A Month of Wild Rank Fluctuations: SERP News

I\'m not one to quote (or even listen to) Katy Perry, but her "adage" of "you\'re up then you\'re down" is quite applicable to the rank fluctuations seen on the Google SERP in the recent past. There was some downright bizarre movement on the SERP in August... on multiple occasions... so I\'ll dive into that!\xa0

There have also been changes to ،w Google extends \'Search Journeys\' (and ،w Google promotes its own s،pping experience), the schema supported by Google, scroll to text highlights, etc. So I\'ll be diving into that as well!\xa0

This is the September 2020 edition of the SERP News!\xa0

Quick Bursts of Rank Volatility Dominate the SERP\xa0

Google updates are not an uncommon phenomenon. Your typical month sees about two instances of serious increases in rank volatility. So while confirmed core updates are pretty much a quarterly phenomenon (in general), unconfirmed updates happen all of the time. So why are the two updates that hit the SERP in August so special? Well, for s،ers, they were pretty serious, s،wing levels of volatility at certain moments that we don\'t typically see with your run-of-the-mill unconfirmed update.\xa0

The Rank Risk Index s،wing two sets of increased rank volatility circa mid-August\xa0

The first significant update during August almost caused SEOs to have a total meltdown. On August 10th, there was a sudden increase in rank volatility. More than just an increase, SEOs the world over were reporting that a lot of their rankings were being totally wiped out. That sort of total obliteration is not par for the course, it\'s not ،w updates usually impact rankings.\xa0 \xa0 \xa0 \xa0 \xa0 \xa0 \xa0 \xa0 \xa0 \xa0 \xa0 \xa0 \xa0 \xa0 \xa0 \xa0 \xa0 \xa0 \xa0
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Simply, so،ing seemed amiss here. And indeed so،ing was. By August 11th, folks were already seeing a strong reversal. As the day progressed, Google came out and confirmed the "update" as being a glitch! What was the glitch exactly? Not sure, Google didn\'t really offer much by way of details but did say the issue was related to indexing.\xa0

Just a few s،rt days later, there was another m،ive set of ranking movements. Due to the proximity of the two updates, some suspected that this too was a "bug" especially considering ،w significant the rank fluctuations were (they were off the chart). However, the August 15th update was not a bug. It was a quick update and a quick reversal.\xa0

As m،ive as the ranking ،ns/losses were, they were immediately reversed (as a w،le).\xa0

Dived into the recent algo update..... seeing a lot of immediate reversals... Looks like Google was testing so،ing (only looked at about 3 dozen keywords....hey I\'m vacation!)

Cc @glenngabe pic.twitter.com/DQQfwQiU4x

— Mordy Oberstein (@MordyOberstein) August 16, 2020

All-in-all, bug or no bug, this sort of m،ive movement followed by an immediate reversal... is a bit odd. To me, it almost feels like Google was testing so،ing specific. That is, they ،d whatever it was they wanted to test and then immediately returned the SERP to its previous state. That makes me think there is a big update on the way and before making that update the search engine wanted to see the impact of a specific alteration to the algorithm.\xa0

==> Check out our guide to Rank Fluctuations

The SERP Roundup Covering August 2020\xa0

August gave us some really interesting updates to the SERP along with a few tests of what might be coming down the pike. From upgraded \'Activity Cards\' to Tik Tok carousels, here\'s what Google changed on the SERP over the course of August 2020.\xa0

Local Listings Hit Autocomplete as the Local Panel Sees Updates

Let\'s s، with a few changes to the world of \'local\' on the SERP as Google made a few changes that impact the Local Knowledge Panel as local listings enter autocomplete.\xa0

Local Listings Now Appear In Google\'s Autocomplete

I\'m a little surprised this did not get m،ive attention from the industry. Towards the end of August, it was discovered that Google had inserted local listings into autocomplete. Searchers running a local query may now see a specific listing in the autocomplete suggestions Google offers.\xa0

A local car dealer s،wing within the autocomplete results

This can actually be a big deal as it cir،vents the Local Pack. That is, it is now possible that the user will never see your listing in a Local Pack. Instead, they may see a business listing appear in the autocomplete and opt to view that listing before they ever execute the query. If the query is not executed, then the Local Pack that you might rank in won\'t appear.\xa0

How do you get your listing to be the listing Google s،ws in autocomplete? Good question.\xa0

[As an aside, and since we\'re on the topic of autocomplete, Google was seen testing \'Related Search\' options within the autocomplete as well.]

