Update: I heard from Google’s Danny Sullivan and he confirmed that Google is not testing its ‘Site reputation abuse’ algorithm at this time. So the drops are from other changes that Google is pushing that must be impacting those affiliate directories strongly.
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It’s Halloween season and I **** a good scare. Jack-o-lanterns, trick or treating, costume parties, and a long list of horror movies playing around the clock. And that includes classic slasher films where Freddy, Jason, or Michael Myers methodically pick off one cast member at a time.
Well, that’s pretty much what I’m seeing right now in the SERPs with larger-scale sites that are violating Google’s ‘Site reputation abuse’ spam policy. Their affiliate sections are getting obliterated one by one. And what’s super interesting is that it looks algorithmic and not via manual actions.
For example, a few weeks ago I reported that Forbes got hit hard. It ends up their advisor directory which holds a ton of affiliate content dropped heavily on September 25th. You can see the drop below. It’s not pretty. And from what I’m seeing and hearing, it’s algorithmic and NOT a manual action.
Forbes Advisor:
But here’s the deal. Forbes wasn’t alone. I have a large list of sites violating Google’s ‘Site reputation abuse’ policy and noticed some weird things with the August 2024 broad core update. I covered that in my “Core Update Notes” and then in my video podcast “SEO From The Front Lines“. And as part of checking those situations out, I noticed some large drops BEFORE the August core update. For example, both APNews Buyline and Time Stamped dropped heavily on July 18th (and eerily on the same day). I don’t know if those were manual actions or algorithmic, but they were two more prominent sites with large affiliate sections dropping heavily.
Also, Time Stamped first dropped heavily during the March 2024 core update and then more when APNews Buyline dropped in July. You can see the drops by directory below.
APNews Buyline:
Time Stamped:
And as the slasher movie progresses, more cast members are going down. For example, I shared the other day that Fortune Recommends dropped heavily on October 11th. As of yesterday, there has been a 67% drop in search visibility for that directory. Yep, a huge drop.
The Plot Thickens: An Update On The ‘Site reputation abuse’ Algorithm:
I’ve spoken with several companies over the past few weeks that were either hit or are afraid to get hit. It’s been wild to review the drops and to hear the confusion about what’s going on. I feel like I’ve been injected into an old Freddy Krueger or Jason Voorhees movie. The timing of this is crazy, since I literally toured Camp Crystal Lake on Friday ***** where they shot the original Friday the 13th (circa 1980). They do an amazing job with the tour by the way, but that’s for a different conversation.
Beyond Forbes, Time, AP Buyline, and Fortune, I’m now seeing more drops including Marketwatch Guides, CNN Underscored, and WSJ Buyside. Note, Lily Ray shared about CNN and WSJ last week, so others are seeing these drops as well.
So, it seems the slasher in this movie is staying busy and not letting the suspense drop at all. These drops aren’t happening all on one ****… They are spread out across several dates. And more and more keep happening. It’s like a new version of Freddy, Jason or Michael Myers with an SEO twist. You can see the additional drops below.
Marketwatch Guides:
Drop with August core update and then more on 10/15.
WSJ Buyside:
Big drop on 9/27 (after an initial drop with the August core update).
CNN Underscored:
Also a big drop on 9/27 (after a smaller drop with the August core update).
Google still quiet about the ‘Site reputation abuse’ algorithm:
After announcing the new ‘Site reputation abuse” spam policy on March 5, 2024, we’ve been waiting for the algorithmic part to roll out. Google originally gave site owners two-months notice and started enforcement on May 5, 2024. But, the policy has been enforced by manual actions only. Those were severe but went after easy targets like coupon sections attached to large publishers. I covered that heavily when it was happening. Here’s a sneak peek at a slide from my NESS 2024 presentation about those manual actions that were applied in May of 2024.
Google’s Danny Sullivan repeatedly explained that the algorithmic part was not live yet and Google would let us know if it rolled out. Then during separate interviews with both Barry Schwartz and Aleyda Solis, Danny reiterated that the algorithmic part is not live yet (even saying it would be some time before that would be ready).
Yet we have sites getting hit left and right (algorithmically) that are violating the ‘Site reputation abuse’ spam policy. It’s super interesting to see this… And the post-August core update volatility has been RED *** since 9/6 – just three days after the August core update rolled out. I’ve covered that heavily across social media and in my video podcast, so it’s possible that other changes being pushed by Google are impacting these sites strongly. And not just the sites, but the affiliate sections of the site. That said, it does make you wonder if Google is testing the algorithmic part of ‘Site reputation abuse’ right now with the drops we are seeing. It sure looks that way, but Google was clear they would announce that if it was released.
I’ll reach out to Google again to see if they can share any information about what’s going on. I know they are aware of the crazy volatility we have seen since 9/6 and we did see some of that reverse course on 9/17… But this actually started in mid-July with APNews Buyline and Time Stamped. Then progressed with Forbes, Fortune, CNN Underscored, WSJ Buyside, and now Marketwatch Guides.
Who will be next? Or will the slasher pause for now with the official ‘Site reputation abuse’ algorithm rolling out later this fall? Only Google knows. Muahahaha. 🙂
I’ll update this post as I learn more, if additional sites are impacted, if Google announces anything, or if they provide any information about what’s going on. So stay tuned. Until then, Happy Halloween. And I’ll continue watching, “The Nightmare on Affiliate Street” with some popcorn and candy. Again, I do **** a good slasher film.
GG
