Hamsterdam Part 47: SEO News Recap from 2/26 to 3/2, 2024
By Ethan Lazuk
Last updated:
A weekly look-back at SEO news, tips, and other content shared on social media & beyond.
Opening notes:
> This is a special Saturday edition of Hamsterdam because I’ll be traveling tomorrow to Pubcon in Las Vegas.
> Hamsterdam used to rank top 5 for “weekly SEO news” but dropped to page 2 on Google. The HCU got me! Just kidding. 😉
> On that note, I did search for last week’s recap (Part 46) and saw a LinkedIn post outranking the article. That social post doesn’t offer any extra value IMO, so I definitely feel things are a little unbalanced in that regard.
> If you’re interested in Google’s anti-trust trial, I created an article with excerpts from the debrief (Document #833) of interest to SEOs.
> I also added some Gemini use cases to my LLMs for SEO blog post.
*Feel free to jump down to this week’s recap, or continue for an introduction and summary of the week’s news!
Introduction to week 47: “update incoming?”
This will be a quick update because I’m short on time this morning — and my wife is literally standing here waiting for me to finish so we can go out and run some errands. 😉
I saw a poll on SER this week that suggested a majority of SEOs (68% of respondents) are less pleased with Google right now than in the past.
I updated my Google SERP volatility article in response to that:
Why the volatility article?
Well, one consistent theme I’ve noticed looking through comments on SER stories about rankings volatility is criticism of the impact of Google’s September 2023 helpful content update, still.
I saw the same HCU sentiments in the comments about that poll above.
Either site owners are upset about the impacts of the HCU on their visibility, or they’re upset about subsequent ranking system “improvements,” like hidden gems, that are technically separate from the helpful content system yet have become sort of tied to HCU themes and have likewise contributed to less desirable content getting visibility in SERPs, such as spam or social posts appearing more than what may be merited (like the LinkedIn example in the opening notes above).
What I also found interesting this week in reading through Google’s anti-trust post-trial debrief was the theme that user interaction data has become less of an input to Google’s determinations of document relevance in light of machine learning and LLMs.
We know SEOs’ sentiments. The question is, how happy are users today with Google’s search results?
I know I’m not personally happy to search for “Hamsterdam Part 46” and find a LinkedIn post above the article.
Maybe that’s what people want, though?
Whether we have a spam, fourth helpful content, or core update on the horizon, I expect the shakeup will give us some insight into where these trends are going.
Buckle up for a partial week’s recap — 😉 — and enjoy the vibes:
Summary of the week’s SEO news and content
- The SEO for Paws Live Stream was held to support pet shelters in Ukraine. You can still donate here.
- Acronyms abound: there were some interesting articles this week about AI, E-E-A-T, and the HCU
- Expect a robust 8-day recap next week, with Pubcon/Las Vegas photos.
Missed last week? Don’t worry, I got you! Read Part 46 to catch up.
Thank you for supporting Hamsterdam and helping make SEO accessible to all!
Ok, time for (home)work.
Jump to a section of this week’s recap
- Top posts
- News, Google updates, & SERP tests
- SEO tips & tidbits
- Fundamentals & resources
- Articles, videos & case studies
- Local SEO
- Technical SEO
- Content marketing
- SEO tools, AI & reporting
- Humor section
- Miscellaneous & general posts
Or keep scrolling to see it all.
Also, feel free to support content you find valuable with a like, follow, or friendly comment.
Now, let’s step inside the white flags …
Top posts
These are highlights of news items, tips, or other content for the week. Great for when you just want a quick recap!
SEO news, Google updates, & SERP tests
These are newsworthy events in the SEO world, search engine updates, or SERP tests to be aware of from the last week.
3 new Chrome features to get more helpful suggestions – Jesse Lee, The Keyword
SEO tips & tidbits
This section has actionable tips, cool tidbits, and other findings and observations that can be teaching moments.
SEO (and AI) fundamentals & resources
If you’re new to SEO, this section is for you and includes essential information, concepts, or resources to learn more.
Articles, videos, case studies & more
These are longer-form content pieces shared on social and elsewhere.
Meet Kagi, a Google search alternative worth paying for – Harry McCracken, Fast Company
Local SEO
If you’re into local Search, this section is for you!
Technical SEO
Everything from basics to advanced techniques.
Content marketing
What’d SEO be without helpful content?
Tools, AI & reporting
Here’s a recap of AI news, SEO tool updates, new tools, along with tips for reporting on data.
Open source vs. Closed source — Which AI model will win? – All-In Podcast Clips (Watch on TikTok)
Humor
Humor is subjective; these are funny!
General Marketing & Miscellaneous
This is for great content that isn’t necessarily SEO or marketing-specific. PPC, PR, dev, design, and social friends, check it out!
Why do we need journalists? – Taylor Lorenz (watch on TikTok)
Test disabling your discount fields in checkout – Oliver Kenyon
Great job making it to the end. You rock!
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