Ethan Lazuk

SEO/GEO & marketing professional.

Hamsterdam Part 28: SEO News Recap (10/16 to 10/22, 2023)

By Ethan Lazuk

Last updated:

A weekly look-back at SEO news, tips, and other content shared on social media & beyond.

Hamsterdam Part 28 Weekly SEO Recap with a Google Search Central quote.

Quote source: Google Search Central

Opening notes:

*Feel free to jump down to the recap, or keep reading for an introduction and summary of the week’s news!

Introduction to week 28: Education

When I started creating Hamsterdam recaps for weekly SEO social media posts (originally called The Twitter Files), the goal was to preserve this information for personal reference.

Earlier this week, I was creating a document about SEO audit findings, and there was a particular X post from several months back that I wanted to reference, yet I couldn’t find it on the platform.

So I turned to Google Search, and there it was, pulled into the snippet from an old Hamsterdam article.

“Wow!” I thought. This actually could be a useful way to find “hidden gems,” those notable social posts that can so easily get lost into the ether over time, yet contain valuable information.

One interesting detail about this particular post was that I had put a caption to it.

It wasn’t just the person’s SEO tidbit, but also my elaboration on why I found it valuable and how it applied to my own work.

Whether or not that caption factored into the post appearing in Google Search, I’m not certain, but it did get me thinking about testing the theory, particularly given the guidance on helpful content.

Here are some bullets from the “Content and quality questions” section:

  • Does the content provide original information, reporting, research, or analysis?
  • Does the content provide a substantial, complete, or comprehensive description of the topic?
  • Does the content provide insightful analysis or interesting information that is beyond the obvious?
  • If the content draws on other sources, does it avoid simply copying or rewriting those sources, and instead provide substantial additional value and originality?

– Google Search Central, Creating helpful, reliable, people-first content

The bullets regarding whether content had “original information” or “provides substantial additional value” to other sources referenced stood out.

Now, one could argue these Hamsterdam articles are largely unoriginal information without much “additional value,” or conversely that selecting the posts and organizing them into sections for easier reference creates value.

Part of the fun of having a personal website is experimenting. My intention with ethanlazuk.com was always as a playground to try things, some out of the box, to see what happens, and then maybe apply those learnings to more formal client work.

So, for the next few Hamsterdam articles, I’ll try adding context to a few posts. This is definitely not for the sake of “fluff,” but only if I have value to add in the way of context (based on personal experience), justification for a post’s importance, or maybe even a few tangents. 😉

With that in mind, I’ve included a clip this week from The Wire Season 4, the season where two former police officers, one of whom is now a first-year middle school teacher and the other advising on a pilot program, go through trial and error to find what works with students.

(*Note: I originally had several video clips that told a story, but I had to trim down the embeds in this article (including some of the more niche SEO posts — though I also added a few more since this morning lol) to prevent it from timing out on mobile. If you so desire, here is the original group of video clips: clip 1, clip 2 , clip 3 (also below), and clip 4.)

I feel the scenario from the video clip applies to another discussion point that’s been prevalent after the last helpful content update as well, that traditional “formulas” for SEO content may not always fit the real life application of what a reader wants, and thus what Google may seek to reward nowadays.

This broadens the discussion on what great content for SEO can mean.

Buckle up for a full week’s recap.

Summary of the week’s SEO news and content

  • The October 2023 core update and spam update both concluded this week. By all accounts, the impact was sizable, yet most of what I see being written about still relates to the September Helpful Content Update. I think as a result of that, we’re seeing a paradigm shift. The idea of creating great content for users isn’t new by any stretch, but words can take on new meanings when there’s added context.
  • Also, in anticipation of the winter holiday shopping season in many countries, we’re also seeing more emphases on ecommerce content, as well as content discussing the anticipated impact that SGE (and generative AI overall) could have for transactional-intent SERPs, as well as organic traffic on the whole.

But don’t just take my word for it! All of this info and more is contained below in the weekly recap.

Notes:

  • If the article times out on mobile, my apologies. Please try viewing on a desktop or WiFi.
  • I’ve cut back on the amount of info I include; if you’d like to see more, scrolling through my likes on X or following the people in this recap is probably the best place to start. 😉

Missed last week’s recap? Don’t worry, I got you! Read Part 27 to catch up.

Okay, time for (home)work.

The Big Lebowski is this your homework Larry scene.

Jump to a section of this week’s recap

Enjoy the recap below! And please support content you find valuable with a like or follow. 🙂

Top posts

These are key news items, tips, or other content I felt were relevant to highlight for the week, particularly if you just want a quick glance.

