This document discusses Google algorithm updates and how they affect search engine results pages (SERPs). It notes that Google constantly tests and releases major updates almost monthly. Various tools can track SERP volatility on different scales. Some industries like news and sports fluctuate more than others unrelated to Google updates. Mobile SERPs tend to change more frequently than desktop. Categories most impacted by updates include news, media, sports, and entertainment. Tracking specific keywords in one's niche can show volatility. Major spikes in changes occurred in April-May 2017 according to different tracking tools. Common issues for "losers" in updates include thin content, poor user experience, and technical problems. The key takeaways are to fix issues, improve user experience,

1. Reshaping the Landscape of Search:
Tracking Google’s Algorithm changes

2. Welcome!

3. Google SERPs are constantly changing
Average volatility score is 4.9 out of 10 (SEMrush data for Google US)

4. Google is constantly testing
Major updates happen almost monthly now
@fernando1angulo #SearchCamp

5. @fernando1angulo #SearchCamp

6. Number of
Google
Updates in
2017*
*SEMrush data @fernando1angulo #SearchCamp
TOTAL
ORGANIC SEARCH
official
ORGANIC SEARCH
Unconfirmed
PAID SEARCH
official + unconfirmed
28
2
24
2

7. Tools that track Google SERP volatility
@olgandrienko#SMX #21A
serp.watch

8. Software Keywords Mobile/
Desktop Categories Countries SERP Features Google
Updates Other search
engines
28,000
✅ x 7 x ✅ x
17,000 ✅ ✅ 2 x ✅ x
11,000 ✅ x 3 x ✅ x
50,000 ✅ ✅ 2 x x x
1,000 x x x ✅ x x
10,000 ✅ x x ✅ x x
no public info ✅ ✅ 6 ✅ ✅ x
no public info ✅ ✅ 7 x x x
no public info x x x x x Bing
no public info ✅ x 50 x x x
Tools that track Google SERP volatility
@fernando1angulo #SearchCamp
serp.watch

9. Biggest issue-different scales
@fernando1angulo #SearchCamp
Scale from 1 to 3
Scale from 0 to 10
Scale from 0 to 70
Scale from 0 to 80

10. Spikes in all tools: Fred Update in April 2017
@fernando1angulo #SearchCamp

11. Some industries fluctuate more than others and
this has nothing to do with Google updates
@fernando1angulo #SearchCamp
Sports (keyword: tennis)
Mobile Desktop

12. Some industries fluctuate more than others and
this has nothing to do with Google updates
@fernando1angulo #SearchCamp
News (keyword: British
Airways; Mobile SERP)

13. Desktop vs. Mobile
@fernando1angulo #SearchCamp
Latest scores indicate mobile SERPs tend to
change more frequently. Especially the % and
number of SERP features is different.

14. Categories
with highest
changes
News/media
Average score in November: 9.4
@fernando1angulo #SearchCamp
Sports
Average score in November : 9.1
Entertainment
Average score in November : 6.2

15. Example of a very high volatility score (8.0 score)
May 17th update (unconfirmed). Keyword: mock draft, first 10 organic positions
@fernando1angulo #SearchCamp
usatoday.com
seccountry.com
nfl.com
foxsports.com
bleacherreport.com
walterfootball.com
cbssports.com
sbnation.com
rotoworld.com
draftwizard.fantasypros.com10
1
4
5
6
7
8
9
3
2 sbnation.com
si.com
cbssports.com
bleacherreport.com
seccountry.com
nfl.com
foxsports.com
draftwizard.fantasypros.com
usatoday.com
nypost.com NEW!
+6 pos.
+1 pos.
-2 pos.
-5 pos.
-3 pos.
+2 pos.
-6 pos.
NEW!
+6 pos.Maybeforetheupdate)
18th(aftertheupdate)

16. Categories that get hit the most during Google updates
Data from SEMrush Sensor
@fernando1angulo #SearchCamp

17. Go granular. SERP Features trends in the UK’s Finance Industry
@fernando1angulo #SearchCamp
HTPPS Usage

18. Go granular. SERP Features trends in the UK’s News Industry
@fernando1angulo #SearchCamp
Top Stories SERP
Features changes
for the last 30 days

19. Go granular. SERP Features trends in the UK’s Shopping Industry
@fernando1angulo #SearchCamp
Top Ads changes
for the last 30 days

20. Go granular. Track your own scope of keywords
@fernando1angulo #SearchCamp
Position Tracking integration with Sensor
Segmentation by categories
might still be too general.
Track the volatility of SERPs in
your specific niche for
keywords that matter to you.

21. Biggest
spikes:
April-May
@fernando1angulo #SearchCamp
May 23rd
May 18th
April 25th
April 17th
April 4th

22. Chatter in the SEO world and similar spikes in tools
@fernando1angulo #SearchCamp

23. Google update & traffic changes : May 2017
@fernando1angulo #SearchCamp
Some sites are dropping or
surging 20-30%, while others saw
much more impact. And there
were several that dropped
heavily in early May, only to surge
back on 5/17.
Source: Glenn Gabe
http://www.gsqi.com/marketing-blog/may-
17-2017-google-algorithm-update/

24. Common
features
among
update
”losers”
@fernando1angulo #SearchCamp
Aggressive advertising
implementations
Thin content pages
Low quality content
UX issues
usually either hindering to interact
with a site, disturbing in general or
deceptive
(e.g. almost empty category pages, out
of stock items), also causing internal
content duplication
Boiler plates, content with misspellings,
poor grammar or content not of any value
Wrong user perception (e.g. snippet promises
something. entirely different), and high bounce
rates / low dwell time as the result–and
generally weak UX signals

25. This leads to
the obvious… Fix or remove
thin/outdated content
@fernando1angulo #SearchCamp
Improve user experience
Ensure there are no
technical issues.

26. And machines are not yet smarter than us
@fernando1angulo #SearchCamp
Tools can only guide you,
the road you pick yourself.

27. Change = disaster
If you fail to adjust
Change = opportunity
If you are ready for it

28. Thankyou!

29. Thank you!
Fernando Angulo
Head of International
Partnerships and
Corporate Speaker
f.angulo@semrush.com