The Medic Core Algorithm Update - August 1, 2018

[djbaxter]

Social Media Signals and Google August 2018 Core Algo Update?

Social Media Signals and August Core Algo Update
by Roger Montti, Search Engine Journal
August 23, 2018

A WebmasterWorld Forum Admin posted on their Google Forum that he discovered a social media connection to high ranking in the August Broad Core update. He didn’t claim that social media is a ranking signal. Only that there was a connection and then explained what it was.... The point he was making was that sites that were so good that the generated social media validation tended to also rank well.Thus, what he appears to assert is that a site that can generate word of mouth enthusiasm was the type of site that tended to rank well in Google’s August Broad Core Update.

Here is what that forum admin posted:

“If your site isn’t generating strong social media engagement, then your site might not be as great as you think it is. If your site isn’t strong enough to generate strong social signals, then it probably isn’t generating enough of the other rankings signals that Google wants.”

​

He then clarified his idea like this:

“If a… site isn’t generating social media success than it is very likely that their site can be improved and isn’t perfect.”

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Read more...

See WebmasterWorld discussion at Social Media & Google’s Aug 1 Update

 

[JustinB]

Re: Core Algorithm Update - August 1, 2018

By far the worst update I've ever seen for Google. But it does help cross-selling other digital marketing services like PPC, Social Media and Video...

I would love to see this thread stickied to the top for awhile until people get a handle over what this is because every article I've read so far has a few ideas why white-hat websites are falling like dominoes; but they're easily disproved by other authors and by looking at the new top search engine rankers...

 

[JoyHawkins]

Re: Core Algorithm Update - August 1, 2018

Great suggestion Justin - I'll do that now.

I'm writing a piece for Search Engine Land of all my findings thusfar and will share here when it's published.

 

[adammaxum]

Re: Social Media Signals and Google August 2018 Core Algo Update?

One thing I ran into a couple months back was a company pitching one of my clients the auto-suggest feature on google and being able to manipulate it so that when you start typing a keyword, it recommends the businesses name in the dropdown recommendations.

After studying their tactics, one thing they did was post social media posts that tagged/linked to the website on facebook...a lot..and that seemed to be a part of their way to influence the auto-suggest feature in Google.

Aside from that random tactic, I haven't noticed any connections between the two. Maybe if more people are visiting and engaging with your website from posts on social it could have an impact that way, but I will still tell clients that social media is great to have and use, but it has little if any value for the SEO/keyword ranking side.

 

[BenFisher]

Re: Social Media Signals and Google August 2018 Core Algo Update?

The correlation between Social Media and local entity ranking, in theory, does exist. Good marketing, in general, can generate positive outcomes that can assist with SEO. In my experience, the only "social" channel that directly can influence search results in G+. Simply because Google uses that channel as a method of machine learning and there is a correlation to semantic influence. (Note none of our clients were affected by the Medic update)

Other social channels only impact search in the sense that they can generate links and a higher chance of increasing dwell time, clicks and word of mouth. Additionally, social could drive more brand related searches.

But this has been true for quite a while, it is "possible" that in this latest update there may have been a tweak to increase some of the related signals that come with a good marketing strategy (indirectly).

 

[Marie Haynes]

Re: Social Media Signals and Google August 2018 Core Algo Update?

I think that the social media connection is right on.

I truly think that E-A-T is based mostly on off-site mentions. If people EVERYWHERE are raving about your company, then that speaks to E-A-T.

 

[djbaxter]

Re: Social Media Signals and Google August 2018 Core Algo Update?

Great. Now I'm hungry.

 

[Chris_Gregory]

Joy, we have a few examples of brands getting a general lift over our clients since the August 1 update. If you need some additional data points PM me and I'll send you what I have.

 

[JoyHawkins]

[MENTION=76]Chris_Gregory[/MENTION] I've been seeing mostly lifts (and some really good ones) with our clients. What industries are your brands in?

 

[Chris_Gregory]

We have a regional pest control company which has had really good rankings for several years. Since the August update we've seen Orkin leap frog them in some of their main keywords.

We also have a Human Resource IT company (small company) that was displaced on several keywords. In reviewing the before and after SERPS the websites that moved above them were Indeed, Glassdoor, Paychex, and Oracle - all well known brands.

The only negative shift we are seeing follows this pattern - brands or well known websites rising in rankings over our smaller or regional brands.

Next week is reporting so we'll be digging into the data company wide and might have more examples to share.

 

[JoyHawkins]

My article on Search Engine Land on all my findings thus far has published: 6 ways the August core algorithm update impacted local business - Search Engine Land

 

[JoshuaMackens]

Great article, Joy!

Thanks!

 

[JoyHawkins]

Interesting note from Glenn Gabe that I wanted to share. It looks like some of the sites that got crushed by Medic are restoring.

 

[JoshuaMackens]

Very interesting.

One of my sites hasn't really gotten better.

Another that wasn't hit seems to have been hit now. Weird.

By the way, what tools are used in those screenshots?

 

[Tim Colling]

One of my sites has almost completely recovered, after momentarily being clobbered. We didn't make any changes that would have caused this quick recovery.

 

[JoyHawkins]

@JoshuaMackens I was using Google Algorithm Update Impact Analysis Tool - Panguin SEO Tool

 

[JoshuaMackens]

@JoshuaMackens I was using Google Algorithm Update Impact Analysis Tool - Panguin SEO Tool

Sorry, I meant for the tweet by Glenn.

 

[JoyHawkins]

@JoshuaMackens - I asked him. His response: Sistrix. I use SEMrush, Searchmetrics, and Sistrix to triangulate the data. Smart to look at all three. Sistrix recently announced daily search visibility as well.

 

[JoshuaMackens]

Thanks!

How accurate do you think it is? And how do they get their data? Clickstream?

 

[CallumS]

We primarily use SEMrush for looking at traffic for sites that we haven't got Analytics/GSC access for. It is fairly accurate at showing significant traffic changes.