SEO News November 2024

The latest Core Update began rolling out on November 11. Initially, there weren’t any significant shifts in the SERPs. However, around November 17—roughly a week after the update began—the algorithm seemed to gain momentum. According to Semrush, the highest levels of SERP volatility were recorded on November 17 and 26.

What do we know about this update? Not much, as Google has been characteristically vague about its specifics:

For more details, visit Google’s developer site, under the Core Updates section.

Interestingly, even major players like Forbes and CNN (Medium) have experienced ranking drops tied to previous algorithm changes and affiliate marketing practices. This update may deepen those declines.

Not long ago, Sam Altman stated there were no plans for tools like SearchGPT. Now, not only is such a tool available, but there are also whispers about OpenAI potentially developing a browser (Reuters). With OpenAI, the only thing we can be sure of is… that we can’be sure of anything. Staying alert to these changes is essential to keep pace.ChatGPT Search launched on October 31 and is currently available to Plus and Team subscribers. In theory, it’s designed to assist rather than replace Google, evident in how users approach queries and search intent within the tool.

The interface is quite engaging:

Some see this as a stepping stone to ChatGPT surpassing Google in traffic within the next two years. The tool is worth monitoring and testing while such claims remain speculative due to numerous market variables. If you want your results to appear in SearchGPT, ensure your robots.txt file doesn’t block OAI-SearchBot crawlers (as per SEJ, though the efficacy of blocking these bots is a topic for another discussion).

In November, Reddit reached an astounding 774 million visits from organic search—535 million more than in November last year. Impressive.

A few months ago, Reddit made headlines as its stock value soared, and now the momentum is picking up speed. The importance of user-generated content (UGC) is no secret, but the scale of Reddit’s visibility increase—despite Google’s claims that no collaboration is involved—is noteworthy:

It could simply be a case of algorithmic shifts favoring user-centric content, as similar growth is observed on other forums. Nonetheless, this trend hasn’t gone unnoticed by SEO professionals or regular users, who find Reddit appearing more frequently in Google search results. Meanwhile, Reddit users face stricter spam protection, limiting their ability to share links as freely as before.

At 89.3%, Google’s market share might still look like a near-monopoly, but the downward trend hints at a shifting landscape. What seemed impossible not long ago is gradually becoming a reality. Younger generations are increasingly turning to alternative search platforms, directly seeking information on TikTok, or experimenting with AI-driven tools like SearchGPT. This dynamic is worth watching closely, as it will undoubtedly shape the future of marketing and compel businesses to rethink their online visibility strategies beyond Google.

See you again in December!