Google turbulence

[casionmark]

Anyone noticing major movements on Google at the moment. Core update on the way maybe?

[newcustomeroffer]

Just over 3 months since the last one so quite possible, nothing confirmed yet that I've seen though.

[baldidiot]

Mozcast is spiking so you may well be right: https://moz.com/mozcast

[PaulEchere]

I am seeing quite significant movements, negative ones though. Huge dip in clicks and impressions T.T

[newcustomeroffer]

Mozcast is spiking so you may well be right: https://moz.com/mozcast

Just the 134 degrees - something's happening!!

[eight]

Will EAT become even more important?
Will it become rather mandatory?

[wonderpunter]

lots of media sites ranking top especially outlook india with 3-4 spots sometimes, and no matter how precise i am on searching various subjects just getting genric results on pretty much evertything , people, movies etc.. this usually happens before those kinda sites get wiped out or perhaps itsa wishful thinking? but paid posts on media sites are the new norm and have been for a while, I cant see google letting it keep happening? the content is noway near as good as top authority sites for tech, perfume, clothes etc.. now your local rag is expert on it all lol

[bpmee]

Yep, "Authority for Rent" is the new SEO model. Big corporate affiliates are in on the game.

In fact, some have deals or "sponsorships" with major newspaper groups and media groups. The affiliates pay their authors to basically write money pages that get placed with "content provided by..." disclaimers. Ironically, these placements actually rank over some of their own portal sites!

Another tactic I've noticed are "small article blasts". These are typically game previews with a table of odds and a few interesting pieces of data. Links with 302 redirects to geotargeting sites obtain the user's IP and forward them to the appropriate provider site. Thousands of these articles will go up on regional US TV network sites (for those outside the USA, these are local city and state TV News sites that cater to a particular geographic area).

These articles, no matter how insignificant, rank over most other sites simply because the TV station's website has more authority than most affiliate sites. Who knows if these redirects are legal in more restrictive US state markets?

I've said it before. It should be relatively easy for Google to determine which sites are principally for news and which are subject matter experts. If a news site publishes "5 Best Casinos for 2023", it should rank for 3 days at most like any other news story and fade. Meanwhile, the same article by a subject matter expert should stick around much longer.

Even better, these news sites shouldn't get ranked in gambling SERPs at all. They're abusing their authority for a quick and easy buck.

[Cash Bonus]

No, I'm not noticing anything major happening, at the moment. If there is a core update, it might take a couple of weeks for it to be completed.

[Snurra]

First of all, I would not worry about the update. Follow the guidelines, focus on the user and optimise for SEO. There is always turbulence.

Agreed with wonderpunter and bpmee. On most markets there are the big news sites taking over the SERP. I really hope Google is smart enough to do something about it. No topic authority there. Just general, which should not be enough.

[NoDepositCasinos]

I've said it before. It should be relatively easy for Google to determine which sites are principally for news and which are subject matter experts. If a news site publishes "5 Best Casinos for 2023", it should rank for 3 days at most like any other news story and fade. Meanwhile, the same article by a subject matter expert should stick around much longer.

Sure. It's something easy to do, but probably not so profitable.

Regardless, I would like to have the option. Being able to choose whether I want to read from a news-focused site or one that works with experts (in any topic, not just iGaming), not only because it would be good for the business and motivate a lot of people to improve their content, but also because as a reader I want to have easy access to the type of sources I prefer.

[bpmee]

Regardless, I would like to have the option. Being able to choose whether I want to read from a news-focused site or one that works with experts (in any topic, not just iGaming), not only because it would be good for the business and motivate a lot of people to improve their content, but also because as a reader I want to have easy access to the type of sources I prefer.

Fair point, but I don't think a "5 Best Casinos for 2023" is a news story as much as it is a product review. Google shouldn't treat it as news and it shouldn't boost the article over sites whose sole purpose is providing iGaming information.

A quick counter example: should Google rank "5 Treatments for Stomach Pain" from major media over the same article from a recognized hospital or doctor? If so, media sites are missing out on a major opportunity to make money. Healthcare is a much larger industry than gaming. I don't think most journalists are qualified to write about medical treatments unless they studied medicine themselves. Obviously iGaming is a much different niche

Tying this back to the OP's post, I'm not seeing much turbulence (yet). A few US media sites promoting legal brands slipped a little and some of the obvious sponsored posts fell off. But things are mostly the same besides the usual flux.

[edgarf76]

The mozcast has been in the 130's, which is crazy. I think this has to do with helpful content. Time will tell.

