Google Update Response Falls Short of Expectations
Google’s SearchLiaison confirmed that some updates happened. But he downplayed their importance. The attempt to trivialize the update was in contrast to the widely felt impact and passionate response to it by publishers. Many asserted that this update was significant and worthy of more guidance.
Google Confirms November 2019 Update… Sort of
The confirmation was in the form of answering the feedback about the update felt last week, beginning approximately November 7th but felt in force on November 8th.
This is what Google SearchLiaison said:
“Some have asked if we had an update to Google Search last week. We did, actually several updates, just as we have several updates in any given week on a regular basis. In this thread, a reminder of when and why we give specific guidance about particular updates….”
Some have asked if we had an update to Google Search last week. We did, actually several updates, just as we have several updates in any given week on a regular basis. In this thread, a reminder of when and why we give specific guidance about particular updates….
— Google SearchLiaison (@searchliaison) November 12, 2019
Publishers Dissatisfied With Lack of Guidance
The response to the update was out of step with the widely felt impact on publishers. Many publishers expressed dissatisfaction with Google’s response.
Agreed. A little guidance on why it’s no longer great would go a long way. Otherwise, I don’t even know where to go from here on writing quality content. 🤷♀️
— Britni Vigil (@PlayPartyPlan) November 13, 2019
Another publisher expressed confusion as to why his content could be considered good for years and overnight have it’s traffic dramatically slashed.
Not sure why our content was considered “great” last week and not this week. We’ve lost 63% of SEO traffic overnight. Years of hard work wiped out in a few hours…
— Peter John Watson (@Scratch_Video) November 12, 2019
A common theme among the casualties of Google’s update was astonishment of having played by the rules and succeeded, only to watch all the success disappear:
It would be great if you undid that change. My traffic is down 30 percent. Which is greatly hurting my business and family this time of year. I work very hard to practice ethical SEO practices. This one hurt.
— Katie Clark (@clarkscondensed) November 12, 2019
Not Just Another Update
Google SearchLiaison’s statement that the update was not out of the ordinary stood in contrast to the extraordinary outcry on Twitter and elsewhere.
Clearly, this update was not like any other update that Google does on any given week. The update was so widespread and keenly felt that it was compared to the devastating 2012 rollout of the Google Penguin algorithm:
Woah, the latest Google algo update is AGGRESSIVE!
Some sites are tanking like it’s 2012 and Google just rolled out the first ever Penguin update.
Is that the impact of BERT or something else – whaddayathink? pic.twitter.com/WWmLW637Ay
— Kevin_Indig (@Kevin_Indig) November 10, 2019
The comparison is not an exaggeration.
I have witnessed and lived through every update that Google has rolled out. This update compares closely in publisher impact with Google’s most disruptive updates, the Florida Update in 2003 and the Penguin update from 2012.
The Florida update caused major disruptions in the publishing world. In fact, I remember that Danny Sullivan himself sent me a private message on WebmasterWorld asking if I had any information to share. The impact of this update feels as if it’s on a similar scale.
Update Introduced More Spam?
A common complaint is that the update allowed more spam into the search results. There is anecdotal evidence that this update affected spam sites in a positive way for some sites. Ordinarily in an update it’s mostly misery being reported. That’s not the case with the November 2019 update.
Anecdotal evidence from reading the link spam related Facebook groups seems to indicate generally upbeat reports.
Update Introduced Irrelevant Results
Another common complaint was that some search results were irrelevant. One person tweeted a screenshot of a search for “meatball recipe” that resulted in recipe for gluten free pumpkin cupcakes.
I Googled “Meatball Recipe” and a Pumpkin Cupcake recipe came up. Are there kinks still being worked out? I am well-versed with this particular search for my business and it’s never been so off. This is just one example of bizarre behavior that we’ve been seeing since Friday. pic.twitter.com/sPbCbEY105
— The Cozy Cook (@TheCozyCook) November 13, 2019
Is November Update Bert Part 2?
