Google’s August 2024 Core Update: Key Findings

On August 15, 2024, Google launched its August 2024 core update to Google Search. This update is part of Google’s ongoing efforts to enhance the quality of search results. The primary goal of this update is to showcase more content that users find genuinely useful while reducing the visibility of content that appears to be created solely for search engine performance.

Key points about this update include:

1. It addresses feedback from creators and others in the SEO community over recent months.
2. Google aims to connect users with a diverse range of high-quality sites, including small or independent sites producing useful, original content.
3. The update is designed to better recognize improvements that sites have made, ensuring Google continues to highlight the best of the web.
4. Google has updated its help page about core updates, providing more comprehensive guidance for those who may experience changes after an update.

As with all core updates, there’s no specific “fix” for pages that may see a drop in rankings. Instead, Google continues to emphasize the importance of focusing on creating high-quality, user-centric content.

In this article, we’ll examine the early trends emerging from this update and provide a comprehensive ranking strategy to help you optimize your website for better search performance, both for this update and future ones.

Early Findings from the August 2024 Core Update

Forums and User-Generated Content (UGC) Continue to Dominate

One of the most striking trends we’re seeing in the aftermath of the August 2024 core update is the continued strong performance of forums and user-generated content (UGC) in search results. This trend isn’t entirely new – we’ve been observing it for about a year now – but it’s worth noting that it’s still going strong.

Reddit, in particular, has been a standout performer. The platform has seen a steady increase in its search visibility over time. What’s remarkable is that even a small percentage increase in Reddit’s visibility translates to a massive traffic boost, given the site’s already enormous traffic volume. We’re talking about gains of 5-10% resulting in millions of additional visitors.

But it’s not just Reddit that’s benefiting from this trend. We’re seeing older forum threads, some dating back to 2007 and 2008, ranking well for various queries. For instance, in searches related to topics like “how to feed crickets” or “best acoustic guitar strings,” forum threads from over a decade ago are appearing on the first page of search results.

This prominence of UGC in search results might be Google’s way of combating the rise of generic AI-generated content. By favoring discussions and personal experiences shared on forums, Google may be attempting to provide more authentic and diverse perspectives on topics.

Local and Niche-Specific Businesses Are Thriving

Another significant trend we’re observing is the increased visibility of local and niche-specific businesses in search results. This is a game-changer for small businesses and specialized service providers.

We’re seeing many local businesses ranking for national queries, which is a departure from previous trends where national brands typically dominated these broader searches. This shift suggests that Google is placing more emphasis on relevance and expertise, even when it comes from smaller, more localized sources.

Niche-specific businesses are also seeing a boost, particularly for keywords directly related to their products or services. This makes perfect sense from Google’s perspective – a business that actually sells specific products or services is likely to have real expertise on these topics.

What does this mean for affiliate sites? Unfortunately, it’s becoming increasingly difficult for pure affiliate sites to compete against actual businesses in search results. If you’re running an affiliate site, it might be time to consider diversifying your strategy or pivoting towards a more business-oriented model.

Domain-Level Relevance is Crucial

Websites with strong domain-level relevance, particularly when combined with an actual business presence, are performing exceptionally well in search results.

Let’s look at some examples from the German market:

1. For queries like “Ist München sicher?” (Is Munich safe?), we’re seeing Munich-based news websites and official city portals like muenchen.de ranking at the top.
2. For highly niche queries, such as those related to “Dirndl kaufen” (buying traditional Bavarian dresses), we’re seeing specialized businesses that exclusively sell traditional German clothing, like wirwinzer.de, ranking well.
3. For local queries like “Berliner Currywurst,” hyper-specific local domains such as Berlin Food Stories, Tip Berlin, and Berlin.de are dominating the results.

This trend suggests that Google is placing more weight on overall site relevance than on page-level relevance alone. It seems that domain-level relevance is taking precedence, with page-level relevance coming in as a secondary factor. taking precedence, with page-level relevance coming in as a secondary factor.

Strong Brands with Trusted Backlink Profiles Excel

Established brands with a strong presence outside of Google and robust, trusted backlink profiles continue to dominate search results. This isn’t a new trend, but it’s worth noting that it’s still a crucial factor in the August 2024 update.

