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Stay Informed: Latest Updates on Search - Dec 2024

The SEO landscape is constantly evolving, and December brought some notable updates that every marketer should know. In this post, we’ll walk you through the key changes and what they mean for your SEO & search performance. Stay ahead by understanding the latest trends in search optimization!

Let's go

1- Google Analytics Integrates Merchant Center Insights

Google Analytics has integrated Merchant Center recommendations directly into its platform. These recommendations will highlight issues preventing product approval in Google Merchant Center, helping users identify and fix problems. By addressing these issues, users can increase organic traffic from Google Shopping and improve the performance of their Shopping ads. The recommendations are accessible from various sections within Google Analytics and provide direct links to the affected products in the Merchant Center account.



2- Google Revamps AI Overviews with Categorized Responses

Google is experimenting with a new format for AI Overviews. Instead of providing a single, comprehensive answer to a query, it's categorizing responses into different blocks. This approach is particularly noticeable for more generic queries like "iPhone benefits."

By grouping related information, Google aims to provide users with a more organized and focused search experience. Users can then choose to delve deeper into specific categories or explore additional search results.


3- Google Search Console's Recommendations Feature is Now Live

Google has fully rolled out its Recommendations feature in Google Search Console. This feature provides website owners with actionable tips to improve their website's visibility on Google Search. These recommendations are based on data collected by Google Search Console and can help with indexing, crawling, and serving.

If you don't see recommendations, it means Google currently doesn't have any specific suggestions for your website. Recommendations may change over time as Google updates its analysis.


4- Google's New Policy Targets Site Reputation Abuse and Manipulation

Google has announced a tightening of its policies to combat site reputation abuse, a practice where third-party content is published on a host site to unfairly leverage the host's ranking signals.

In an effort to maintain a fair and accurate search experience, Google will now strictly enforce its policy against this practice, regardless of any level of first-party involvement. This means that even if a site owner has some degree of control over the third-party content, it will still be considered a violation if the intent is to manipulate search rankings.

To further refine its approach, Google is introducing systems to evaluate different sections of a website independently. This will ensure that sub-sections are not unfairly boosted by the overall reputation of the main site. While this change may lead to fluctuations in traffic for some sub-sections, Google emphasizes that it is designed to improve the overall quality of search results and prevent manipulative tactics.

Site owners are advised to review Google's updated policy and prioritize creating high-quality content that benefits users, rather than focusing on gaming the search engine.


5- Google Bids Farewell to the Sitelinks Search Box

Google's Sitelinks search box, a feature that had been around for over a decade, was officially removed from Google Search on November 27th, 2024. This removal was in line with Google's stated intention to simplify search results and reflect the declining usage of the feature.


6- Google Warns Against Overusing Trends and PAA for Content Ideas

Google's John Mueller has cautioned against over-reliance on Google Trends and People Also Ask (PAA) as sole sources for content ideas. While these tools can provide valuable insights, excessive use can lead to the creation of low-quality, repetitive content that can negatively impact a website's overall reputation and search performance.

It's important to use these tools as a starting point for content ideas, rather than as a definitive guide. Consider factors like user intent, search volume, and competition when selecting topics. By focusing on creating high-quality, original content that addresses user needs, you can build a sustainable and successful website.



7- New Google Documentation Offers In-Depth Insights into Website Crawling

Google has recently released a new documentation that offers detailed insights into how Googlebot crawls websites. This update provides valuable information for website owners to better understand the crawling process and optimize their sites for better search visibility.

The documentation covers various aspects of crawling, including how Googlebot handles different types of resources, the impact of resource optimization on crawl budget, and the role of caching in improving crawling efficiency.


8- Google December core update rolling out is complete

The December 2024 core update, Google’s fourth and likely final core update of the year, rolled out from December 12 to December 18. Like other core updates, it aimed to improve search relevance and user experience but was unusual in arriving just a week after the November update. The update caused significant volatility, as shown by third-party tracking tools like Semrush and Similarweb.

Google reiterated its usual guidance: there’s no specific recovery action for sites negatively affected. Instead, focus on creating helpful, people-first content. While minor recoveries may occur between updates, significant improvements typically happen after subsequent core updates.

As always, staying proactive with content quality and site optimization is crucial for adapting to future updates and maintaining search visibility.


9- Google Search Console is showing last 24 hours data, however it is still not available through the API

Google has introduced a "24 hours" view in Search Console, providing near real-time performance data with minimal delay. This feature offers hourly breakdowns of key metrics such as clicks, impressions, average click-through rate (CTR), and average position across Search, Discover, and News reports. By reducing data delays by nearly 50%, website owners can promptly monitor new content performance, identify emerging trends, and make swift adjustments to their strategies. The data is presented in the user's local time zone, ensuring relevance and clarity. This enhancement enables more immediate insights into website performance, facilitating timely and informed decision-making.

Google has confirmed that the last 24 hours of data is currently unavailable through the Google Search Console API. This issue may temporarily impact reporting and analysis for users relying on real-time or near real-time data access.


10- Google AI news from December 2024

Google made significant strides in AI in December, releasing Gemini 2.0, their most capable model yet, and introducing new AI video and image generation models, Veo 2 and Imagen 3. They also upgraded NotebookLM, added AI features to Android and Pixel, and shared five AI trends for businesses in 2025. Google DeepMind launched GenCast, a new AI weather model that improves predictions, and Google unveiled Willow, their state-of-the-art quantum chip.


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