For the past week, I have been seeing a different pattern with a possible Google search ranking algorithm update. The forums and SEO discussion around a possible Google update was brewing a good part of last week but the automated tracking tools, most of them, didn’t really pick up signs of a Google update.
So I watched and watched, and waited for the signals I track to align and they really didn’t seem to align. The chatter within the SEO community about a possible Google update started around Tuesday of last week, they were sporadic but SEOs were talking about ranking changes but the tools like I said, really did not show huge volatility.
Then Sunday, May 1st came and the tools and the chatter seemed to significantly increase. Honestly, it is weird to see a lead up like this to an update. I know Google tends to roll out confirmed (and likely unconfirmed) updates over several days to weeks, but this just felt weird.
SEO Chatter
Let me start by sharing some of the comments in terms of chatter from both here and WebmasterWorld starting a week ago through today:
There does seem to me more of a spike in the SEO chatter later on in the week, even over the weekend but it is always hard to compare weekday levels to weekend levels of chatter.
Google Search Tracking Tools
The Google search tracking tools have been calm for most of the week but they seem to be showing changes towards the past day or so. Here are some screenshots from these tools, I do suspect some will update this morning and show bigger changes.
Knowledge Panel Shifts
With many of these Google updates, there are also folks who pick up on the knowledge panels and there changes. So that does coincide with these reports as well:
So as you can see, there is a lot of chatter within the SEO industry but the tools were quiet most of the week. However, something bigger caught the ‘eye’ of some of the tracking tools over the past day or so. So something does seem to be up…
Forum discussion at WebmasterWorld.