These brands typically have several advantages:

1. Real-world presence: They exist beyond just their website, often with physical locations or well-known products/services.
2. Diverse marketing efforts: They often engage in various forms of marketing, not just SEO.
3. Strong backlink profiles: They naturally accumulate high-quality, relevant backlinks from reputable sources.

The lesson here is clear: focus on building a genuine brand and cultivating high-quality backlinks. It’s not just about gaming the SEO system; it’s about creating a real, valuable presence both online and offline.

Influencer Websites Show Promise

An interesting development we’re seeing is the success of websites built by influencers with large audiences and significant branded searches. These sites typically have a strong presence on platforms like Instagram or YouTube, which drives engagement and referral traffic to their websites.

What sets these influencer websites apart from traditional affiliate sites is their brand power and audience relationship. They’re not just ranking well because of SEO tactics; they’re benefiting from:

1. Branded searches: Their followers are likely searching for them by name.
2. High engagement: People are visiting their sites directly, not just through search.
3. Diverse traffic sources: They’re not reliant solely on Google for traffic.

This trend underscores the importance of building a brand and cultivating an audience, rather than relying solely on search engine traffic.

AI-Generated Overviews in Search Results

A notable development in this update is the increased presence of AI-generated overviews in search results. Google has expanded the rollout of these AI overviews, which now appear even in incognito windows.

This trend is expected to accelerate, with AI-generated content potentially appearing for a wider range of queries. As of now, it’s estimated that about 7% of searches trigger these AI overviews, but this number is likely to grow.

The implications of this trend are significant:

1. Impact on organic click-through rates (CTR): As these AI overviews provide quick answers, they may reduce clicks to organic search results.
2. Changing search behavior: Users might start relying more on these quick answers for certain types of queries.
3. New optimization challenges: SEOs may need to find ways to optimize for inclusion in these AI-generated overviews.

The Ultimate Google Ranking Formula for 2024 and Beyond

Now that we’ve examined the key trends from the August 2024 core update, let’s dive into a comprehensive ranking formula that can help you achieve and maintain strong search rankings, regardless of future updates.

1. Build a Niche-Focused Business

The foundation of our ranking formula is to build a niche-focused business. This approach aligns perfectly with Google’s emphasis on expertise and relevance.

Why niche-focused?

• Expertise: It’s easier to demonstrate deep knowledge in a specific area.
• Relevance: Your entire site becomes highly relevant to specific queries.
• Audience targeting: You can create content that resonates strongly with a particular audience.

Action steps:

1. Identify a specific vertical within your industry.
2. Research the pain points and needs of your target audience within this niche.
3. Develop products or services that cater specifically to this niche.

2. Use a Relevant Domain

The importance of a relevant domain name cannot be overstated, especially in light of the recent update’s emphasis on domain-level relevance.

Why relevant domains matter:

• Immediate relevance signal: Your domain instantly communicates your focus to both users and search engines.
• Branding: A relevant domain helps in building a memorable brand.
• Local SEO boost: For local businesses, including location in the domain can be particularly powerful.

Action steps:

1. Choose a domain that includes your main keyword or niche focus.
2. For local businesses, consider including your location in the domain.
3. If an exact match domain isn’t available, aim for a partial match that still conveys relevance.

3. Develop a Strong Brand Presence

Building a strong brand goes beyond just your website. It’s about creating an omnipresent marketing approach that extends your reach across multiple platforms.

Why brand presence matters:

• Trust: A strong brand presence builds trust with both users and search engines.
• Diverse traffic sources: Reduces reliance on Google alone.
• Positive user signals: Brand recognition can lead to higher click-through rates and engagement.

Action steps:

1. Develop a consistent brand voice and visual identity.
2. Establish a presence on relevant social media platforms.
3. Engage in content marketing across various channels (blog, YouTube, podcasts, etc.).
4. Participate in industry events and build partnerships to increase brand visibility.

4. Cultivate a Strong Backlink Profile

While content is king, backlinks are still a crucial factor in Google’s ranking algorithm. The key is to focus on quality over quantity.