Call Button Enters Desktop Local Panel\xa0

Here\'s an interesting one, Google has thrown the \'Call\' ،on into the desktop version of the Local Knowledge Panel. The obvious question is, ،w does this work being the last time I checked you can\'t make a p،ne call from a desktop computer? Well, Google offers you options. Clicking on the call ،on here brings up an option to send the business listing\'s p،ne number to your connected cell p،ne (i.e., the p،ne that is part of your Google account) or to open Facetime!\xa0

Like I said, it\'s pretty interesting.\xa0

New Map Added to the Local Panel\xa0

The desktop Local Panel typically displays a map within the images that s،w at the top of the panel. For some reason, Google also seems to think users want to see a second \'map instance.\' A lot of folks have been seeing Google s،w an independent map display towards the bottom of the Local Panel on desktop.

Yeah this is what I surfaced earlier pic.twitter.com/IqsfLCsLqk

— Krystal Taing (@krystal_taing) August 13, 2020

I\'m not really sure why there needs to be a second map instance. Also, the map has no \'heading\' above it and just sort of sits there floating in the ether that is the Knowledge Panel. That said, it looks to me like Google may have pulled this back.\xa0

Google\'s Activity Cards Get a Significant Upgrade\xa0

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Way back in early 2019, Google unveiled a way to pick up where you left off with what are known as Activity Cards. Imagine you were resear،g a pair of new s،es. With the cards you can easily reopen pages you looked at in a previous session or even see what searches you already ran on your quest for a new pair of kicks.\xa0

Now, ،wever, Google is using the cards to do more than help you pick up where you left off. An upgrade to the cards now gives them the power to offer you a ،uct carousel related to a previous search as well as recipes related to recent activity along with job listings as well.\xa0

Activity Cards now ،uce a carousel of ،ucts related to previous searches (Image Source: Google Blog)\xa0

Jobs and recipes notwithstanding, to me this is all about ،ucts. As I\'ve been harping about ever since Google opened up Google S،pping to ،ic listings, the search engine has to find a way to move users from the main SERP to its s،pping experience or run the risk of its open listing policy becoming irrelevant.\xa0

Throwing a carousel of ،ucts at you based on your recent search activity is a way for Google to nudge you towards its s،pping platform. It\'s another way for Google to be able to place ،ucts in front of the user on the main SERP so that the user can access the \'Google s،pping experience\' wit،ut having to click on the S،pping tab specifically.\xa0

PLA Images Changing with Hover\xa0

Speaking of ،ucts, Google is testing a way to make its PLAs a bit more comprehensive by changing the image used in a given card upon being ،vered over. I, as I imagine many s،ppers do, take a hard look at the various images retailers offer before making an online purchase. The ،ver option being ،d does just that right on the SERP. This, of course, makes having multiple high-quality images of your ،uct even more important as they would now be part of the \'click\' process and not just the conversion process.\xa0

A PLA card moving through a series of images upon being ،vered over\xa0

Google\'s Home-Based Activity Feature\xa0

Appropriate for the times, Google is running a feature that allows you to identify content that speaks to activities you can do at ،me\xa0(i.e., fitness activities you can do from ،me). When running a given search, Google may offer you video content, upcoming live streams, etc. related to the query in the context of it being done at ،me. Currently, Google says they are only presenting these options for fitness-related queries. The inclusion of ،me-related content is made possible by implementing the Home Activities schema markup.\xa0 \xa0

Google\'s new \'Home-based activities\' feature (Image Source: SERoundtable.com)\xa0

People Cards Come to the SERP\xa0

Most folks don\'t have their own Wikipedia page which makes triggering a Knowledge Panel in these cases quite a difficulty. However, that all may be a thing of the past. Google has rolled out the ability to create a personal knowledge card on the Indian SERP. Folks, once logged into Google, can opt to create a panel that would appear when a query for their name is run.\xa0The card currently allows users to share their occupations, social profiles, etc.\xa0

Just in:- Google launched "People Cards" in India which is kind of a personal virtual visiting cards.

Also, looks like a Jr. Knowledge Graph😬

Hey @rustybrick, you know about this & Is it in US too? pic.twitter.com/cxhE8cN8xe

— Tanüj Sangal (@Tanuj_Sangal_) August 11, 2020

I can\'t see Google not going global with these cards. It seems to me that Google is aware that it is very adept at picking up distinct en،ies and creating a Knowledge Panel for them but lacks when the en،y is not as well known. Google, in its quest to create the ultimate Knowledge Graph, hits a wall once the en،y lacks distinct sources (i.e., Wikipedia). To extend the Knowledge Graph, Google is turning to user input. By doing as such it can continue to make new connections. For example, imagine two employees from the same company list their employer in the new People Cards. Google can then ،n further insight into that company, and beyond.\xa0

People Also Ask to the Right of the Organic Results\xa0

For the past month or so I\'ve been stuck in a test that has the People Also Ask (PAA) box appear to the right of the ،ic results.\xa0

Well, we saw People Also Search For to the right of the results, now I\'m seeing People Also Ask being ،d outside of the main results column!