If RAG or even SGE are new vocabulary for you, or you’re interested in the implications of generative AI for organic traffic, make sure to give this a read.
The article is “The Top 3 Google Ranking Factors That Really Matter” by Shelley Walsh. She identifies high-quality content, page experience, and links. But the takeaway is the key: understand Google’s motivation for your own SEO strategy. Worth a read!

SEO news, Google updates, & SERP tests

These are newsworthy events in the SEO world from the last week or SERP tests to be aware of.

I got started in digital marketing in 2015 writing copy for automotive dealership websites’ SEO strategies. At the time, I didn’t know what structured data was (but I could tell you every Ford F-150 engine or trim package). I haven’t worked on an automotive website in a while, and I wasn’t aware of vehicle listing feeds. But this announcement kind of reminded me of the Merchant Center Next announcement from May 2023, where by 2024 products could be populated from the website instead of requiring a product feed.

SEO tips & tidbits

This section has actionable tips, cool tidbits, or other findings and observations that can be teaching moments.

This is an interesting example of why conventional wisdom shouldn’t preclude testing and exploration. This broader concept is something I try to emphasize with site owners, that what works for another site in search, sometimes even a competitor, may not be what works for your site.
Great point in here about SEO and paid ads teams sharing responsibility for shopping listings.

SEO fundamentals & resources

If you’re new to SEO, this section includes essential information, concepts, or resources to learn more about.

When you work all day on a desktop, it can create a bias for that experience. Be sure to check the mobile site and SERPs as well!
This topic is the basics but isn’t necessarily elementary, but I put it here because it’s a very helpful thread and wanted to make sure it stood out for its value. Definitely give this a read to appreciate how indexing and prioritization work.
This is a helpful reference on the fundamentals of a pillar page. But as mentioned above, I think we need to be cautious about being overly formulaic when it comes to content strategy and creation. Following such practices doesn’t always create what a user would want. Be sure to factor that in as well.

Articles, videos, case studies & more

These are longer-form content shared on social.

This is a great summary of the topic of Explore, and yet another justification for analyzing desktop and mobile GSC performance data separately, IMO.

Local SEO

If you’re into local Search, this section is for you!

I remember when this came out, it caused a bit of a stir. I personally refer to the value of “unlinked mentions” when discussing off-site SEO.

Technical SEO

Yep, it still matters. 😉

Content marketing

What’d SEO be without content?

This is a great example of what Google’s page experience documentation could mean by “How easily can visitors navigate to or locate the main content of your pages?” I did a mini case study on the topic of page structure a while back. More recently, I encountered some older client blogs, written by another SEO team a few years ago, where the topic was a simple question like, “How many times should you XYZ?” Except before mentioning the answer, the article gave a history, tips, etc., and then finally the answer. Cutting out the fluff and not worrying about word counts can come easier when you approach the content like a user would.
This has many interesting concepts in it, but one that stuck out to me as someone who’s always looking for ways to add SEO into a cross-channel mix, was how PR and “sources-of-influence style marketing” can help introduce a brand into the places (sources) where an LLM may pull information from.
This concept seems so critical right now. I included a similar variation in a recent internal document for a client, about how following certain processes that used to work well for SEO content creation might lead to more search engine-first than people-first content, and it’s important to factor that into processes.

Tools, AI & reporting

Here’s a recap of updates to tools, and new tools, along with tips for reporting on data.

Humor

Humor is subjective; hopefully, you find these funny as well!

Tangent: In 2021, I wrote an article about “SEO Anthropology.” At the time, the SERP revolved around Seo, an anthropologist. Today, “SEO anthropology” is an actual term in the marketing domain, based on the SERP at least. I’ll be updating that article again with this information, but thanks to this post for inspiring me to check that query.

General Marketing & Miscellaneous

This is for great content that isn’t necessarily SEO (i.e., PPC, PR, dev, and content friends check it out!) or even marketing-specific.

Ja’Marr Chase is ALWAYS OPEN – Jordan Rogers (Watch on TikTok)

TikTok SEO is a real thing – Camille Moore (Watch on TikTok)

Great job making it to the end. You rock!

Show your support for creators: If you liked any of the content shared above, please support that person by liking their post or following them. 🙂

Hungry for more? Check out the past weeks of Hamsterdam.

Or sign up for the newsletter! (Until I get the form back up and running, feel free to shoot me an email to get added to the list.)

Want to work together on your brand’s SEO?

I’m currently taking clients for SEO and content audits and strategy consulting, and soon training. You can learn more about me on my about page.

Get in touch: hit me up on social at @EthanLazuk, by text or call at 813-557-9745, or via email at ethan.lazuk@gmail.com.

Cheers!

SEO Strategist u0026amp; Consultant

Ethan Lazuk

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