Google was busy last week, adding FAQs to its site reputation abuse policy, removing analytics data from Search Console, introducing its most advanced AI model, Gemini 2.0, and rolling out another core algorithm update.
From around the web, Matt G. Southern writes about the Google search indexing delay that affected a “small number” of websites. Barry Schwartz covers Google’s announcement that there will be more core updates in 2025.
Google Updates Its Site Reputation Abuse Policy With New FAQs
Google updated its site reputation abuse policy again, adding several FAQs to address the concerns of publishers and site owners and to remove any confusion surrounding the policy.
Key takeaways:
- Google updated its site reputation-policy on December 6 by adding 9 FAQs.
- The questions answer essential topics such as what happens if you try to remove content, what third-party and affiliate content is, and issues with redirecting URLs and links.
- Google said its new FAQs will address site owners’ and publishers’ concerns about its policy and remove any confusion.
- Google encourages SEO professionals, publishers, and site owners to familiarize themselves with the updated site reputation abuse policy and focus on creating content for users rather than their search rankings.
Google Removes Analytics Data From Search Console
Google made another update to Search Console Insights, this time removing analytics data. The tech giant said the change will simplify Search, which now only focuses on Search Console metrics.
Key takeaways:
- Google says its update will consolidate Search Console insights data, making it easier for users to find important details.
Google said the following about the removal of metrics from Analytics:
- “We’re rolling out an update of Search Console Insights to all properties; we hope this makes it easier to look up the details from Search Console Insights.”
- “We’re focusing on data from Search Console, no longer including metrics from Google Analytics.”
- Access to Analytics metrics remains available on the Google Analytics platform.
Google Gemini 2.0 Powering Search Updates And AI Overviews Soon
Google launched its latest and most advanced AI model, Gemini 2.0, to power Search updates and AI Overviews.
Google said upon the announcement: “It’s our most capable AI model yet that’s built for the agentic era, bringing enhanced performance, more multimodality, and new native tool use.”
Key takeaways:
- Google’s CEO, Sundar Pichai, wrote: “Today, we’re excited to launch our next era of models built for this new agentic era: introducing Gemini 2.0, our most capable model yet.”
- Gemini 2.0 will integrate with Google’s other platforms, including Search and Maps.
- Testing of Gemini 2.0 in AI Overviews has already begun, and experimental models will soon be available to Gemini users.
- Google wrote that once it completes testing Gemini 2.0 in AI Overviews, it will integrate the advanced model into other Google products and expand into more countries and languages.
Google Rolls Out Final Core Update Of 2024
Google’s final core algorithm update of 2024 surprised many site owners as it came only weeks after the tech giant completed rolling out its November core update.
Key takeaways:
Google had this to say about the core update:
- “The Dec. 2024 core update is rolling out, and we expect it will complete in two weeks. If you’re wondering why there’s a core update this month after one last month, we have different core systems we’re always improving. This past blog post explains more:”
- “If you’re wondering why there’s a core update this month after one last month, we have different core systems we’re always improving.”
- “If we have updates that can improve Search, that have been developed over the course of several months, we release them when they’re ready.”
- Google told site owners they need not take any specific actions if the update affects their rankings because their websites might not be the problem.
- Google advises what actions site owners can take if this or other core updates affect their rankings in Search.
From Around The Web
Update: Google Resolves Indexing Is
Matt G. Southern from Search Engine Journal writes about Google’s confirmation that it had widespread search indexing delays that affected a “small number” of websites and had fixed the problem.
Key takeaways:
- Google confirms Search is having indexing delays.
- Only a few websites are affected, and the company is investigating the cause.
- Google wrote that it would update site owners about the situation soon.
- The company announced on its Search Status Dashboard it had fixed the issue;
“We fixed the issue with indexing. The start and end times will be adjusted to match the actual impact. There will be no further updates.”
Google To Have More Core Updates, More Often
Barry Schwartz, Executive Editor at Search Engine RoundTable, reports on Google’s Search Central Live event held in Zurich, where it told attendees there will be more Core Algorithm updates throughout 2025.
Key takeaways:
- During the event, Google’s Danny Sullivan said: “We’re always improving our systems to deliver better search results. If an update is ready, why wait? The goal is to make updates routine and continuous, so they’re no longer seen as major events.”
- Much to the probable dismay of publishers and site owners, Google confirms that more and faster updates are on the way.
- Barry wrote, “Maybe this means that core updates will be run in more real-time, maybe daily, maybe rolling updates. It is not clear, but it does seem Google’s goal is to have these core updates run more often.”
The Google employee who made the announcement is part of Google’s search relations team and asked not to be named.