According to Google SearchLiaison’s short statement, the November update was a number of different changes:
“We did, actually several updates…”
It may be a reasonable assumption that one of those changes was an expansion in the use of BERT. I gave an informal look at a few of the sites that had experienced drops of 30% or more and I noticed that certain anomalies in how the pages used keywords. Maybe that had something to do with it, maybe not. It was odd however how this anomaly was common across the sites I took a quick look at.
Speculation About Impact of BERT
UK Search marketing and algorithm expert Dawn Anderson (@dawnieando) had some interesting “guesses” about how BERT might impact the search results.
“Only guessing but I suspect it is now much more easy to OVER-optimise since BERT, because it’s designed to actually prevent keyword-ese language / negate the need for this unnatural language in favour of more natural human language. Only thinking off the top of my head though.”
I was startled to read that because it was similar to preliminary observations about what might be happening to some of the recipe and travel bloggers that were impacted by this update.
Boston-based search marketing expert Dave Matson (@davematson) tweeted in response:
“Interesting. Yes, if Bert is better understanding natural language and context, presumably it also means noting “unnatural” language, keyword stuffing etc.”
Interesting. Yes, if Bert is better understanding natural language and context, presumably it also means noting “unnatural” language, keyword stuffing etc.
— dave matson (@davematson) November 11, 2019
I tend to agree that this update may have at least some component that is related to relevance. On the occasions when Google has discussed their updates, the changes have almost always been related to relevance. Such is the case with BERT, which is also about relevance.
There has never been an E-A-T update and there is no such thing as an E-A-T algorithm.
BERT itself is about relevance. That’s why if one is going to make a guess about the November 2019 Google update, there may be a good chance that relevance may be a part of it (though not the entire update).
Google spent the entire weekend ignoring publishers, as if nothing happened. When Google finally issued a statement it fell far short of expectations. Publishers have expressed dissatisfaction with Google’s response so far.
Google Warns About Misuse of Its Indexing API
Google has updated its Indexing API documentation with a clear warning about spam detection and the possible consequences of misuse.
Warning Against API Misuse The new message in the guide says:
“All submissions through the Indexing API are checked for spam. Any misuse, like using multiple accounts or going over the usage limits, could lead to access being taken away.”
This warning is aimed at people trying to abuse the system by exceeding the API’s limits or breaking Google’s rules.
What Is the Indexing API? The Indexing API allows websites to tell Google when job posting or livestream video pages are added or removed. It helps websites with fast-changing content get their pages crawled and indexed quickly.
But it seems some users have been trying to abuse this by using multiple accounts to get more access.
Impact of the Update Google is now closely watching how people use the Indexing API. If someone breaks the rules, they might lose access to the tool, which could make it harder for them to keep their search results updated for time-sensitive content.
How To Stay Compliant To use the Indexing API properly, follow these rules:
- Don’t go over the usage limits, and if you need more, ask Google instead of using multiple accounts.
- Use the API only for job postings or livestream videos, and make sure your data is correct.
- Follow all of Google’s API guidelines and spam policies.
- Use sitemaps along with the API, not as a replacement.
Remember, the Indexing API isn’t a shortcut to faster indexing. Follow the rules to keep your access.
This Week in Search News: Simple and Easy-to-Read Update
Here’s what happened in the world of Google and search engines this week:
1. Google’s June 2024 Spam Update
Google finished rolling out its June 2024 spam update over a period of seven days. This update aims to reduce spammy content in search results.
2. Changes to Google Search Interface
Google has removed the continuous scroll feature for search results. Instead, it’s back to the old system of pages.
3. New Features and Tests
- Link Cards: Google is testing link cards at the top of AI-generated overviews.
- Health Overviews: There are more AI-generated health overviews showing up in search results.
- Local Panels: Google is testing AI overviews in local information panels.
4. Search Rankings and Quality
- Improving Rankings: Google said it can improve its search ranking system but will only do so on a large scale.
