Google may have started to release another Google search ranking algorithm update starting Friday, March 18th through today, March 20th. This is an unconfirmed update but unlike the last one we reported, we have both chatter from the SEO community and also the tracking tools are picking up on it. I am calling this the Spring 2022 Google search ranking update - since this is the first day of Spring today (in my location).
SEOs began to notice ranking changes and traffic changes from Google organic search on Friday morning, around 7am ET on March 18, 2022. The fluctuations and ranking changes has continued through the weekend. Like I said, Google has not confirmed or announced any update at this time, so it is one of those unconfirmed updates I report on frequently enough.
I did ask Google later today if they can confirm this update or not and it seems like Google is not going to confirm this one:
I don't know of anything. I'll check around, but if I don't reply soon, you can assume this is yet again one of those times when we're all going "what update are they talking about?"
— Danny Sullivan (@dannysullivan) March 21, 2022
Update: And Danny Sullivan of Google asked around, and there is nothing specific going on:
I can officially confirm what we've confirmed many times before, that we have updates all the time: https://t.co/OVBOHl4jiX
— Danny Sullivan (@dannysullivan) March 22, 2022
Chances are, we'll have one or two today. One or two tomorrow. Etc.
I did check, no one knows of any broad, major update over the weekend. pic.twitter.com/F3BaYlD1Dv
SEO Chatter
Here is some of the chatter from the WebmasterWorld with folks saying they saw big traffic swings from Google search. Some as much as 40% or more and others are saying things are bouncing around between Friday and Sunday.
Here are some quotes from the thread:
My website traffic is down about 40% since Mar 18 2:00 AM (UTC). Anyone have the same as me?
Yes, traffic was somewhat lower this morning but dropped to zero between 10am and noon so far. Yesterday search was up but direct was down 40%. Today direct is normal but search is down 30%. It seems that a new pattern is emerging where Google just whacks your traffic about every third day mysteriously. Lasts an entire day and then reverts to regular to strong traffic for a few days.
Looks like my traffic is partially restored almost before the drop but I'm not sure because it's Saturday. I think I will monitor the traffic on Monday to be more accurate.
The deliberate and extreme throttling of traffic has been very obvious over the last week. Search engine traffic on Friday was down 87% week on week and it's only getting worse. The vice like grip that has been applied only appears to be getting tighter as each day goes by. Traffic plummeted around a week ago and shows no sign of recovery. Yesterday, it was as if Google had decided I should only be granted 3,000 visitors and any social spike was almost immediately met with a reduction in search hits. This kind of control is always obvious but not always bad. On one day I have 100 visitors at any one time for an entire 24-hour period, the next day it's 500 visitors constantly and the next 1,000. Yesterday, it was 10 visitors at any one time - consistently for the entire day.
Tracking Tools
The tracking tools, at least some of them, are showing some big changes. I do find it funny how there is few talking about what the tracking tools are showing yet but I do prefer it that way.
Here is what the tools are showing:
So, are any of you noticing any big ranking or Google traffic changes since Friday through the weekend?
Hope your first day of Spring (or fall) is going well.
Forum discussion at WebmasterWorld.
