December has been a busy month in terms of Google Core Updates – the November update completed and a new December update has already started rolling out. Plus, there’s been some significant updates to two of the most widely used AI learning models and the Google CEO has commented on the future of search in 2025.
Keep reading to learn more about the latest digital marketing news, plus some of the team’s favourite tools and the key dates for your January marketing plan.
Google’s November Core Update Rollout Completed on December 5th
Google’s November 2024 core update which started on November 11, was completed 24 days later on December 5, 2024. It appears to be a typical core update with the aim of making search results more relevant and helpful. Google has not provided any specific information about what has been updated or changed.
What Google has said about this core update:
“This update is designed to continue our work to improve the quality of our search results by showing more content that people find genuinely useful and less content that feels like it was made just to perform well on Search.”
This core update caused significant volatility, especially towards the start of the update.
Key Takeaways
- Expect higher keyword volatility around the core update.
- Continue to create helpful content for your users and take steps to improve the SEO of your website.
- Follow Google’s guidance if you have seen a large drop in rankings after the core update.
Google Announces December 2024 Core Update
Just a week after the completion of the November Core Update, Google has announced the December 2024 Core Update. This update started on 12 December and is expected to take around two weeks to complete. It’s the fourth and final core update of 2024.
Google posted on X: “If you’re wondering why there’s a core update this month after one last month, we have different core systems we’re always improving”. A Google representative mentioned at the Google Search Central Live event that Google will be having “more updates, more often” – so this is something to look forward to in 2025!
Shortly after this update started rolling out, there was a significant spike in keyword volatility. However, this has appeared to settle down.
Key Takeaways
- Although volatility appears to have calmed down, there could be further keyword volatility as the update progresses.
- SEOs should be prepared for more Core Updates in 2025.
Google Search Console Recommendations Have Now Been Fully Rolled Out
Google’s new Recommendations section of Google Search Console has now been fully rolled out. This was initially trialled as an experimental feature back in August, but it has now been rolled out to all Google Search Console profiles. However, you’ll only see recommendations if Google has something to recommend.
Here’s what Google has said about these Recommendations:
“We are excited to announce Search Console recommendations, a new feature that provides websites with optimization opportunities and suggests actions they can take to improve their presence on Google Search.”
Here are a few examples of what these Recommendations look like:
Key Takeaways
- These recommendations may provide useful tips on how to improve your website or insights into your current performance.
- Don’t adopt these recommendations without considering if they’re the right fit for your business.
- If you can’t see any recommendations, it’s because Google does not have any to offer at this time.
Google’s New Button Tells Users Whether Search Results Are Personalised or Not
There is now a button at the bottom of the search results which tells you if your results are personalised or not and gives you a way to turn off personalisation. Personalised search results have been around since 2009.
Key Takeaways
- Users are becoming more concerned about whether their results are personalised or not.
- More people choosing to turn off personalisation could mean lower conversion rates as search results are less relevant to users.
Changes to Google Search Console – Introduction of ‘24 Hours’ View
There have been quite a few changes to Google Search Console this month, including:
- Introduction of ‘24 Hours’ view to Search Console performance reports to improve the freshness of data. This data will only have a delay of a few hours. This will be rolled out to all properties over the next few months.
- Removing Google Analytics data to allow users to focus solely on Search Console metrics.
- Removing the Page Experience Report to reduce unnecessary clutter.
Key Takeaways
- The new ‘24 Hours’ view will give you quick insights into how your content is performing.
Learn more about the new ‘24 Hours’ view.
OpenAI Releases ChatGPT o1 and Google Introduces Gemini 2.0:
Both OpenAI and Google have announced new versions of their AI models:
- OpenAI announces ChatGPT o1, ‘World’s Smartest Language Model”. Plus, a new Pro tier with unlimited usage and a higher level of computing.
- Google introduces Gemini 2.0. ‘A new AI model for the agentic era’. This will power a series of updates to Search in early 2025 and AI overview will be able to handle more complex topics and multi-step questions.
Key Takeaways
- It’s clear that AI overview is not going away and Google is taking steps to make AI overview more accurate and relevant to users.
Learn more about Gemini 2.0 and ChatGPT o1.
“Search Will Profoundly Change in 2025” – According to Google CEO
Google SEO, Sundar Pichai, was interviewed during the 2024 New York Times DealBook Summit. Here’s what he had to say about 2025:
“Search itself will continue to change profoundly in [2025]. I think we are going to be able to tackle more complex questions than ever before. I think you’ll be surprised even early in [2025] the kind of newer things search can do compared to where it is today.”
Key Takeaways
- Search has been profoundly changed by the introduction of generative AI and it looks like it will continue to evolve as more changes are made.
- SEOs should be prepared to adapt to these new changes in 2025 and beyond.
Tools We’re Loving Recently
Here are some of the Wildcat team’s favourite tools from the last few months:
Semrush Sensor
With so many Google Core Updates recently and more set to come in 2025, it’s essential to have a tool to monitor keyword volatility. Semrush Sensor measures Google’s search algorithm’s volatility using the daily rankings of millions of keywords. You can also filter keyword volatility by industry, so you can see how your industry has been affected by the latest Core Update.
Try it out here.
Similarweb
The free version of Similarweb can be an incredibly useful tool for competitive SEO analysis. Simply enter a URL and you can see estimated traffic and engagement data. Enter a second URL to easily compare two websites side-by-side and see how your site compares to your competitors.
Try it out here.
Dates For Your Marketing Diary – January
- 1st – 31st Jan – Veganuary
- 1st – 31st Jan – Dry January
- 1st Jan – New Year’s Day
- 14th Jan – National Dress Up Your Pet Day
- 23rd Jan – Chinese New Year
- 25th Jan – Burns Night
- 27th Jan – Holocaust Memorial Day
Keep Up To Date With All Things SEO & Marketing With Wildcat Digital
The world of digital marketing is constantly changing and evolving, and it can be tricky to stay up-to-date. The Wildcat team is always keeping up with the latest digital marketing news stories and trends, so we can be sure we’re using the latest strategies for our clients. You can rely on Wildcat Digital, an award-winning digital marketing agency, to guide your business’s digital marketing strategy to success.
Looking to punch above your weight online? Enquire about our tailored SEO, PPC, Paid Social and Website Development services.
Kezia Humphries
SEO Executive