Why backlinks matter:

• Authority signal: High-quality backlinks serve as votes of confidence from other reputable sites.
• Referral traffic: Good backlinks can drive targeted traffic to your site.
• Brand exposure: Backlinks from high-profile sites can increase brand awareness.

Action steps:

1. Create link-worthy content (research studies, comprehensive guides, unique insights).
2. Engage in strategic outreach to relevant sites in your industry.
3. Consider using a reputable PR-based link building service for high-quality backlinks.
4. Leverage your brand presence to naturally attract backlinks.

5. Create Highly Relevant Content

Content remains a cornerstone of SEO success. The key is to create content that’s not just high-quality, but highly relevant to your niche and audience.

Why relevant content matters:

• Topic authority: Helps establish your site as an authority in your niche.
• User engagement: Relevant content is more likely to engage visitors and keep them on your site.
• Natural keyword targeting: Allows for natural inclusion of important keywords.

Action steps:

1. Conduct thorough keyword research to understand what your audience is searching for.
2. Use tools like RankAbility to analyze top-ranking pages and identify important subtopics.
3. Create comprehensive content that covers topics in-depth.
4. Regularly update and expand your content to keep it fresh and relevant.

6. Integrate User-Generated Content (Optional)

Given the strong performance of UGC in search results, integrating some form of user-generated content on your site can be beneficial.

Why UGC matters:

• Fresh content: UGC provides a constant stream of new, unique content.
• Engagement: Encourages user interaction and increases time on site.
• Trust signals: Genuine user contributions can build trust with both visitors and search engines.

Action steps:

1. Implement a commenting system on your blog posts.
2. Consider adding a forum or Q&A section to your site.
3. Encourage user reviews and testimonials.
4. Moderate UGC to ensure quality and relevance.

Putting It All Together: The SEO Success Formula

To truly succeed in SEO in 2024 and beyond, you need to combine all these elements into a cohesive strategy. Here’s a summary of our ultimate ranking formula:

1. Niche-Focused Business + Relevant Domain
2. Strong Brand Presence + Quality Backlink Profile
3. Highly Relevant Content + User-Generated Content

By focusing on these key areas, you’ll be well-positioned to not only weather Google’s updates but to thrive in the ever-changing SEO landscape.

Looking Ahead: Predictions for Future Trends

As we look to the future of SEO, several trends seem likely to continue or emerge:

1. Business sites over affiliate sites: Actual businesses will likely continue to outperform pure affiliate sites in search results.
2. Importance of domain relevance: Sites with strong domain-level relevance will likely maintain an edge in rankings.
3. Evolution of UGC rankings: While forums and UGC are performing well now, Google may refine how it values this content, potentially giving more weight to recent, expert-generated UGC.
4. Expansion of AI in search: We can expect to see more AI-generated content in search results, potentially changing how users interact with SERPs.

Conclusion: Embracing the Future of SEO

The August 2024 core update underscores Google’s ongoing commitment to rewarding high-quality, user-focused content. Based on our analysis, the key areas to focus on include:

1. Content Quality: Prioritize creating content that provides genuine value to users.
2. Expertise and Authenticity: Demonstrate clear expertise in your niche.
3. User Experience: Ensure your site offers a positive, intuitive experience for visitors.
4. Technical SEO: Maintain a solid technical foundation for your website.
5. Diverse Content Sources: Consider incorporating user-generated content and forums, while maintaining quality control.

It’s important to note that there’s no quick fix for pages that may have seen decreased performance following this update. Instead, focus on long-term improvements to your overall site quality and relevance.

As you refine your SEO strategy in light of this update, consider the following steps:

1. Conduct a thorough content audit to identify areas for improvement.
2. Invest in creating in-depth, authoritative content in your niche.
3. Optimize your site structure and user experience.
4. Monitor your site’s performance using Google Search Console and analytics tools.
5. Stay informed about future updates and SEO best practices.

Remember, SEO is an ongoing process. Consistent effort in creating valuable content and improving user experience will help your site perform well in the long term, regardless of individual algorithm updates.