Like British weather during festival season, Google’s having another unpredictable moment. Just when you think things have settled into a pattern, along comes another shift. One minute your website’s basking in search result sunshine, the next it’s clouded over a bit. The interesting part? The usual SEO weather forecasters are barely raising an eyebrow.
So What’s Going On?
The tracking tools are showing some movement – not storm-level chaos, but definitely more than a gentle breeze. Weirdly though, some businesses are seeing major traffic swings while others aren’t seeing any change at all.
What’s particularly interesting is how different business types are being affected. Tech companies are reporting drops, while sites with strong seasonal patterns (like education) are more affected by school holidays than any Google update.
The Reddit Effect
Here’s something worth noting. Reddit and other discussion sites seem to be getting another boost in visibility. If you’re a copywriter, lawyer, or marketing consultant, you might find your expert content suddenly sharing space with Reddit threads about your topic.
This isn’t necessarily bad news – it’s just Google trying to show different types of content for different searches. Sometimes people want an expert opinion, sometimes they want to hear from others who’ve had the same problem.
Traffic vs Rankings
One of the most interesting things we’re seeing is how rankings and traffic aren’t always matching up. Some sites are reporting better visibility in search results but less actual traffic – like having a shop on the high street but everyone’s walking past.
Should You Be Worried?
Short answer? No. Even the SEO community seems pretty relaxed about this one. These Google wobbles happen so often now that they’re about as surprising as snow in Scotland.
What Should You Do?
- Check your patterns first:
- Is it just normal seasonal changes?
- Are school holidays affecting your traffic?
- Has anything else changed in your business?
- Look at where your traffic’s going:
- Are discussion sites ranking for your terms?
- Is YouTube or Amazon showing up more?
- Could you be present on these platforms too?
- Focus on what you can control:
- Keep creating helpful content
- Consider adding discussion elements to your site
- Maintain your technical standards
The Technical Bit (In English)
For those who like the geeky details, the tracking tools are showing increased volatility, but nothing like the dramatic spikes we’ve seen with previous updates. It’s more like a gentle rolling of the rankings rather than an earthquake.
Looking Forward
With Reddit getting another boost and discussion content continuing to rise, it might be worth thinking about how you can add more conversational elements to your content strategy. This doesn’t mean abandoning your expertise-based content – just presenting it in ways that encourage discussion and engagement.
Don’t panic and don’t make any knee-jerk changes to your website. If your traffic’s down, look at normal patterns first – is it just half term? A seasonal dip? The weekend?
If you are seeing changes, take a measured approach:
- Monitor your analytics but don’t obsess
- Look for sustained patterns, not daily blips
- Consider expanding to platforms like Reddit where appropriate
- Keep focusing on creating genuinely helpful content
Remember, these ranking shifts are getting so common that even SEO experts are barely batting an eye. That should tell you something about how much you need to worry about them.
Need some help with your small business SEO? Book in a call and let’s have a chat.
