Build-in-Public – Episode 20 – Google Search Update

He finds himself at the 20th day of a challenging month-long endeavor, marking tremendous progress. Despite the bustling days, his son’s birthday was a joyous occasion filled with gifts and excitement for their upcoming vacation. In just 10 days, they will set off to Turks and Caicos, a destination cherished for its family-friendly resorts and engaging activities like water parks and Xbox lounges. The anticipation grows as plans are made for fun beach adventures and moments of relaxation.

While juggling personal commitments, he remains attentive to industry dynamics. Notably, some speculate that Google might be implementing a new search update. Using tools like the Semrush Sensor, it becomes evident that there’s considerable fluctuation in keyword rankings, suggesting potential changes. Google has yet to confirm any updates, leading to curiosity and analysis within the community.

Key Takeaways

  • Progress continues on the 30-day challenge.
  • His family is excited about the upcoming vacation.
  • Google’s unconfirmed update causes noticeable changes.

30-Day Challenge Progress

He is now on day 20 of the 30-day challenge, meaning there are only 10 days left. Yesterday was his son’s birthday, and they had a great time celebrating with presents. His son is mostly excited about their upcoming vacation to Turks and Caicos in 10 days. They are going to stay at a family-friendly all-inclusive resort.

The resort has many features, including a water park and an Xbox Lounge. He is puzzled why someone would travel all the way to the Caribbean to play Xbox, but that’s an option available. His son is also looking forward to boogie boarding, as he will get a new boogie board there. Another activity his son anticipates is digging a giant hole on the beach and being buried up to his head in the sand.

He also discussed a free tool called SEMrush Sensor, which some people use to check for possible Google search updates. SEMrush tracks keyword rankings and shows changes through a color-coded graph. Green represents normal levels, orange indicates high changes, and red means very high changes. Recently, there have been significant spikes in the red zone, suggesting a Google update might be happening, although it has not been confirmed by Google.

Different types of websites are experiencing varying levels of changes. News websites are seeing many changes, and sports and shopping sites are also affected. He speculates that Google might be targeting parasite news sites but notes this is just a theory. Other categories like law and government have also experienced unusual changes.

Google has mentioned in the past that they will not confirm updates as frequently anymore. Instead, they will roll them out continuously. This approach presents challenges for those working in SEO because of the constant state of change. He expressed frustration with the cold weather but is looking forward to the warmth in Turks and Caicos in 10 days. He will continue the 30-day series with daily updates until the end.

Son’s Birthday Celebration

Yesterday marked my son’s birthday, and we had an amazing time. He received a variety of presents and was thrilled. His excitement, though, was mainly for our upcoming vacation, set to start in 10 days. As a huge fan of the beach, he can’t wait for our trip to Turks and Caicos. We’re heading to a family-friendly all-inclusive resort that features a water park and an Xbox Lounge. Although it might seem odd to play Xbox in such a beautiful location, it’s a fun option for the evenings.

He is looking forward to getting a new boogie board since his old one broke. Once we arrive, he plans to do lots of boogie boarding. Another activity he loves is when I dig a huge hole in the sand and bury him up to his head. That’s on the agenda too for our trip. Both of us are counting down the days until we can enjoy the warm weather and all the fun activities.

Upcoming Vacation Details

Destination: Turks and Caicos

The family will be traveling to a family-friendly, all-inclusive resort in Turks and Caicos in 10 days. This Caribbean destination is known for its beautiful beaches and clear waters.

Family-Friendly Activities

There are various activities for the family to enjoy at the resort. The water park is a big highlight for the kids. There’s also an Xbox Lounge available, although it’s a bit unusual to play video games at such a stunning location.

Son’s Excitement for the Beach and Boogie Boarding

The son is particularly thrilled about the beach. He’s really looking forward to getting a new boogie board, as his old one is broken, and spending time boogie boarding in the ocean.

Burial in Sand Game Plan

Another fun activity planned is digging a big hole in the sand and burying him up to his head. This is something he is very excited about and can’t wait to experience during the trip.

SEO Tool Demonstration

How to Use SEMRush Sensor

The SEMRush Sensor is a useful tool for those tracking Google search updates. It allows users to monitor keyword rankings across various clients, showing how much movement there is.

