September 2024 Digital Marketing Highlights

• Google’s August 2024 core update rocks the boat on search rankings for a broad swath of websites.
• New “information gain” patent suggests Google wants ways to single out and penalize AI content.
• The FTC’s ban on unethical social media and review practices is written and will soon be enforced.
• Popular SEO advice from auditing tools might be wrong, according to recent input from Google.

Google’s August 2024 Core Update Causes Major Ranking Fluctuations

Over the last few years, Google has become less known for its once-iconic “core updates” in favor of a rapid schedule of smaller tweaks. But at the end of August, the Big G rocked the boat with an unexpectedly larger update that will reverberate through September and into Q4 2024, setting the stage for changes in 2025.

While Google has been vague about the update, one immediate result has been a significant downgrade in rankings for websites heavy in artificial intelligence (AI) content. These websites are often designed with the intent to manipulate search engine rankings using a high volume of poor quality, machine-generated writing.

What does it mean? This may be the opening salvo in Google’s long-expected war against AI content. We’ve predicted that the search engine giant, which is better at detecting AI content than any other organization in the world, would soon show its preference for human-generated content. If you’re considering AI content for your website, now’s the perfect time to partner with a marketing agency focused on genuine, organic content instead.

Google’s New Patent Suggests a Changing Content Marketing Landscape

That brings us to the next crucial piece of insight for the future of your digital marketing: Google’s new “information gain” patent. Based on descriptions contained in the patent, information gain could be a new search engine ranking factor that focuses on the ability of website pages to provide new and valuable insights.

This dovetails with Google’s apparent effort to focus on real, human-generated content crafted by experts. If it works as intended, it will represent a huge opportunity for companies with real expertise in their subject matter to stand out from the pack not only in the quality of their content but in search engine prominence.

What does it mean? Throughout 2025, we expect to see continuing changes in the fundamentals of digital marketing. Unique, original content has always had the edge, but Google will be refining and testing fresh technology to make that distinction more clearly, penalizing AI and other derivative content in the process. Original, informative content that’s “first to market” will become more powerful than ever.

Federal Trade Commission Bans Fake Reviews

This might come as a surprise, but up until late August, fake reviews and fake testimonials were not addressed directly by any FTC rule. Now, a final rule banning fake testimonials and reviews is official under a 5-0 vote. The rule will become official in about 60 days, the waiting period after it is published in the Federal Register.

The new rule bans several practices:

• Buying or selling fake customer reviews, testimonials, and celebrity reviews.
• Buying customer reviews, whether positive or negative.
• Creating reviews or testimonials by company insiders without clear disclosure.
• Creating a company-controlled review website that purports to be independent.
• Buying or selling fake indicators of social media influence, such as followers.

What does it mean?

Social media is key to modern digital marketing. Now, businesses that engage in shady practices may face fines from the FTC and other liability well out of proportion to the value of false reviews or inflated follower counts. Companies need to be careful about who they’ll let influence their social profile.

Many Automated SEO Auditing Tools Are Giving Bad Advice, Says Google Expert

According to Google’s Martin Splitt, a Google Developer Relations leader, popular SEO website audit tools often “mention a bunch of outdated or downright irrelevant things.” This is particularly true for free tools, which many freelance digital marketers use in their engagements with enterprise clients.

What does it mean? This is another example of the importance of professionalizing your marketing function. Experienced digital marketers understand the importance of using premium tools where suggestions are built around vetted, high-quality data. That data also needs to be interpreted and applied with the understanding and discernment that only experienced marketing experts can bring to the marketing equation.

At New York Ave, we believe in marketing by humans, not robots.™ Judging by its recent moves, Google agrees.

Partnering with a full-service digital marketing agency is the best strategy for 2025. Contact us to get started.