SEOs expect a big Google update, very soon
Marie Haynes says she and Lily Ray sat in a Vegas bar predicting a big update in March 2024, and the core update launched the next day. Both now say the signs point the same way again.
Why your traffic moved
Well known SEOs expect a big Google update soon
Several well known SEOs now expect a major Google update soon, aimed at mass-produced AI content and tricks meant to manipulate AI answers. Lily Ray says the week's edits to Google's own documentation are the tell, and Marie Haynes recalls the two of them predicting the March 2024 core update (a broad ranking change) the night before it launched. Google has confirmed nothing.
All signs point to a major Google update on the horizon.
Who this affects: Everyone with a website, especially anyone publishing lots of pages quickly.
- Our take: fix weak pages now, not after rankings move.
- Our take: do not panic, no update is confirmed.
More spam crackdowns are coming, Google staff say
Google staff at the Barcelona Search Central Live event said to expect more spam updates, because so much new low quality content is being published and the team is now using AI to catch it. That matches where the September spam update landed: Lily Ray saw hits on sites with one page per area code, and another with 143 near-identical service pages split by county.
Expect more spam updates and new spam thresholds. Scaled, low-effort content is the risk.
Who this affects: Sites with many near-identical pages, such as one page per town or service.
- Our take: merge near-duplicate location pages into one genuinely useful page.
- Our take: check which pages differ only by a swapped place name.
Getting into AI answers
Searches for your own name now show AI answers
AI Overviews (the AI written answer at the top of results) have spread across brand name searches, and they can cite other companies alongside you. Chris Long found them on 93% of the brands he tested, and Ann Smarty put it near 90% after checking herself. Lily Ray says rival sites may now rank first for your brand name with terrible click rates, and your Generative AI impressions may spike.
This is not exactly great news for companies because they lose control over the narrative even more
Who this affects: Any business whose customers search for it by name.
- Open Search Console, filter to Generative AI, watch branded impressions and clicks.
- Our take: check what the AI answer says about you, and who it cites.
Google calls checking AI writing by hand critical
Google's updated AI content guidance now says you should manually fact-check and review all AI-generated content for accuracy before publishing. Barry Schwartz flagged that Google used the word "critical", which is unusually strong for its documentation. Lily Ray's read is that Google does not want inaccurate AI content feeding its own models.
It is critical to manually factcheck and review all AI-generated content for accuracy and trustworthiness before publishing.
Who this affects: Anyone who uses AI tools to help draft pages or posts.
- Check every claim, name and number in AI drafts before publishing.
- Our take: keep a short review step in your publishing routine.
Do not do this
Made-up authors now count as deception to Google
Google's guidance now says inventing author profiles, with AI headshots, made-up names or false credentials, is deception and a signal of a low quality page. Aleyda Solis called it a critical update to the helpful content guidance. In the same week, Reddit deleted four communities built for a 60-day experiment that used bots to post, comment and upvote in order to win AI citations.
Every post, every comment thread, every ranking URL and every AI citation that pointed at them went with the communities.
Who this affects: Any site with author bios, and anyone paying for engagement to get cited.
- Replace invented bylines and AI headshots with real people and real credentials.
- Our take: do not buy upvotes or comments to chase AI citations.
Frequently asked questions
Is Google releasing a major update soon?
Several well-known SEOs expect a major Google update soon based on recent edits to Google's documentation, but Google has confirmed nothing. The last time these SEOs made a similar prediction together was the night before the March 2024 core update launched.
What should I do if I have many similar pages for different locations?
You should merge near-duplicate location pages into one genuinely useful page, since Google's spam team is cracking down on sites with many near-identical pages such as one page per town or service. The September spam update specifically caught sites with many pages that differed only by swapped place names.
How do I check if AI answers are showing up for my brand name?
Open Google Search Console, filter to Generative AI (which means AI-written answers), and watch your branded impressions and clicks. AI Overviews are now appearing on nearly 90 percent of brand name searches, and they can cite your competitors alongside you.
What does Google say about publishing AI-generated content?
Google's updated guidance says you should manually fact-check and review all AI-generated content for accuracy before publishing, using the word "critical" to emphasize this step. Google does not want inaccurate AI content feeding its own models.
Can I use fake author profiles or AI headshots on my website?
No, inventing author profiles with AI headshots, made-up names or false credentials is now considered deception and a signal of a low quality page according to Google's updated guidance. You should replace invented bylines and AI headshots with real people and real credentials.