- Measuring Quality: Google’s Elizabeth Tucker shared how they measure search quality.
5. Advice for Content Creators
- Brand Names in Reviews: Google advises not to avoid mentioning brand names in review content.
- Fixing 404 Pages: Google explained when it’s important to fix 404 error pages.
6. New Search Features in Google Chrome
Google Chrome for mobile devices has added several new search features to enhance user experience.
7. New Tests and Features in Google Search
- Credit Card Widget: Google is testing a new widget for credit card information in search results.
- Sliding Search Results: When making a new search query, the results might slide to the right.
8. Bing’s New Feature
Bing is now using AI to write “People Also Ask” questions in search results.
9. Local Search Ranking Factors
Menu items and popular times might be factors that influence local search rankings on Google.
10. Google Ads Updates
- Query Matching and Brand Controls: Google Ads updated its query matching and brand controls, and advertisers are happy with these changes.
- Lead Credits: Google will automate lead credits for Local Service Ads. Google says this is a good change, but some advertisers are worried.
- tROAS Insights Box: Google Ads is testing a new insights box for tROAS (Target Return on Ad Spend) in Performance Max and Standard Shopping campaigns.
- WordPress Tag Code: There is a new conversion code for Google Ads on WordPress sites.
These updates highlight how Google and other search engines are continuously evolving to improve user experience and provide better advertising tools.
AI
Exploring the Evolution of Language Translation: A Comparative Analysis of AI Chatbots and Google Translate
According to an article on PCMag, while Google Translate makes translating sentences into over 100 languages easy, regular users acknowledge that there’s still room for improvement.
In theory, large language models (LLMs) such as ChatGPT are expected to bring about a new era in language translation. These models consume vast amounts of text-based training data and real-time feedback from users worldwide, enabling them to quickly learn to generate coherent, human-like sentences in a wide range of languages.
However, despite the anticipation that ChatGPT would revolutionize translation, previous experiences have shown that such expectations are often inaccurate, posing challenges for translation accuracy. To put these claims to the test, PCMag conducted a blind test, asking fluent speakers of eight non-English languages to evaluate the translation results from various AI services.
The test compared ChatGPT (both the free and paid versions) to Google Translate, as well as to other competing chatbots such as Microsoft Copilot and Google Gemini. The evaluation involved comparing the translation quality for two test paragraphs across different languages, including Polish, French, Korean, Spanish, Arabic, Tagalog, and Amharic.
In the first test conducted in June 2023, participants consistently favored AI chatbots over Google Translate. ChatGPT, Google Bard (now Gemini), and Microsoft Bing outperformed Google Translate, with ChatGPT receiving the highest praise. ChatGPT demonstrated superior performance in converting colloquialisms, while Google Translate often provided literal translations that lacked cultural nuance.
For instance, ChatGPT accurately translated colloquial expressions like “blow off steam,” whereas Google Translate produced more literal translations that failed to resonate across cultures. Participants appreciated ChatGPT’s ability to maintain consistent levels of formality and its consideration of gender options in translations.
The success of AI chatbots like ChatGPT can be attributed to reinforcement learning with human feedback (RLHF), which allows these models to learn from human preferences and produce culturally appropriate translations, particularly for non-native speakers. However, it’s essential to note that while AI chatbots outperformed Google Translate, they still had limitations and occasional inaccuracies.
In a subsequent test, PCMag evaluated different versions of ChatGPT, including the free and paid versions, as well as language-specific AI agents from OpenAI’s GPTStore. The paid version of ChatGPT, known as ChatGPT Plus, consistently delivered the best translations across various languages. However, Google Translate also showed improvement, performing surprisingly well compared to previous tests.
Overall, while ChatGPT Plus emerged as the preferred choice for translation, Google Translate demonstrated notable improvement, challenging the notion that AI chatbots are always superior to traditional translation tools.
Source: https://www.pcmag.com/articles/google-translate-vs-chatgpt-which-is-the-best-language-translator