What to Know About the August 2024 Core Update
On August 15, 2024, Google rolled out its latest core update, known as the August 2024 Core Update. This update continues Google’s mission to enhance the quality of its search results by prioritizing content that genuinely serves users and de-emphasizing content designed solely to perform well in search rankings. As with previous core updates, this […]
Google Alerts: How Soft 404 Errors Hurt Your SEO and How to Fix Them
Google Analyst Gary Illyes recently shared a LinkedIn post highlighting issues web crawlers face: soft 404 errors and other hidden errors. These errors can harm your SEO efforts. What Are Soft 404 Errors? Soft 404 errors happen when a web server wrongly returns a “200 OK” status for pages that don’t exist or have error […]
WordPress Plugin Supply Chain Attacks Are Increasing
Hackers are increasingly targeting WordPress plugins using stolen login credentials from other data breaches to gain direct access to plugin code. These attacks are particularly concerning because they can appear as normal plugin updates to users, making them difficult to detect. What is a Supply Chain Attack? Normally, software vulnerabilities allow attackers to inject malicious […]
Google’s Struggles with Two Types of Searches
Despite significant advancements, Google still faces challenges with two specific types of search queries, according to Director & Product Manager Elizabeth Tucker. Complex Search Types In a recent episode of Google’s Search Off The Record podcast, Tucker discussed ongoing difficulties in accurately matching search queries with relevant information. The two primary problem areas are searches […]
Google Completes June 2024 Spam Update Rollout
Google has officially announced the completion of its June 2024 spam update, a week-long process aimed at improving search result quality by targeting websites that violate spam policies. Key Details Start Date: June 20, 2024 Completion Date: June 27, 2024, at 9:10 PDT (as noted on Google’s Search Status Dashboard) Announcement: Made via Google’s Search […]
Google Ends Continuous Scroll in Search Results: What It Really Means
Google has announced that it will end continuous scrolling in its search results (SERPs) to speed up the delivery of search results. However, many in the search marketing community are skeptical of this explanation and wonder about the real reasons behind the change. What is Continuous Scroll? Continuous scroll, popularized by social media, allows users […]
Is Google Crawling Your Site a Lot? That Could Be a Bad Sign
Gary Illyes, a Google Analyst, recently warned in a LinkedIn post that if Google starts aggressively crawling your website, it might indicate underlying issues rather than being a purely positive sign. Increased Crawling: A Double-Edged Sword While more crawling can sometimes mean Google is finding your site valuable, Illyes advises caution. He mentions two common […]