[NoDepositCasinos]

Fair point, but I don't think a "5 Best Casinos for 2023" is a news story as much as it is a product review. Google shouldn't treat it as news and it shouldn't boost the article over sites whose sole purpose is providing iGaming information.

I completely agree. I was referring to news in general and not to the specific example provided by Bpmee. For me, articles like those are informative, and I don't mind if they rank for months or even throughout the year. However, news such as the latest releases or details of the upcoming events should be more ephemeral.

A quick counter example: should Google rank "5 Treatments for Stomach Pain" from major media over the same article from a recognized hospital or doctor? If so, media sites are missing out on a major opportunity to make money. Healthcare is a much larger industry than gaming. I don't think most journalists are qualified to write about medical treatments unless they studied medicine themselves. Obviously iGaming is a much different niche

Tying this back to the OP's post, I'm not seeing much turbulence (yet). A few US media sites promoting legal brands slipped a little and some of the obvious sponsored posts fell off. But things are mostly the same besides the usual flux.

It all comes down to profit. I hope that these changes we are noticing (and those that are yet to come) benefit all of us and that we don't end up having to pay for sponsored positions no matter what. Only time will tell.

[JanWachter]

I am already tired of constant updates of algorithms...

[AnyWebb]

Websites get updated every day and there are often small tweaks in the Google algorithm (some of which that are not done by humans), so rankings can change slightly every day.

[xecutable]

The problem right now is that Google treats Authority as a global parameter, when in fact it's a local parameter. In life a surgeon with a Ph.D has an Authority in surgeries, but surely his knowledge will be very limited to plumbing compared to a professional plumber that does this for a living? Yet Google treats that Authority as something universal, therefore they would trust the surgeon's statements about everything: car insurance, casinos, hotels, etc etc. Makes no sense.

They've been doing something lately that requires a lot of processing power cause from what I see the search console gets stuck for days like every week for several days at a time. Since Q2 is almost up, I'm expecting a Core update to be announced soon.

[wonderpunter]

The problem right now is that Google treats Authority as a global parameter, when in fact it's a local parameter. In life a surgeon with a Ph.D has an Authority in surgeries, but surely his knowledge will be very limited to plumbing compared to a professional plumber that does this for a living? Yet Google treats that Authority as something universal, therefore they would trust the surgeon's statements about everything: car insurance, casinos, hotels, etc etc. Makes no sense.

They've been doing something lately that requires a lot of processing power cause from what I see the search console gets stuck for days like every week for several days at a time. Since Q2 is almost up, I'm expecting a Core update to be announced soon.

now it's as common as link buying from the golden years, I would expect google to see it for what it really is.. low value spammy doorway pages that go against their guidelines , hopefullly they will put a fix to it, they done it with medical but now media sites are the experts at evrything from, igaming, to tech, cooking and fashion lol

[casinobosscanada]

the funniest thing is that here are people who think that in the gambling industry the owners of "authority sites" are experts.

[bpmee]

The problem right now is that Google treats Authority as a global parameter, when in fact it's a local parameter. In life a surgeon with a Ph.D has an Authority in surgeries, but surely his knowledge will be very limited to plumbing compared to a professional plumber that does this for a living? Yet Google treats that Authority as something universal, therefore they would trust the surgeon's statements about everything: car insurance, casinos, hotels, etc etc. Makes no sense....

Exactly. Websites are like people in many respects: we know a lot about a couple things and very little about most things. This error isn't local to Google, either.

There are many experts in a very niche/narrow academic field who suddenly begin offering opinions about every issue imaginable, turning themselves in prominent media figures in the process. While it should be apparent that their expertise ends at the boundaries of their field, it's surprisingly common to see these people and their websites get platformed (Not an anti-free speech argument as much as a "who's worth listening to" argument).

the funniest thing is that here are people who think that in the gambling industry the owners of "authority sites" are experts.

Some are, some are not. Most probability and mathematics experts, who could readily explain and calculate the inner workings of the math that runs the gambling industry, do not have top ranking websites. There was a time many years ago when they did, but now not so much. They are simply hired to write for others or they can't compete against larger organizations.

There's also not a lucrative market for "expert" information as much as converting customers into depositing players.

That said, there are a few affiliate sites that certainly demonstrate more expertise, breadth of knowledge, and deeper insight on gaming than say, most major US media who cut deals to mass produce "5 best..." and "Super Bowl Props..." marketing pieces.