Google's Latest SEO Curveball:
What you need to know
Noticed something off with your SEO tools lately? You're not alone. Our inbox has been buzzing with questions about Google's recent curveballs in the SEO game. So, we're breaking it down what these changes mean and how you can roll with the punches.
1. Google's 2025 Anti-Scraping Update
Overview: Recent changes have impacted how SEO tools like SEMrush function, with Google tightening its policies against web scraping. Implications: These tools face challenges in extracting data, which may affect the accuracy of keyword and ranking reports.
2. Why did my rankings drop in January 2025?
Overview: January 2025 brought a significant update to Google’s local ranking algorithm, and businesses may experience unexpected shifts in local visibility, which could affect local traffic and in-turn, conversions.
Implications: Changes are still settling, and rankings may fluctuate during this period.
The Fix: Continue to focus on robust SEO practices—technical optimization, quality off-page SEO, and producing relevant, helpful content. We’ll reassess the situation in February to ensure your rankings stabilize.
Enhanced Local SEO Tactics: Strengthen local SEO efforts by ensuring NAP (Name, Address, Phone Number) consistency across all platforms, optimizing Google My Business profiles, and encouraging customer reviews to bolster relevance and authority.
Content Localization: Focus on creating locally relevant content that resonates with your target audience to improve engagement and retention on your site, enhancing signals sent to Google about your local relevance.
2. What should I do if Google deleted my reviews (January 2025)?
Overview: A recent bug has caused reviews to disappear from Google Business Profiles, although Google asserts this is merely a visual issue and SEO benefits from these reviews are intact.
Implications: This can affect customer trust and perceptions of your business.
The Fix: If reviews do not reappear by next February 2025, we recommend contacting Google Support to escalate the issue.
Backup and Documentation: Maintain regular backups of all reviews.
Escalation to Google Support: If reviews do not reappear by next February 2025, escalate the issue to Google Support. Google is aware and working on a fix, but a support ticket is recommended if issues persist past the expected resolution time.
Google’s keeping us on our toes, as usual, with their latest shenanigans. It’s a bit of a pain, but hey, what’s a little challenge to the savvy marketers of today? At Kinetic Sequence, we’re all about turning these headaches into opportunities. We’ve got the strategies and the smarts to keep your SEO game strong, no matter what Google throws our way. Stay tuned, keep your tools sharp, and remember—we’re here to help you navigate through the SEO jungle.
