Why we can’t separate Google’s algorithm updates from politics, culture and society

“Why Is the Google "Helpful" Update Negatively Impacting So Many Websites? Your Thoughts?” was the headline of a recent Reddit post.

Reddit is now my go-to when I need information on an algorithm update or Google announcement. Why? Because it’s real life experience - and it seems I’m not the only one. Far from it.

The August core update saw tonnes of losers and one BIG winner in the SERPS.?

And it was Reddit. Why??

There are a few key points that I want to get into, both of which feed into monumental cultural and technological shifts that go beyond a seemingly whimsical Google decision.?

COVID-19 Shifted Public Discourse on Politics, Media and Technology

The COVID-19 pandemic has shifted public behaviour beyond the health sector and in more ways than any of us could have imagined.?

You might have to cast your mind back a few years here, but it won’t take much for us all to remember the constant cycle of fear and uncertainty. This bled into the very fabric of public lives - could we trust our politicians? Were decisions being made in our best interests? Will there be another lockdown? Are the politicians abiding by the rules? It was endless - and the media were feasting on a 24 hour news cycle like they’d never had before.

This type of climate created a huge sense of doubt. Doubt in the state, doubt in the media, doubt all around the world. And I don’t think that can be overstated.?

We’re seeing a cultural shift that involves mistrust of mainstream news media and the ruling class, and more trust in our peers. And yes, I’m going to make Google search political.

Just look at that huge jump in Reddit usage numbers between 2019 and 2020 - exactly when COVID-19 hit.

Reddit’s most common age demographic is 18-29 - a generation in the era of Donald Trump’s “fake news” and the COVID-19 pandemic.?

And Google knows all of this.?

Google has more data than you could ever get your head around.?

They understand human behaviour, they see it play out during major world events - nothing they do is coincidental.?

Reddit won this core update because Google knows that people trust reviews and ratings from their peers more than ever.?

Check out the viewing numbers of America’s biggest TV news networks - we see the OPPOSITE trend. From the COVID-19 pandemic until now, these channels are seeing a decline in viewership.

This trend has only accelerated since the war in Ukraine. Reuters 2023 Digital News Report revealed some incredible findings.?

Trust in news has seen a decline, with only about 40% of the global sample expressing trust in most news most of the time.?

This decline in trust isn't isolated to just one region or country; it's a global phenomenon. This scepticism extends to the algorithms that curate our news and social feeds.?

While algorithms were once seen as a revolutionary way to personalise news, they're now viewed with more ambivalence.?

People are concerned about being trapped in echo chambers, missing out on diverse viewpoints, or not getting the full picture. So not only has trust in those major news platforms declined, it’s also declined towards social media platforms themselves.?

Reddit works differently, though, right? It’s less ‘the algorithm reads you as conservative, so here’s a conservative channel’s views on xyz’, and more ‘here’s a thread full of people with diverse viewpoints discussing xyz’.

Participation in open networks, like Facebook and Twitter, is on the decline. The era of sharing and commenting openly seems to have peaked between 2016 and 2019, driven by the global events I’ve mentioned. But the trend now is a shift towards closed networks like WhatsApp and Telegram.?

In these closed ecosystems, people feel they can have more genuine, private conversations without the toxicity that sometimes plagues open platforms. This move towards closed networks might be another reason platforms like Reddit, which offer community-based discussions in semi-closed environments, are gaining traction.

All in all, the digital news landscape has been undergoing significant shifts for a good five years. Traditional giants like Facebook have seen a decline in their influence on journalism, with younger audiences gravitating towards platforms like TikTok.?

This shift isn't just about platform preference; it's about trust and the type of content users engage with. On platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat, audiences are more inclined to pay attention to influencers, celebrities, and peers rather than traditional news outlets.

When Google announced the ‘perspectives’ search tab at GoogleIO 2023, the move was widely dismissed as being a simple ‘Tik Tik is the new google, we need to win back that audience’.?

But I think it goes deeper than that.

Google has been paying attention; they see a huge cultural shift in the way that information is being consumed, and they need to be ready if they want to keep the younger generations engaged.

News outlets are faltering, big media corporations have lost trust, and Google needs to show that it’s giving people the platform they need to share insights, opinions and personal experiences.?

Reddit won this algorithm update, but this is just the beginning.

John Mueller Confirms Hit on Niche Sites

There is another part to this most recent update - and Twitter, ahem X, is where you’ll find it all kicking off. Why? Because it’s seemingly become the platform for niche site owners to show off their traffic numbers, sell courses on how to do the same, and then share screenshots of their income from said courses.

It’s fair to say that John Meuller HATES NICHE SITES. And he can’t hide it at all.?

So they’ve all gone mad.?

It’s clear that Google has taken a stance against these niche sites - they’ve clocked on that it’s become a serious money maker for the people who do it well.

People are making thousands of dollars each month by picking a niche without much competition and posting reams of average content on it.?

There is a community of people who choose niches, not based on knowledge or passion, but because they have huge earning potential. They then go on to build content publishing work streams and slowly build thor traffic numbers month on month.?

The issue Google has with these sites is simple - they have no expertise OR authority on the topic. And therefore, they don’t deserve to rank.?

So this update saw loads of niche sites get wiped out and replaced with… you guessed it, Reddit threads.?

John was asked about it and said:

“The problem I often see is that the "website" is just respinning Reddit content, often even indirectly. I'd much prefer to get the original, hands-on posts, written by people who actually did what they're writing about. 5 years old? Still better than a month-old AI/cheap rewrite.”

John has hit on a key point here - using Reddit to create “SEO content” and even social media content has become a thing. I know it - because I’ve done it.?

So the point is - why rank the article that’s been created for SEO purposes FROM a Reddit thread, over the actual Reddit thread?

So there we have it.

And what’s next?

SEO will never die.?

But I see a big swerve towards brand building.?

SGE will likely sweep up non-brand generic search, and the focus will be on building brand demand.?

SEOs will have to work to dominate the narrative around their client’s brand. You’ll have to use clever strategies to steal share of search from your competition by focusing efforts on forum chats, short form video content, X - all of these platforms where there is peer-to-peer conversation. SEOs need to become experts at hijacking product-related chats, reviews, ratings. SEO will go back to the dark ages for a bit - but Google welcomes that every time they transform the algorithm.

The key is this, for SEOs:

• Social media managers do not have the search oriented skill set needed to dominate Google search, BUT they should be bedfellows from here on out
• We’ll need to think like marketers now - no more targeting crawlers, more targeting the narrative
• Don’t expect Google to do you any favours. No use crying about citations - Google is going to do whatever it takes to win this AI war. And traffic to the publishers will take a hit.

And for brands - DO NOT fire your SEOs because you think you can do it all with AI. It's pretty much the opposite. You need a really strong SEO team/consultant to help you pivot your strategy.