SEO September Update 2024: Navigating Google’s Core Changes

As we enter autumn, there have been some significant SEO September update. In August, Google significantly updated its main search rules, which got many people talking in the SEO world. Businesses are now trying to determine how this might change their search rankings.

Google also added AI Overviews to search results in Brazil, India, Japan, and the UK. This new feature will make it easier and more enjoyable for people to find information online. In this blog, we’ll discuss these SEO September update and see if you need to change your SEO plan.

SEO September Update to Google Search

A Google spokesperson said that Google’s August 2024 core update is now rolling out. It started on August 15, 2024, and ended 19 days later, on September 3, 2024. The SEO September update focuses on promoting high-quality content that helps people instead of content made to rank higher on Google.

The goal is to give smaller websites a fair chance to rank if their content is good quality. This might compensate for significant changes from last year’s Helpful Content Update (HCU).

What Was the August 2024 Core Update About?

When a ranking problem came up, Google was quiet about why they were doing their August core update, maybe because the two were connected. At first, they shared this general message on their Search Central blog when the update started:

“Today, we launched our August 2024 core update to Google Search. This update is meant to keep improving the quality of our search results by showing more content that people find helpful and less content that seems like it was made just to rank well on Search.“

Later, they gave more details, saying that the update used feedback from creators they talked to after the March 2024 core update:

“This update considers what we’ve heard from some creators over the past few months. We want to connect people with different high-quality websites, including small or independent ones that create useful, original content. We’ll keep working on this in future updates. This update also aims to recognize better improvements that sites have made so we can continue showing the best content.“

Even though Google said their feedback was helpful, and more may come, they won’t be posting a feedback form for the August 2024 update.

Why Did Google Need Feedback?

Google’s September 2023 Helpful Content Update was supposed to increase the visibility of quality, original content, but it didn’t work as planned in many cases.

Many website owners complained that their sites were penalized, even though they had a lot of original content made by experts. Small or independent websites were hit the hardest, leading to a sudden loss of substantial income for many publishers worldwide. The reasons for the drop in visibility didn’t make much sense in many cases.

By early 2024, Google decided to break apart the September update and use its parts in a new update planned for March 2024. The September update was removed entirely from Google’s systems, and publishers hoped this would fix the adverse effects—but it didn’t.

There was a lot of backlash, so Google started listening by organizing meetings with content creators to hear their concerns. They say they’ve used this feedback in their latest update.

Things to Consider After SEO September Update 

Here are some essential things to remember:

Focus on Good Content

Websites that share helpful, original, and exciting information are more likely to appear higher in search results. Google rewards websites that show Experience, Expertise, Authority, and Trust (E-E-A-T).

Good content has always been important for Google, online businesses, and digital marketers. If you keep making content people find helpful, it will help you in the long run.

Changes in AI Overviews

Google has improved how it shows AI-generated Overviews in search results, making them match more closely with its primary rules. Now, these AI summaries use better and more reliable sources. You might have noticed the changes recently when looking at search results.

Ranking Changes

Many websites have seen changes in their rankings, especially those affected by past updates like the September 2023 Helpful Content Update (HCU). Some websites are doing better, while others might see a drop. This shows how important it is to keep improving content quality.

What Does This Mean for Online Businesses?

This update shows how important it is to make content that helps people and answers their questions. It’s a big part of getting good results for your online business. 

Making sure your site meets Google’s quality rules will help keep or boost your place in search results during these changes. It’s always wise to check your content and SEO plan often so they match Google’s updates, helping you stay successful in search rankings.

Rollout of AI Overviews Feature in Google Search

Google’s AI overviews are short summaries that appear at the top of search results. They give quick, helpful information on the search page and are made using Google’s innovative AI tools. The AI takes key points from good sources and simply presents them.

What is the Goal of Google AI Overviews?

The main goal is to make things easier for users by providing fast and trustworthy answers without the need to click on many websites. This feature is part of Google’s plan to make search results more straightforward and helpful, especially for tricky questions where people must quickly look at different sources.

Key Features:

• Quick summaries: They give short, easy-to-understand answers, usually when you ask ‘what is’ or ‘how to’ questions. 
• Many sources: They gather information from many trusted places to give a well-rounded answer. 
• Regular updates: Google updates these overviews to ensure they have the latest information. These overviews are helpful if you want to learn about something quickly without reading a lot.

How Does this Feature Affect Search Results and SEO?

This feature changes SEO by affecting how people use search results, which can lower website traffic if their content isn’t shown.

• Visibility and Click Rates (CTR): AI summaries occupy essential space at the top of the search page. They often answer questions immediately, so people don’t need to click on websites. This can lower clicks on regular search results, even if those results are still ranked high.
• Content Quality and Structure: The content shown in AI overviews is usually well-written and shows experience, expertise, authority, and trustworthiness (E-E-A-T). SEO experts must create detailed, high-quality content that answers many questions and uses unique data to help Google understand it.
• Mobile Search Results: It is necessary to watch mobile search rankings. Since mobile screens show fewer results than desktops, AI summaries can push regular search results further down, making it harder for people to see and click on them.

What Does This Mean For Online Businesses?

This change means online businesses need to focus on making excellent content that cAI summaries could pick up. To keep up, companies should use longer and more specific keywords, organize their information well, and watch how their click rates and website visits change. 

This will help them see how these AI summaries affect their SEO. If their content is chosen for these overviews, it can help more people see and visit their website.

Conclusion

SEO September updates and new features can make online businesses and the SEO community worried because doing well on search engines is very important for success online. When there are significant updates, rankings can change, but if SEO experts have planned well and know what to do, it can be a great chance to grow an online business.

At Integrated IT Solutions, we follow the SEO September update and use intelligent, practical strategies and tools to help our client’s websites stay ahead of the competition. Contact us today to discuss your website and how we can help you.