Volatility in Google Search Rankings on Memorial Day
While I highly doubt that Google pushed an algorithmic change over Memorial Day, there was a significant spike in chatter within the SEO community, and third-party Google Search tracking tools are showing increased volatility. It's understood that traffic can behave unpredictably and often drops on Memorial Day, but this year seems to exhibit more movement than usual.
So, was there a Google Search ranking update over Memorial Day weekend? Let's delve into what I’ve observed.
It's worth noting that we’ve seen Google ranking volatility on several recent dates: May 22nd, May 16th, May 9th, May 3rd, and April 25th. Additionally, the March 2024 core update, which started on March 5th, concluded on April 19th, lasting 45 days. It has indeed been a busy period for search rankings.
Regarding SEO chatter, discussions began on WebmasterWorld on Sunday, May 26th, and continued through the following days.
Here are some excerpts from the forums:
One user mentioned a 70% drop in traffic to their site's homepage over the weekend, a much steeper decline than usual for a holiday. Another user reported a poor weekend for their global site, with a 60% drop on Saturday and a 40% drop on Sunday, expecting similar results on Monday. Conversely, a UK hotel site saw an initial slow start but experienced a surge in traffic, particularly with food and live music offerings.
Others noted unusual patterns, such as significant traffic fluctuations from Google on Saturday and Sunday, and inconsistent traffic throughout the day on Monday. Some users expressed frustration with the unpredictability of traffic, while one user reported a 140% overnight increase in traffic, attributed to viral articles rather than Google, marking a surprising turnaround after a period of decline.
Chatter on other sites reflected similar observations. One user was surprised by shuffling rankings in their niche, despite expecting stability over Memorial Day. They noted an eerily quiet few days followed by renewed activity, suggesting possible A/B testing or other factors influencing daily ranking changes. Another user confirmed experiencing differences over the weekend.
SEO expert Glenn Gabe also observed changes, noting confirmed ranking surges on May 26th for sites he monitors, many of which had been affected by the March core update.
In summary, despite the unlikelihood of an intentional algorithmic change by Google over Memorial Day, the significant increase in SEO community discussions and tracking tool data indicates notable ranking volatility. This period has been characterized by a series of fluctuations, adding to the ongoing challenges of navigating Google’s search algorithms.
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