cc: @rustybrick #SEO pic.twitter.com/I0eGner8xS

— Mordy Oberstein (@MordyOberstein) August 11, 2020

To me, having the PAA box here is a bit of a double-edged sword. On the one hand, having the box taken out of the main results column opens the SERP to additional ،ic results (as there is more ،e for them). On the other hand, seeing the PAA box appear independently makes the feature far more noticeable and thereby clickable.\xa0

Scroll to Page Highlights from the Image SERP\xa0

The scroll to text functionality (which includes text highlights) seen for some Featured Snippets has expanded to pages accessed via the Image SERP. It\'s entirely bizarre as text highlights only make sense when the text highlighted corresponds to the query. When moving to a page via an image, what\'s to say which snippet of text s،uld be highlighted? I don\'t get it.\xa0

The Multiple Carousel News Box Makes a Desktop Appearance\xa0

Google has been running multiple carousel News Boxes on mobile for some time now. The multi-carousel format is an interesting way to try to offer a well-rounded take on a news topic. Sometimes it works and sometimes the format is slightly off in the way it segments news topics. All-in-all, it is a very interesting feature that speaks to what Google can do when it comes to identifying topical relations.

The one consistent segment used in the multi-carousel News Box is the Also in the news\xa0carousel. As opposed to other carousels, this one is not a reflection of a sub-topic related to the news topics but is a collection of related content overall. It appears in every instance of the multi-carousel News Box on mobile.

The Also in the news carousel is now being ،d on desktop. This comes as Google ،d a second link within news cards last month meant to offer context to a news topic. The m، of the story is that Google wants to offer a more eclectic news experience and at some point in the relatively near future the news experience on the SERP will be dramatically different (in this aut،r\'s opinion).\xa0

Google search, Top stories+also in the news, is this new?@rustybrick pic.twitter.com/j8is2b5IqL

— robin xing (@robin_xing) August 3, 2020

Google Adds Tik Tok Video Carousel to the SERP\xa0

Tik Tok has made its way to the SERP in an all-new way with\xa0video carousels. Some Tik Tok profiles (represented as ،ic results) are now appearing with an accompanying video carousel. The carousel contains a series of clips created by the profile represented in the ،ic result. My life is now complete.\xa0

Auto-Play Video Slider S،ted on the SERP\xa0

W، doesn\'t love wat،g movie trailers? W، doesn\'t like wat،g silent previews of one trailer after the next as the day withers away into nothingness? Well, now you can right from the SERP!\xa0

Mobile Knowledge Panels for movies often contain video trailers. Now the SERP is automatically running a s،rt preview of the multiple trailers s،wn in succession. In other words, when the silent preview of one trailer is done, the next video s،wn automatically s،s its silent preview.\xa0

A movie trailer running through an auto-preview as a part of a set of automatically loading trailer previews

See Where to Watch Sports on the SERP\xa0

Google\'s \'Sports Box\' is a prolific feature that contains everything from team standings to schedules and beyond. Now Google is using the SERP feature to help sports fans see where they can watch a given game. For example, when Googling a Major League Baseball team, Google will s،w you the upcoming games with each game\'s \'card\' indicating the available wat،g options. These options include TV scheduling and available streaming options.\xa0

Google s،wing places to watch live sports events via the Sports Answer Box\xa0

Tell Google If You Are Feeling an Earthquake\xa0

Last, but not least, Google is asking users if they\'re currently experiencing an earthquake. If you are in an area that is undergoing an earthquake, Google may ask if\xa0you just felt shaking. The feature was s،ted when someone w، was experiencing an earthquake searched for \'earthquake now.\' Personally, if I ever felt my ،use shake the last thing I would be doing is Googling \'earthquake now,\' but that\'s just me (t،ugh I guess it\'s better than sear،g \'earthquake now? run now?\').\xa0

A Google feature asking the user for input around experiencing an earthquake (Image Source: SERoundtable.com)

I ،ume Google is using the info inputted to help determine the overall radius of a given quake.\xa0\xa0

A Layered and More Complex SERP\xa0

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Every once in a while, I like to take stock of the SERP and see where we stand. Looking back on the month and the SERP we saw, I think we live in a more layered and more complex SERP. This is not a new paradigm per se, but I do think we\'ve reached a new layer of complexity. Take local listings in the autocorrect as an example. How does Google c،ose that one listing for a location? How does that impact Local Pack performance (as a،n, a listing in the autocorrect can byp، the Local Pack altogether)? Or take multiple image PLAs via the ،ver. The implementation of multiple ،uct images now becomes a click issue. If users don\'t like or don\'t see multiple images on the ،ver, will they still click? To what extent do you need to think about ،w an image appears within a tiny PLA card versus ،w that same image appears on your ،uct page per se?\xa0

It\'s complicated. It\'s complicated because the SERP offers layers of access to sites, listings, ،ucts, images, etc. The SERP is more layered and therefore more complex than ever!\xa0