Google Search results have shown significantly more volatility in 2021 than previous years, as shown by data from the Semrush Sensor tool.
Mordy Oberstein, Head of Communications at Semrush, took to Twitter earlier this week, posting insights from the tool, showcasing the increased volatility of search results this year, in response to the coverage of algorithm update from prominent SEO commenter, Barry Schwartz.
Previously, Schwartz commented that this year has seen an unusually high volume of disruptive algorithm updates, resulting in increased volatility and the data samples from Oberstein support this.
Google Search results more volatile in 2021
The data provided by Mordy Oberstein shows comparative volatility between 2020 and January-October 2021. Semrush data shows a 68% increase in volatility on desktop in 2021 compared to the previous year, based on the percentage of days with high levels of volatility.
Semrush measures volatility on a scale of 1-10 with high volatility counted as scores between five and eight out of 10.
For mobile results, the findings are even more extreme with a massive 84% increase in volatility on mobile in 2021 compared to the previous year – again, based on the percentage of days measured as high volatility.
The Semrush Sensor tool also counts scores of 8-10 as “very high” volatility and the data shows that desktop results have experienced very high volatility for 54.06% days of the year in 2021, so far.
This compares to 32.42% of days in 2020.
Meanwhile, mobile results have experienced very high volatility for 56.64% of the days in 2021, though to October – compared to 33.64% of days in 2020.
As Oberstein clarifies in his Twitter thread, Barry Schwartz’s comments on the quantity and volatility of algorithm updates this year appear to have had a major impact on search rankings – something many website owners will understand from their personal experiences.
One of the biggest challenges this year has been the frequency of algorithm updates with several hitting during the summer months, making it difficult to identify the targets of each update. Google hasn’t exactly helped by throwing in two core algorithm updates during this period, which can change several unknown factors that take months of analysis to understand.
With so many updates and variables thrown into the mix, we’re still trying to figure out the details of certain updates that rolled out months ago.
The impact of Google Search volatility on businesses
Mordy Oberstein also broke down the comparative data to illustrate the volatility levels over the past six months of the past 6-7 months with the comparable time period of 2021. This shows the number of days where each volatility status was detected over the equivalent periods.
There are four statuses:
- Low Volatility
- Normal Volatility
- High volatility
- Very High Volatility
As you can see from the following graph, 2021 has seen fewer days of low and normal volatility with a significant 80% increase in high volatility and a smaller increase of very high – that’s still a 66.6% increase, though.
That points to a majority of days measured as either high or very high volatility – more than the total number of normal days in 2020 during this time period.
The story is even more telling for mobile results with more days classed as high volatility than any other level of intensity. And, with an even higher presence of very high volatility, 55% of days during this period in 2021 are measured as either high or very high volatility, compared to less than 30% in 2020.
By breaking down the data to industry levels, the Semrush Sensor shows which sectors are most affected by algorithm updates. During the 6+ month period above, 13 industries experienced 10 or more days of low volatility on desktop and 10 industries experienced 10 or more days of low volatility on mobile.
In 2021, this dropped to just three industries seeing 10+ days of low volatility on desktop and mobile in Google Search.
In other words, for the vast majority of businesses, 2021 has proven to be a highly volatile year for search rankings. This, combined with the frequency of updates (especially that heavy summer period), makes it a difficult year for dealing with changes in the SERPs and understanding what causes them.
Of course, volatility doesn’t mean everyone is suffering all of the time with lower search rankings. Every loss in the SERPs is a gain for someone else and some companies may even experience mixed results with some pages benefiting while others suffer. That said, with many drops being sitewide and the increased difficulty of diagnosing causes this year, businesses that have been hurt by algorithm updates in 2021 may also have a harder time recovering from them.
Have you been hit by algorithm updates in 2021?
If your website has suffered from this year’s search volatility and you’re struggling to diagnose the causes, our search marketing team can help you get you back on track. Call us on 0161 870 2580 or email us at info@hotclickmarketing.co.uk and we can discuss a long-term SEO strategy that not only recovers your previous rankings but ists you higher up the SERPs than before.