Hi there,

Welcome back.

Just a quick note:

Today, I wanted to give you the results of the poll I included in my last newsletter.

But there were too few votes (8 people) to help me form any opinions.

Could you do me a favor, please?

Before you leave today, will you check a box in the poll below?

It will help me improve your newsletter. Thanks!

In this issue:

• Next update may help HCU-impacted sites
• Key points from the AI Overview report
• How to get 3,414 links with 17 pieces of content

See you next time,
Nicole

P.S. I read all your emails. Do you have a question I can help you with?

Insights

​

1. Next core update soon; may help HCU-impacted sites

There is a lot of evidence that the next core update is coming soon.

I've noticed HUGE volatility across the web lately—including increases in traffic to sites impacted by HCU that haven’t budged since the HCUpocalypse.

Users have reported declines of up to 77% in website traffic to their home pages.

The ongoing discussions about the implications of these changes include concerns over potential penalties and shifts in ranking dynamics that favor interior pages over homepages.

Overall, the situation suggests that Google may be testing or implementing changes ahead of a scheduled core update in the coming weeks.

Danny Sullivan, the Google Search Liaison, recently said that these updates are not scheduled:

This is typical behavior when Google tests an update before a larger rollout.

If you notice volatility on your site, be patient.

These are just tests.

If you’re deploying best practices, don’t stop.

Related: SEO Feedback On The Last Core Update Was Really Helpful​

​
​2. AI Overviews only show for 7% of queries; 13% reduction in pixel size

Great news for publishers!

Recent trends in AI Overviews reveal a significant decline in their visibility.

AI overviews now appear for only 7% of search queries, a notable drop from previous months.

Key points from the latest BrightEdge report

1. Dramatic decrease in visibility

Since mid-April, the presence of AI-generated answers has plummeted.

In December 2023, AI Overviews were visible for 84% of queries, but this figure has now dropped to just 7%.

The decline is particularly pronounced in sectors such as education, entertainment, and e-commerce, where visibility has dropped to as low as 0% for entertainment-related queries.

2. Impact of incorrect information

The drop in visibility coincides with reports of misleading and dangerous AI-generated responses, prompting Google to promise improvements.

This has likely influenced the decision to reduce the reliance on AI Overviews.

3. Changes in search patterns

The types of queries triggering AI Overviews have shifted.

While queries beginning with “best,” “what is,” and “how to” are more likely to receive AI responses, brand-specific and lifestyle-related queries have seen a decrease.

4. Less reliance on user-generated content

Platforms like Reddit and Quora have seen a massive reduction in citations, suggesting a shift towards more reliable sources of information.

5. Reduced features

There has been a noticeable decrease in the use of product comparison tables and lists in AI Overviews, indicating a potential strategy to streamline the information presented—so Overviews get less space.

6. Less pixel space

AI Overviews now take up 13% less space on average in search results.

Google continues to experiment with reducing the pixel size dedicated to these features. The goal is to become more effective at delivering valuable answers in concise ways.

What these changes mean

This shift is excellent news for publishers and content creators.

For publishers, the reduction in AI Overviews could signal a return to a more favorable environment for organic search traffic.

That’s because Google appears to be prioritizing accuracy and reliability over volume.

Our goal has always been to publish authoritative and trustworthy content that aligns with user intent.

This is the type of content that ranked well in traditional search results.

It’s where our focus must remain.

My suggestions

• Focus on quality and relevance: Double down on your expert content to gain visibility. Optimize for search intent and information gain.
  ​
• Leverage analytics: Monitor which content is driving traffic and conversions, and adjust your strategy based on those results.
  ​
• Integrate feedback and adapt: Google’s evolving algorithms and user preferences mean that adaptability is key. Be responsive to your readers’ needs and search behavior and refine your content to meet expectations.

​

The numerical data above was shared with Search Engine Land by enterprise SEO platform BrightEdge and its BrightEdge Generative Parser.

​

Additional Resources

AI Overviews are evolving quickly. BrightEdge summarize 10 Observations about AI Overviews after a full Month.

For additional data on how and when AI Overviews appear across various industries, see BrightEdge's Ultimate Guide to Google AI Overviews

This is cool!

Patrick Stox @patrickstox Now in @ahrefs, if you look at an individual page, you can enable "Content changes" to see when the page content was changed and how the changes impacted traffic. 5:29 PM • Jul 8, 2024 56 Retweets 396 Likes Read 20 replies

​

3. A meeting with Google

Brandon Saltalamacchia met with Google Search Liaison, Danny Sullivan, recently.

