Within the last few weeks, many in the search industry began to notice updates to Google’s algorithm that were impacting rankings in the SERPs. This may have come as a surprise, because December is usually one of the calmer months when it comes to SERP volatility. That’s because Google tries to minimize potential impact before the holidays.
However, Google has confirmed the pre-holiday update, which is now known as the Maccabees Update, named in honor of Hanukkah. (The Maccabees were leaders of a Jewish rebel army that took control of Judea, which was, at the time, a province of the Seleucid Empire.)
It turns out that Google released several “minor improvements” during that time frame, which were part of Google’s regular, routine efforts to improve relevancy. The updates were related to keyword permutations and sites that utilize doorway pages. On a daily basis, some industries experienced more of a change than other. The industries that were the highest SERP volatility, with the biggest fluctuations on mobile, at first included:
- Autos and Vehicles
- Law and Government
- Reference
Later, another extreme spike in volatility affected the following industries:
- Hobbies and Leisure
- Science
- Jobs and Education
- Home and Garden
- Internet and Telecom
Again, the greatest impact was on mobile, although desktop was affected less significantly. And, with the timing of the holidays, one could speculate that the relevancy change may be shopping related in some cases.
When updates like this occur, it is a good time to check your rankings and audit to see if, why, and where you are seeing changes. If your site has been affected but you feel that it wasn’t merited, it is good to know that, historically, Google tends to dial back on changes when they create false positives.
SEO Company, Premier Legal Marketing, Can Help You Stay Abreast of Updates
Keeping up with changes in the search industry helps you to maximize the power of your website. We know that it can be complicated, and that your focus is directed at serving your clients. We will proudly guide you to solutions, and serve all of your digital marketing needs. As a boutique digital marketing firm, and SEO company, Premier Legal Marketing (PLM) offers the very best in personalized service. Call us today at 856-320-2016, or contact us online to learn more about PLM’s internet marketing services for lawyers.