Detecting Patterns in Search Updates

By tracking changes over time, users can identify patterns that may indicate Google is testing or rolling out updates. For example, spikes in ranking variability often suggest that search results are being shuffled around.

Looking at Ranking Variability

The SEMRush Sensor uses color-coded graphs to show ranking changes:

  • Green indicates stability
  • Orange points to high variability
  • Red signals very high variability, hinting at a possible update

Reading Color-Coded Graphs

The tool also breaks down which types of websites are experiencing the most changes. News, sports, and shopping sites often show significant shifts, while others like law and government sites typically show fewer changes.

Speculation on Google Search Update

Historical Volatility Observations

When analyzing the search results, a pattern of fluctuations can be seen. For instance, in early February, there was noticeable movement in rankings around the 9th, which calmed down and then increased again around the 15th. More recently, significant spikes have been observed, suggesting potential testing or deployment of updates by Google.

Potential Impact on News Websites

News websites appear to be experiencing a substantial amount of change. This might suggest that Google’s possible updates are affecting these sites more intensely. It raises questions about whether Google is addressing issues related to lower-quality news sources, although this remains speculative.

Variability in Different Website Categories

Various types of websites are showing different levels of volatility. For instance, sports and shopping sites are seeing notable changes, while law and government sites, typically more stable, are also showing unusual activity. Health-related websites have mostly stayed steady until a recent spike, indicating potential adjustments in how these categories are ranked.

Google’s Way of Announcing Updates

Fewer Update Confirmations

Google used to announce large updates like the Helpful Content update or the Product Review update. They would confirm these changes to keep everyone in the loop. Now, it’s different. Google often does not confirm as many updates. They hinted a few months ago that this shift was coming. This change means fewer heads-up for those who rely on search engine optimization.

Continuous Updates

Google is moving towards constant updates. Instead of big changes every once in a while, updates now happen regularly. This can be a challenge. Constantly changing search results means SEO professionals need to stay on their toes. Frequent updates can cause rankings to shift more often, making it tough to keep track of what works best.

SEO Professionals’ Struggles

The new approach brings difficulties for people who work in SEO. Without confirmed updates, it’s harder to know what’s causing ranking changes. They still have tools, like the SEMRush sensor, to track these changes. These tools show when rankings swing wildly, hinting that an update might be happening. But, the lack of direct confirmation from Google can leave SEO pros guessing.

Personal Update

He’s on day 20 of his 30-day challenge, making good progress. Yesterday was his son’s birthday, and they had a fun celebration with presents. His son is thrilled about their upcoming vacation to Turks and Caicos, a family-friendly all-inclusive resort with a beach, water park, and Xbox lounge.

Their plan includes getting a new boogie board as the current one is broken. His son can’t wait to go boogie boarding and wants to be buried up to his head in the sand, which they will do in about 10 days.

Today, he shared information about the SEMrush Sensor, a tool that tracks changes in Google search rankings. He noticed significant fluctuations recently, indicating a possible Google update. Many types of websites, including news, sports, and shopping sites, are seeing changes. Google has not confirmed this update, and they might not announce these updates as frequently as before, which presents challenges for SEO work. He has other tasks to complete today, even though it’s cold outside, he is thinking of the warmth in Turks and Caicos. In 10 days, he’ll both finish his challenge and enjoy the vacation.

Countdown to Turks and Caicos

I’m on day 20 of my 30-day challenge, and my son’s birthday was just yesterday. We had a blast with presents and fun activities. The big excitement now is our upcoming trip to Turks and Caicos in 10 days. My son is a huge beach fan and can’t wait.

We’re heading to a family-friendly, all-inclusive resort. It has everything from a water park to an Xbox Lounge. While the idea of playing Xbox in such a beautiful destination seems odd, it might be a fun evening activity.

My son is also excited about getting a new boogie board since his old one broke. We’ll get one down there so he can enjoy some boogie boarding. Another activity he looks forward to is digging a giant hole in the sand and getting buried up to his head.

Looking forward to warmer weather in Turks and Caicos after these cold days and finishing my 30-day challenge strong.

Published by

John Ward

With nearly two decades of experience in building, growing, and monetizing websites, I share insights from my journey—highlighting what works and what doesn’t. Whether you're new or experienced, there's something here for everyone.