Confirmed: Google Has Accelerated its Updates in 2021
There has been a lot of talk as of late concerning an apparent string of unannounced Google algorithm updates, hitting something of a peak during September and October. Online forums were inundated with website owners and SEO agencies alike venting their frustrations, having seen major declines in traffic that still have not recovered.
Now, we have a close approximation of confirmation that Google has indeed been stepping things up this year. Specifically, Mordy Oberstein over at SEMrush took to Twitter to share his own findings, confirming what most had suspected all along:
The volatility of Google’s SERP listings and general functioning has been off the charts in 2021.
Mordy’s series of posts on Twitter included a series of graphs and charts, indicating that Google’s mobile results were a whopping 84% more volatile this year than last. As for desktop, a huge 68 per cent increase in volatility was noted compared to last year.
Desktop 2020 vs 2021:
Mobile 2020 vs. 2021:
Whichever way you look at it, this amounts to a major headache for many (if not most) online businesses. Particularly when Google fails to offer any advice or information regarding its updates, the effects of such volatility can be catastrophic.
Unfortunately, it does not appear as if Google has any intention of taking its foot off the accelerator pedal anytime soon. October brought a raft of seemingly major changes to its core algorithm; this continues to have a major effect on desktop and mobile traffic for website owners worldwide. We can therefore only expect more to come throughout November, along with whatever tricks Google decides to get up to over the festive season.