Google’s November 2024 Update: What’s New and How It Affects Search Results

This November, Google made changes to how it decides which websites show up first when you search for something. An SEO (Search Engine Optimization) company called BrightEdge has been watching how this change affects search results and has shared some important findings. Let’s break down what’s happening in simple terms and why it matters if you’re looking for something online or creating a website.

Growing Alignment Between Organic Search Results and AI Overview Citations

A new part of Google called AI Overview (AIO) sometimes shows a summary of answers when you search for something. BrightEdge noticed that the websites Google chooses for these AIO summaries are often the same ones that show up in the regular search results, especially in the top ten positions. This means that if a website is one of the top results in a regular search, it might also appear as a “citation” (a source) in AIO. Google seems to be using AIO to highlight top websites in regular searches because it trusts those sites. So, if you’re making content, it’s good to aim for a high ranking because it could make your site pop up in more places.

Shopping Queries Show Limited Overlap Between Organic and AIO Results

Even though AIO and regular search results often show the same top websites, BrightEdge saw that this isn’t the case for shopping searches. When people look up products to buy, AIO and regular search results don’t match up as much. Google may be testing out different ways to show results for shopping searches compared to regular information searches. For people who run online stores, this means they might have to think about two different ways to get their products noticed – one for regular search and another for AIO.

Downward Trend in Organic and AIO Result Overlap

BrightEdge noticed that, at first, regular search and AIO results were overlapping a lot. However, after November 8, when Google’s new update officially started, these results started becoming less similar. It’s as if Google is testing different types of results to figure out what works best, which means there’s still a lot of change happening. If you’re a website owner or SEO professional, this means it’s smart to keep an eye on your rankings. You might see your website move up and down in search results more often while Google’s changes settle.

How Different SERP Positions Are Affected by Volatility

Since this update began, BrightEdge has seen different changes in search results depending on where a website is ranked:
  • Top 10 positions: Volatility increased by +10.6%
  • Positions 11–20: Declined in volatility by -5.9%
  • Positions 21–30: Volatility spiked by +23.3%
The changes at the top are happening because Google is being more careful about choosing high-quality, helpful results. For people who have websites, this means the competition is getting tougher in the top spots.

Different Changes in Different Industries

The update doesn’t affect every industry in the same way. Here’s what BrightEdge noticed in different areas:
  • E-commerce (shopping sites): Big changes, with a 22.1% drop in some top results.
  • Education: Smaller changes, around -7.3%.
  • Healthcare: Very stable, with only a -1.5% change.
  • Technology (B2B Tech): Very tiny changes, just -0.4%.
These differences mean that Google is tweaking certain industries more than others. For example, if you’re a website about health, you probably won’t see as much change as if you’re a shopping site.

How Google Chooses Content for AI Overviews

How Google Chooses Content for AI Overviews

BrightEdge also looked at the types of content that Google likes to show in AIO:

  • Educational content (like learning resources): It seems to be stable and favoured by Google.
  • Product-focused content (like shopping items): Changing a lot, so it’s less predictable.
  • Research-based sites (websites with a lot of trustworthy information): Staying steady, which shows Google values them.
  • Expertise in industries (content written by knowledgeable people): Becoming more important.

This means that if you’re creating content, it’s better to focus on what people really want to know rather than just cramming in keywords.

What This Means for People Who Create Websites

If you have a website or write content, here are some tips for keeping up with Google’s new update:

  • Make Content for Users, Not Just for Google: Google wants to show content that actually helps people, so try to focus on useful, clear information instead of just stuffing in keywords.
  • Keep Track of Your AIO Mentions: If you see your site in an AIO summary, great! But keep an eye on it since AIO results may change.
  • Be Ready to Adjust: Search rankings might keep shifting for a while, so stay flexible and don’t panic if you see changes.
  • Focus on Industry Trends: Check how your industry (like e-commerce or education) is being affected, as this might mean making specific adjustments for your field.

Why Some Publishers Are Upset About AI Overviews

Some people who create content aren’t happy about AIO because it takes parts of their websites, summarizes them, and only shows a small link back to their site. This is frustrating because their hard work gets condensed, and users don’t always know where the original content came from.

Frank Pine, who manages a lot of big newspapers, even called AIO “cannibalizing” content, which means taking it in a way that makes it harder for the original creators to benefit. Even though this is tough, it’s a reminder to keep an eye on how AIO uses your content and see if it’s helping or hurting your website traffic.

What’s Next? Staying on Top of Google’s Changes

Google’s November 2024 update shows us that search rankings are always changing, and AI is playing a bigger role. If you want your website to do well, it’s important to focus on making high-quality, helpful content, keep up with how your site ranks, and stay flexible.

By paying attention to these trends, you can keep your site competitive and make the most of what Google’s search results and AIO can offer.

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