finally landed in the UK. Here at Energy, they’ve been appearing in our Google search results for the past month or so. And our first impressions are fairly positive. They do a pretty good job at answering informational searches, and we haven’t seen any drastic drops in traffic. So far, so good.

(If you haven’t already, we’d recommend experimenting with them. It’ll help you get to grips with how they work and how they might affect your brand.)

Now when Google launched SGE (what they were originally called), a staggering 93.8% of all cited sources were from outside the top 10 on Google. Meaning the top ranking pages weren’t being cited by AI. The result? Some less-than-accurate results, and plenty of unhappy SEOs.

But this seems to have changed. A recent study has revealed 99% of all AIO results are now also in the top 10. In other words, if your content is performing well in the traditional search results – you’ve got a great chance at appearing in AI Overviews too.

What does this mean for digital PR?

It’s good news for digital PRs. Instead of trying to predict how Google’s AI algorithm works, we can just do our jobs. Create quality content, generate coverage, build brand mentions and secure backlinks. Everything we’re already doing. By doing digital PR and SEO well, we can ensure our work is visible everywhere its need to be.

The anti-trust trials continue

Last month, the results of the first anti-trust trial came in. And they were monumental. A US judge ruled that Google acted illegally to maintain its monopoly on search and advertising.

But the drama doesn’t seem to be stopping anytime soon. It continues this month, with the next trial focusing on Google’s advertising. The US Department of Justice argues that Google has also illegally monopolised the online ad marketplace.

“They [Google] have been the prosecuting attorney, the defence attorney, and the judge and the jury of the online ad ecosystem. The remedy is to say you have to quit at least one of those jobs: You can’t be all three.” The Trade Desk’s CEO Jeff Green

What does this mean for digital PR?

Right now, no one knows. But the very fact that these trials are taking place is good news for the marketing and PR industry. A reduction in power for the dominant tech companies could mean more power (and more possibilities) for us as marketers. If Google is forced to actively compete, we could see more innovation, lower prices and ultimately better opportunities in search and advertising.

Will it actually happen? We’ll have to wait and see. But we can hope…