Google's site reputation update remains manual

Google's highly anticipated Site Reputation Update, announced earlier this year, has not been implemented algorithmically as many in the search engine optimization (SEO) community expected. This development has sparked discussions about the fairness and effectiveness of Google's approach to content quality assessment.

According to recent statements from Google, the Site Reputation Update, which was initially announced on March 5, 2024, with a two-month preparation period for publishers, has not been integrated into the search algorithm. Instead, Google has relied on manual actions to enforce its new policies.

On May 6, 2024, Google began issuing manual penalties to various publishers whose site sections violated the new 'site reputation abuse' policies. These violations primarily targeted third-party coupon partnerships and purely sponsored content contained in subfolders or subdomains.

Danny Sullivan, Google's Search Liaison, explained the rationale behind this decision in a recent interview. According to Sullivan, Google chose not to implement the update algorithmically because they "wouldn't be exceedingly careful and thoughtful in how [they] do it."

This approach highlights the challenges Google faces in algorithmically distinguishing between content directly from a main site and content from third parties, especially when these relationships are not clearly defined or intentionally obfuscated.

The announcement of the Site Reputation Update caused significant stress and uncertainty in the publishing industry. Many site owners and SEO professionals spent the two-month preparation period anticipating major algorithmic changes that ultimately did not materialize.

Ann Smarty, Co-Founder of Smarty Marketing, commented on the situation: "The reason why Site Reputation Update is manual and not algorithmic is probably because it is shaking the very fundamentals of Google's search algorithm: Site authority, brand strength and backlinks. It targets sites with those perfect scores."

The manual nature of the Site Reputation Update stands in stark contrast to the algorithmic implementation of the Helpful Content Update (HCU), which affected a large number of websites. This disparity has raised questions within the SEO community about the consistency of Google's approach to content quality assessment.

Lily Ray, Vice President of SEO Strategy & Research, expressed her concerns: "Why wasn't this level of precision used for the Helpful Content Update, which clearly affected hundreds, maybe thousands, of site owners who were legitimately producing helpful, experience-driven content? Why was that update handled algorithmically and not with manual actions?"

The current state of the Site Reputation Update has several implications for SEO professionals and website owners:

1. Increased focus on transparency in content partnerships and sponsorships
2. Potential reevaluation of strategies involving third-party content integration
3. Greater emphasis on clear differentiation between main site content and sponsored or partnered content

Questions remain about the global implementation of these manual actions. Laura Chiocciora, Head of SEO at Bravo Savings Network, noted that manual actions seem to be primarily focused on English-speaking countries, with many European sites being spared thus far.

As for the future of the Site Reputation Update, Google has not provided a specific timeline for potential algorithmic implementation. This uncertainty leaves many in the SEO industry speculating about future developments and how to best prepare for potential changes.

Key Facts

• Site Reputation Update announced: March 5, 2024
• Two-month preparation period: March 5 to May 5, 2024
• Manual actions began: May 6, 2024
• Current status: No algorithmic implementation, relying on manual actions
• Primary targets: Third-party coupon partnerships and sponsored content in subfolders/subdomains
• Contrasts with: Algorithmic implementation of the Helpful Content Update
• Global impact: Primarily focused on English-speaking countries