Google Search Ranking Algorithm Update On January 11, 2022 (Unconfirmed)

There may have been a Google search ranking algorithm update on January 11, 2022. This would be the first real unconfirmed update for the 2022 year. I am seeing both chatter spike up starting on January 10th and continue through today. Plus, many of the tracking tools are showing big movements in the Google search results.

SEO Chatter

The ongoing WebmasterWorld has many folks saying big changes in their rankings over the past couple of days. Here is what some of the SEOs said:

I think Google released an update yesterday, even if no sensor has signaled it. Every competitor’s keywords position has suddenly changed and my own as well. Curious that everything is so quiet.

I think you might be right. It’s been eerily quiet(er). That would make sense.

My USA traffic dropped considerably again yesterday, but International remained very strong. Today USA is also down, while international traffic is very strong. Sunday just looks like a reversion back to the previous throttling of USA traffic.

Heavy bot traffic this morning, Google crawling and few real humans in-between. Constant shuffling in the SERPS, but Amazon crowded listings remain a permanent fixture at the top which is a huge help to our Chinese competitors I’m sure.

For me Europe woke up from its Xmas / New Year yesterday along with a torrent of USA single page visitors. The single page visitors all went to individual widget pages which, for me, is most un-botlike.

Traffic was at 308.3%.

My traffic was also up yesterday and looks quite perky today too, so far. Mine much more in line with what I would expect this time of year.

Huge drop today. Semrush again on fire now… Another coincidence? 🙂

Something was definitely rolled out. All competitors in my niche are up (semrush). Some +10, +5. +3, +7 etc. Me? +0.05.

Clobbered again, zero-day.

Tracking Tools

Like I said, the tracking tools are showing big movements as well. Here are some of those tools showing a Google update.

Mozcast:

Semrush:

RankRanger:

Accuranker:

Advanced Web Rankings:

Cognitive SEO:

SERPMetrics:

Algoroo:

What are you seeing?

Forum discussion at WebmasterWorld.