The November and December 2024 Google updates led, as usual, to a lot of confusion and panic. Now we’ve got some hard data.
Our partner brand DiscoverCars.com has analyzed how those two updates impacted travel blogs, drawing on info from 200 bloggers. Below, we share what they learned to help you navigate this changing landscape and improve your rankings.
Which data did DiscoverCars collect?
Analysts from DiscoverCars used the SEO tool Ahrefs to evaluate the organic traffic of English-language travel blogs before and after the November and December core algorithm updates.
The analysts used other tools, such as PageSpeed Insights (part of Google’s web development tools), to check the sites’ technical performance and conduct on-page analysis.
What are core algorithm updates?
Google’s series of core algorithm updates are designed to improve the quality of search results by reevaluating websites based on evolving criteria. These updates are broad and have led to significant ranking changes across industries. The November 2024 update was the third of the year, following ones in March and August. It rolled out between November 11 and December 5.
The December update followed soon after, running from December 15 to January 7, 2025. While November brought big changes, December fine-tuned them.
A recap of 2024’s core updates
- The March 2024 update, which Google said was its biggest ever, caused significant ranking changes, far more than a regular update.
- In November, Google introduced changes that helped many blogs recover, with some experiencing traffic improvements of up to 700%. Interestingly, all of the November winners had lost traffic in March, while 40% of the November losers had seen boosts in March. It seems Google was restoring justice and balancing things out.
- December’s update continued in the same direction, but the changes were less dramatic. Traffic increases were steadier, with gains of up to 40% for some blogs. Fortunately, declines also generally stayed under 40%.
Around 80% of blogs that saw gains in November experienced dips in December. But here’s the good news: most still had better traffic than they did before November.
This means that the overall trend has been upward. Even drops like the ones that took place in March are getting corrected, so the best way to react to them isn’t to panic, but to focus on writing good content and improving your site. Your efforts will pay off, even if it takes a little time.
What Google seems to be rewarding
As with previous updates, there is a clear trend toward rewarding alignment with Google’s E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness) guidelines. However, DiscoverCars analysts noticed some interesting shifts between the two updates.
1. The growing importance of user experience
User experience (UX) – how users interact with and perceive a website – remains a critical factor. Core Web Vitals analysis revealed that only 30% of the top pages from sites that saw declines in November passed their Core Web Vitals tests, compared with 90% of the top pages for sites that saw traffic rise.
This trend continued with the December update: fast-loading, mobile-friendly websites with strong navigation benefited most.
2. Ads took center stage in December
Ads weren’t a major focus during the November core update, but December brought them back into the spotlight. Blogs with too many intrusive or poorly placed ads faced penalties, making it clear that ads must complement your content, not overwhelm it.
How can you check if Google is penalizing you for your ads?
Google provides an Ad Experience Report to help you identify ad issues. Here’s how to use it:
- Access Google Web Tools.
- Choose Desktop or Mobile.
- Review Your Status. If your status is Failing, Google will highlight problematic ads and may even show images or videos of the issues.
- Make adjustments based on Google’s feedback.
- Once you’ve made changes, ask Google to re-crawl your site. Addressing ad issues can lift search penalties and improve user experience.
Even if your ads meet Google’s standards, they could still impact UX. Use tools like Google Analytics to monitor metrics like bounce rate and time on page.
3. User-generated content continues to shine bright
User-generated content (UGC) like comments played a big role in both updates, but especially in December. Blogs with active comment sections and meaningful interactions performed better, highlighting the importance of creating a space where readers feel encouraged to engage.
How can you make sure comments on your website are contributing to your SEO?
- Check if Google can see comments: Copy a sentence from one of the comments on your site and paste it into Google search with double quotes. Add site:[example.com] to narrow the results to your website. If the article containing the comment appears in the search results, Google is indexing your comments.
- Focus on value: Ensure comments add meaningful value to your content. Ones with irrelevant or nasty language can negatively impact your site.
- Moderate regularly: Manage your comment section to foster a positive and constructive community.
4. Social signals remain important
Both the November and December updates highlighted social signals, such as integrating your social media presence into your website.
DiscoverCars learned that 75% of the sites performing well in November prominently featured links to their YouTube channels or other social profiles.
In December, Instagram came into focus, with Reels showing significant engagement potential. Blogs that actively updated their social media and incorporated video content saw stronger results.
How can you improve social signals for SEO?
- Always start with high-quality content – users are likely to share and engage with insightful posts.
- Encourage easy sharing by including visible social sharing buttons.
- Post consistently on your social media (at least a few times a week).
- Partner with influencers or other creators to extend your content’s reach.
5. The influence of author transparency
Websites with clear author bylines, detailed bios, and dedicated author pages consistently outperformed those without. Author transparency builds trust and credibility, key components of Google’s E-E-A-T guidelines.
Practical tips on staying afloat during updates
1. Prioritize user experience
- Improve your website’s speed by compressing images, minimizing CSS, JavaScript, and HTML, and implementing lazy loading.
- Optimize your site for mobile-first indexing by making sure that the same content appears on both the mobile and desktop versions and that your images follow Google’s best practices.
- Improve site navigation by grouping similar content in menus, using dropdowns for subcategories, adding a search bar, and linking to frequently visited pages.
- Avoid intrusive ads. Place ads in non-disruptive areas, such as the sidebar or below the fold, rather than in the middle of your content.
2. Encourage and engage with comments
Sites with plenty of user-generated content and platforms like Reddit grew significantly after the November Google algorithm update 2024. Here’s how to get some good UGC in the form of comments:
- End articles with questions to encourage readers to share their thoughts.
- Respond to comments to foster a sense of community and provide additional value.
- Moderate comments to ensure discussions remain positive and constructive, and respond to irrelevant comments or bad language promptly.
3. Use social media and video content
- Build a consistent presence on platforms like YouTube and Instagram, creating engaging content that complements your blog.
- Repurpose blog content into video formats, such as tutorials or highlights, to broaden your audience.
- Enhance your text content and boost engagement by embedding relevant YouTube videos.
- Showcase your social media profiles prominently on your website.
4. Enhance author transparency
- Include detailed author bios highlighting credentials, expertise, and relevant social profiles.
- Ensure every article has a clear byline – no anonymous posts.
- Create a dedicated author page that lists published works and demonstrates your expertise.
5. Optimize your posts
DiscoverCars analyzed travel blogs in terms of their posts and came up with the following guidelines:
- Prioritize quality over quantity. Not only should a post answer readers’ likely questions, but it should also be interesting and entertaining.
- With that said, long-form content still seems to do best. Successful posts typically range from 4,000 to 5,000 words.
- If possible, use original photos instead of stock images.
- Use compelling, descriptive titles that capture attention, such as:
- Where to Stay in Paris: Insider Tips from a Frequent Visitor
- The Ultimate Guide to Renting a Car in Costa Rica
- What I Wish I Had Known Before Renting a Car in Italy
- Renting A Car In Lisbon: Everything You Need To Know
By focusing on what your readers need, engaging with your audience, and building trust, you can create a blog that stands strong no matter what Google’s algorithms throw your way. Keep learning, stay adaptable, and remember: every update is a chance to get better. Here’s to a successful, growth-filled 2025!