So, Google has started rolling out the August 2024 core update, and in this post, I’m going to show you what I’m already finding from this update.
My name is Hemant, and I’m the founder of BlueChipBG and MillasAKM. I’ve led hundreds of successful SEO campaigns for several years. Let’s get right into it.
Okay, so before we begin, here are the keywords that I looked at already to analyze for this. Keep in mind, we’re very early in this core update; it actually just launched yesterday, so take this with a grain of salt. I’ve done some early analysis, and this could certainly change over the next 30 days or so. But based on what I’m seeing and my initial findings, I don’t suspect to see much of a difference because certain variables likely aren’t going to change, which I’m going to show here in a second.
Make sure you read till the end because I’m going to show you an actual formula that you can use to get predictable rankings in Google despite updates. You don’t have to worry about updates if you use this formula.
Understanding 2024 Core Update Formula
First things first, this update is very similar to how it’s been for about a year, where forums and UGC (user-generated content) are still crushing it. I’ve studied certain sites that are ranking for the various keywords I looked at.
One thing is this: Reddit continues to build up strength over time. Keep in mind, a little increase here for Reddit is actually a massive amount of traffic because they already have such a high volume of traffic. So going up 5 to 10% is an enormous amount of traffic.
Next is looking at other user-generated content websites that are ranking. For example, “How do you feed crickets?“—a forum ranking thread from 2007, another from 2008. Then, for “best acoustic guitar strings,” there’s a forum thread from 2008 that’s ranking. Google continues to put a lot of weight on user-generated content and forums. My suspicion is that this is a way for them to combat generic AI content that’s written by LLMs (large language models).
The second thing I’m seeing is local businesses or hyper-specific businesses benefiting in search results. A lot of local businesses are ranking for national queries. Also, niche-specific businesses are dominating keywords related to their products and services. It makes sense that a business with real expertise on these topics is ranking.
Another finding is that domain-level relevance plus an actual business equals better rankings. For example, queries like “Is Cabo safe?” are being dominated by Cabo-based businesses. A site selling crickets is ranking for that niche. For “St. Louis coffee shops,” highly relevant domains like Sauce Magazine and STL Bucket List are ranking. Domain-level relevance seems to come first, followed by page-level relevance.
Websites or brands with strong, trusted backlink profiles continue to dominate. Brands with a presence outside of Google, supported by marketing and strong backlink profiles, are performing well. We should try to emulate what they’re doing.
Then there’s the rare exception: some websites built by influencers with large audiences and branded searches are doing well. These influencers aren’t just traditional affiliate sites; they have big audiences outside Google, like on Instagram or YouTube. They get branded searches and referral traffic because people like them, which gives them certain advantages over regular affiliate sites.
Lastly, I noticed AI overviews popping up in Incognito mode. This change began over the past week. Google is rolling these out in Incognito mode, and it’s likely going to continue expanding these capabilities across more keywords. About 7% of searches currently trigger AI overviews, but this is expected to accelerate.
Now, let’s talk about the Google ranking formula. I talk about this all the time on my channel, and everything I’ve shared with you confirms what I always say. The process is something you can apply to your brand, website, or business.
- Niche-focused business: Focus on building a business that is hyper-focused on one vertical, instead of a generic brand, to rank well in Google.
- Relevant domain: Having a relevant domain, particularly a keyword-rich one, is incredibly powerful at both local and national levels. Exact match domains are still effective, despite what some say.
- Building a brand: Don’t just rely on Google. Build your presence on other platforms like YouTube. The more omnipresent you are, the better your brand’s strength, and this can positively affect your SEO performance.
- Strong backlink profile: Building a niche-focused business with a relevant domain and brand can lead to natural backlinks, but you also need an active link-building campaign. Services like Search Intelligence can help you get PR-based backlinks.
- Relevant content: Keep your content tight and relevant to your niche, one page at a time. For instance, a Cabo-based real estate website should only talk about Cabo-related topics.
The formula is clear: niche focus, relevant domain, building a brand, acquiring backlinks, creating relevant content, and integrating UGC if possible. If you follow this process, it’s nearly impossible not to get better rankings.
Of course, nuances like anchor text and quality backlinks matter, but building high-quality, relevant content for users is the key. Follow this consistently, and you likely won’t need to worry about Google updates.
