Indian News Publishers Hit Hard by August Google Core Updates, SERP Volatility Still High

The SEO community and Indian News Publishers are facing a significant setback following the rollout of Google’s latest core update, which began on August 15, 2024, and continued with a second phase on September 3, 2024. Leading Indian media publishers such as News 18, Amar Ujala, and Times Now Hindi, all of whom enjoyed strong traffic numbers via Google Discover, are now reporting substantial traffic losses. We spoke with India TV, Zee News, Amar Ujala, and News 18, who expressed concerns over declining numbers post-update rollout.

The ongoing issue has affected the organic traffic of numerous publishers, and the volatility in Search Engine Results Pages (SERP) continues to create turmoil across the digital space. As per SEMrush, the SERP volatility has remained consistently high, standing at a concerning level of 9.3 out of 10 in the United States, reflecting the gravity of the situation for publishers globally. A snapshot from September 5, 2024, demonstrates “Very High” SERP volatility—a phenomenon referred to as a “Googlequake” by industry experts.

Impact on Indian Publishers

Indian news publishers have been particularly hard hit. News organizations, including News 18 and Amar Ujala, which previously relied heavily on Google Discover for organic traffic, now find themselves grappling with substantial declines. The update has particularly affected those using AI-powered content, and reports suggest that many blogs and independent creators have also faced penalties due to the introduction of stricter content guidelines.

The core update has resulted in a shift toward AI-driven SERP results in various countries, including India. This has reshaped the search landscape, as more AI-generated summaries and contextual answers now appear in response to common queries, further reducing the visibility of traditional news outlets. With the prominence of AI-powered results, organic clicks on news articles have seen a significant dip.

Misleading Content and Manual Actions

One of the major targets of this update has been misleading content, particularly from bloggers and independent creators. Several reports have indicated that Google has implemented manual actions against publishers and bloggers who have failed to meet content authenticity standards, further affecting traffic for those relying on low-quality or spammy content.

For now, Indian media publishers and the broader SEO community are left grappling with the aftermath of this disruptive core update. As Google’s AI implementation gains traction in the SERP landscape, publishers must evolve their strategies to maintain traffic flow and ranking stability. While a potential update rollback or correction might offer some respite, the digital content ecosystem has entered a new phase that requires both vigilance and adaptation.

Images and Reports:

This detailed account addresses the major concerns of the SEO community and online publishers, particularly in the Indian media landscape, focusing on the challenges posed by recent updates and the anticipated future of search engine visibility.