SEO in 2022: The year so far
Here’s a quickfire roundup of everything that’s happened in the world of SEO so far this year and what it all means for your search marketing strategy.
Confirmed algorithm updates in 2022
Google makes hundreds of updates to its algorithm every year in an effort to improve the overall quality of organic search results. Most of these updates are minor and generally go unnoticed, while others are officially confirmed because they typically produce more widely notable effects.
So far this year, Google has confirmed the following updates:
Page experience update
When: Originally announced way back in 2020, the page experience update began rolling out in June 2021 and was finally completed in March this year.
What: As the name suggests, the page experience update is designed to assess web pages based on the experience they provide to users. Measured by a set of metrics called Core Web Vitals, the update assess pages on their performance in relation to load time, interactivity, and content stability.
Impact: While the overall impact has been relatively minor, the update affects every website and serves as a reminder that page experience is a big deal in 2022, and should be a key focus for website owners in the future.
Product reviews update
When: Google started the rollout of the product reviews update (the fourth of its kind) in March 2022.
What: The update is designed to reward high-level product review content, meaning reviews that feature in-depth research conducted by experts, rather than thin content that simply summarises products to garner clicks. Google offers a list of useful questions for publishers to consider when writing reviews here.
Impact: The update affects anyone creating product review content.
May core update
When: The May core update was announced on May 25 and finished rolling out on June 9.
What: Several times a year Google makes substantial improvements to its overall ranking processes, which are known as core updates. These updates exist to improve the overall relevancy of search results. They're not specific to any type of site but can, and often do, produce some widely notable effects to search results.
Impact: Core updates affect every website, big and small. Even if a website isn't directly impacted, it’s still likely rankings can shift due to other sites moving around it. This article examines some winners and losers from the May update.
Helpful content update
When: The update started on August 25 and was completed on September 9.
What: The helpful content update is part of a broader effort to ensure Google search users discover more original, helpful content written by people, for people. Put another way, it aims to demote content created purely for search engines.
Impact: Despite causing panic within the SEO community prior to rollout, the HCU’s impact was minimal. Google has reminded website owners that the update is part of a continuing effort, with refinements in the pipeline.
September core update
When: The September core update landed just days after the helpful content update, on September 12.
What: See the May core update above.
Impact: This update came fast and its impact was almost immediate, though less significant than the May update. You can see a breakdown of the data, and some examples of the types of sites that were most affected here.
Product Reviews Update (yes, another one)
When: Google began rolling out the fifth Google product reviews update on September 20, during the September core update. A stressful few weeks for review site owners? You betcha.
What: As already detailed, product review updates are targeted specifically at product review-related content. This one, in particular, has caused more discussion than usual due to it coinciding with other updates.
Impact: The update is still being rolled out at the time of writing and is expected to take a coupled of weeks in total. But if the comments contained within this article are anything to go by then this update is proving to be more significant than the previous.
Until the next update…
The bottom line is this; Now more than ever, Google rewards valuable content of genuine quality over thin content built around keywords. SEO today is less about the number of keywords on a page and more about how real people perceive that page.
There are no shortcuts to the top of Google’s search results (PPC aside) but by focusing on delivering best-in-class experiences for your users, you’ll stand a much better chance of achieving long-term success.
This post was written by our Inner Circle member, Matt. If you’re in any need of SEO advice or help, do be sure to book a 30-minute discovery call.
