The Google Update That Crushed His Business Overnight

Summary

Jake, a fitness gear reviewer, saw his website traffic plummet 90% after a series of Google algorithm updates. Despite his honest and in-depth content, which included purchasing and testing fitness products, Jake was caught in the crossfire of Google's crackdown on AI-driven spammy sites. This video explores his struggle to recover, uncovering key SEO and user experience improvements that could help revive his business. Despite some recovery, Jake remains wary, highlighting the challenges of relying on Google algorithms and the need for transparency in SEO practices.

Takeaways

• 💼 Jake, the creator of a fitness gear review site, lost 90-95% of his traffic and revenue after Google algorithm updates.
• 📉 His traffic drop coincided with several Google updates, including the Helpful Content and core updates.
• 📊 Despite not using spammy AI content, Jake’s site was negatively impacted by Google's efforts to combat AI-generated spam.
• 💸 Jake’s business primarily generates revenue through affiliate marketing and ads, but traffic loss has dried up these income streams.
• 👟 Jake prides himself on buying and testing each product he reviews, maintaining honest and in-depth reviews unlike other affiliate sites.
• 🖥️ A key issue identified was a lack of alignment with user intent, such as not providing enough options or links to multiple retailers.
• 🔗 User experience improvements, like offering a complete shopping experience and multiple purchase options, could enhance engagement and conversions.
• 🔄 Jake’s competitors, like Run Repeat, adapted their sites with better user experience features, contributing to their traffic growth.
• 🧐 Jake was advised to focus on serving the searcher's intent and refining his SEO approach based on user needs rather than purely on content depth.
• 🚀 Jake's site saw a gradual traffic recovery after a Google update, but he remains cautious, understanding that SEO success requires constant adaptation.

Q & A

What caused Jake's website traffic to drop significantly?

Jake's website traffic dropped significantly due to multiple Google algorithm updates, including the Helpful Content Update and the March 2024 Core Update, which resulted in a 90-95% decrease in his traffic and revenue.

What does Jake's website focus on?

Jake's website, That Fit Friend, focuses on providing honest and in-depth reviews of fitness gear, particularly shoes. He buys and tests each item to ensure the reviews are unbiased and informative.

What are Jake's primary revenue sources for the website?

Jake primarily earns revenue through affiliate marketing, where he receives a commission when someone buys a product through his links, and through ads displayed on the website.

How did Jake's previous experience contribute to his current work?

Before running his own site, Jake was a fitness editor at BarBend, where he wrote over 2,000 articles and created 300 videos. His background and expertise in fitness have helped him build credibility and trust in his content.

What user experience changes did Jake learn he needed to implement on his site?

Jake learned that he needed to improve his user experience by offering options to buy from multiple sellers, using APIs to show inventory and prices, and by organizing content in a more user-friendly way to help searchers find what they want quickly.

What did Jake’s competitor 'Run Repeat' do differently to increase traffic?

Run Repeat improved their traffic by optimizing their content for user intent. They created a better user experience with high-quality images, quick summaries, and an intuitive shopping experience with inventory and pricing information directly on the site.

What advice was given to Jake regarding his content strategy?

Jake was advised to create content that is more specific and targeted, such as creating separate pages for different audience segments (e.g., ‘best weightlifting shoes for advanced lifters’) and using internal linking to connect related content.

What challenge do smaller sites like Jake’s face when competing with larger brands?

Smaller sites like Jake's face challenges due to limited resources and budgets compared to big brands, which can afford to invest more in user experience, SEO, and content creation. This makes it tough for smaller sites to compete on the same level.

What impact did Google’s August core update have on Jake’s site?

Google's August core update resulted in a slight recovery in Jake's traffic and revenue. His site went from 6,000-7,500 clicks a day to around 2,500-2,800 clicks, indicating a partial comeback but not a full recovery.

What is one major issue that Jake and other content producers face when affected by Google updates?

A major issue is the lack of transparency from Google about what specific parameters and criteria are being targeted in updates like the Helpful Content Update. This lack of clarity makes it difficult for content producers to understand what needs to be improved.