Hourly data export on GSC, local search ranking shifts, new "Places People Are Talking About" feature, and more
SE Ranking
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Stay in the know—knowledge is power! Get ready for the first edition of this year’s SEO digest. We’ll revisit the busiest month of updates from last year and catch up on the latest news from the first week of 2025.
Updates
Right after the November update finished, Google launched its core update in December. Why??
Google says they improve different systems within the core algo. And during the Search Central Live event in Zurich, they hinted that the core updates will now happen on a regular basis. This suggests there’s no longer a need to monitor start/end dates–just do your best to keep your websites in good shape.
Judging by the chatter around, this one was huge. Even though Google didn’t outright reveal what the update was targeting (it only said it was going after websites that violate its basic search spam policies), community chatter hints at link spam as the target.
What’s more interesting is that many people in the community note that this spam update sometimes promoted more spam instead of demoting it. And, evidently, there were? websites affected unfairly.
SERP features / Interface
Google is experimenting with new ways to help users refine their queries in its "People Also Ask" and "People Also Search For" sections. While similar features have appeared in the past, these tests introduce fresh variations meant to improve user experience.
Here is a screenshot of this from Frank Sandtmann
Google has started occasionally showing multiple sources for a single story in its Discover feed on the homepage. These additional sources appear in a carousel or stacked format beneath the main story.
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Glenn Gabe first noticed this update, sharing screenshots on X.
GSC
Google has started letting users export hourly performance data from the past 24 hours in Search Console. This update follows the recent introduction of the 24-hour view in Performance reports. It also addresses a highly requested feature to help with detailed data analysis.
Local SEO
Over the weekend, the SEO community buzzed about major shifts in Google Maps and Local Search rankings. While some suspect an algorithm update, others believe it could be a glitch. A Local Search Forum thread by Jason Brown highlights Reddit complaints about the sudden changes, with no official word from Google yet.
Google appears to be experimenting with a new local search feature called "Places People Are Talking About." This feature highlights local restaurants, showcasing them in a carousel format on social media content like Instagram and Facebook posts. The carousels include short videos to offer a more engaging way to discover local spots.
Khushal Bherwani spotted this feature and shared a screenshot of it on X.
Tidbits
It looks like Bing is mimicking Google’s search box. When users search for "Google," "search engine," or "Yandex," it hides Bing branding by anchoring the page below its logo. This tactic, flagged by Punit on December 13, has drawn attention for its stark resemblance to Google’s design.