Brandon pitched him on a new role he wants to see at Google because:

• Google must deal with us in a more human-centric way.
  ​
• Creators should not have to rely on advice from third-parties, or leaked documents for guidance.
  ​
• Google's communications should provide more hands-on guidance and support for creators, not just point them to guidelines or contact forms.

And, Danny listened.

Brandon called the role a "Google Search Creator Advisor."

This person wouldn't necessarily advise on SEO techniques, but would focus on reader first optimisation and advising creators how to build other revenue streams away from Google Traffic.

As Brandon said:

I couldn't agree more.
​

4. What happens when you disavow all your links?

In an unusual move, Cyrus Shepard of Zyppy decided to disavow every single link to his website.

That's over 10,000 links from 1,473 unique domains, including high-authority sites like Moz, Ahrefs, Semrush, and Backlinko.

​Shepard's experiment aimed to test the effectiveness of Google's Disavow tool.

The results of his odd experiment were surprising.

Despite disavowing all those links, Shepard's website traffic remained largely unaffected, with a slight increase in traffic shortly after filing the disavow.

The experiment also raises questions about the future of the Disavow tool.

Google's John Mueller recently commented that he's sure Google will remove the tool at some point, as it is often overused by site owners.

As always, Shepard's experiments are fascinating.

And he's continuing it, using another disavow file.

Google has said for some time that the Disavow tool is not something the algorithm needs anymore.

I believe they will get rid of it at some point because disavowing is, basically, a waste of time.

Check a box in our poll!

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Information

✶ Figuring out why your search traffic dropped

Is the change in your site traffic due to a Google update or something else?

Aleyda Solis made a list of the key questions to ask and suggests a mix of SEO tools to use to identify the cause of your website’s organic search traffic drop.

✶ Do you make these mistakes with internal links?

Inbound link building gets all the press, but it’s the correct use of internal linking that can really move a site algorithmically.

Casey Markee states that fixing nine specific internal linking mistakes results in stronger sites, easier indexing by Google, and higher rankings.

✶ Search (and SEO) is multidimensional

An SEO asked on LinkedIn why an anonymous user on Reddit could outrank a credible website with a named author.

Google’s answer gives a peek at what’s going on with search rankings and why Reddit can outrank expert articles.

Inspiration

✶ How to earn 3,414 links with 17 pieces of content

How do you get coverage from the NYT, NPR, and other DA 90+ sites for $160 CPL or less?

You know that digital PR is the toughest link-building tactic to execute.

It can also be the most cost-effective way to earn placements and grow brand awareness at scale.

If I told you that we’ve delivered CPLs of $160 or better four times in the last two years, I might have your attention.

If I told you we earned a client 3,414 links with 17 pieces of content, you probably want to know more.

If I told you those placements were in publications like:

• The Guardian
• Time Magazine
• CBS News
• NPR
• Tripadvisor
• LA Times and
• Investopedia

You likely want to copy our strategy.

By focusing on relatable stories told with big data, we provide consistent results and improve the ROI of our client campaigns.

​Steal our strategy in this case study.
​

Want to see more?

Hit reply and I'll send you the case study that includes the New York Times and Axios coverage.

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I'd love to support you by featuring you here. It's FREE!
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Dates to watch

• Aug 1 - National Minority Donor Awareness Day
• Aug 1 - World Lung Cancer Day
• Aug 3 - Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement
• Aug 3 - National Watermelon Day
• Aug 4 - National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day
• Aug 5 - National Oyster Day
• Aug 8 - International Beer Day
• Aug 9 - Book Lovers Day
• Aug 10 - National S'mores Day
• Aug 12 - Perseids Meteor Shower – peak dates vary
• Aug 13 - Left Hander’s Day
• Aug 18 - World Breast Cancer Research Day
• Aug 19 - World Photo Day
• Aug 19 - Cupcake Day (For the RSPCA)
• Aug 19 - World Humanitarian Day
• Aug 24 - National Peach Pie Day
• Aug 25 - National Banana Split Day
• Aug 26 - Dog Appreciation Day
• Aug 30 - National Grief Awareness Day
• Aug 31 - Eat Outside Day
• Aug 31 - International Overdose Awareness Day

August is also:

• Children’s Eye Health and Safety Awareness Month
• National Breastfeeding Month
• National Eye Exam Month
• National Immunization Awareness Month
• Summer Sun Safety Month

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