Google November 2024 Core Update: Rising Volatility and SEO Concern

The Google November 2024 Core Update, which began rolling out on November 11, has seen a notable surge in search ranking volatility, especially in the last 24 hours.

After a period of calm following initial movement around November 13-14, search rankings are now experiencing another spike, just days before the Thanksgiving holiday.

SEO discussions across forums like WebmasterWorld have become increasingly active as more website owners report dramatic changes in their traffic and rankings.

Many are expressing frustration over significant drops, with one user commenting on the situation: "Huge drop today... Here we goooo," while another added, "Yes, big further drop on top of previous drops from this tragically broken 'update'." Some are hoping Google will take action, with one saying: "Only hope is that some employees at Google will come in today and actually notice that SERPs are turning into a steaming pile of spam."

Traffic drops have been widespread, with users from the USA, Canada, the UK, and Australia reporting losses, particularly in the United States, where the most significant drops have been observed. One user explained: "It started to drop off yesterday with direct traffic, and today it's search," while another noted: "Same in Europe. BIG DROP TODAY!"

The second week of the update is described as a "horror show" for some website owners. Despite some positive ranking improvements in the search engine results pages (SERPs), traffic has not reflected these changes. One user shared their confusion: "In the SERPs, my site improved important positions in almost everything, but the traffic does not reflect the success. It's bizarre!"

Even though tools like SEMRUSH Sensor suggest that volatility may be calming down, many website owners are noticing discrepancies between what these tools report and their own experiences. One user asked, "Are they still relevant or why is there such a big difference between what they indicate and reality?"

Others shared their ongoing traffic issues, with some seeing low traffic in the mornings but a slight recovery after noon. One user also mentioned a new trend in their niche: "Google has now started showing comparison tables using 'AI data' in my niche. lol. It's pointless."

The mood within the community seems to be one of confusion and concern, with several expressing uncertainty about how to regain traffic from Google. One user admitted, "I’ve already started winding down operation a bunch of my sites. It's pointless. It's never going to go back to what it was before 2022."