SEO & Web Design
Google’s 2024 search algorithm updates ushered in new challenges and opportunities for SEO professionals and content creators. To maintain visibility, the industry has doubled down on content quality, refined keyword strategies around user intent, and adjusted tactics to account for AI-driven search features.
Below is a detailed look at how experts are adapting, with practical strategies and case-study insights.
Google’s 2024 updates reinforced the importance of E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness) as a cornerstone of content optimization. The March 2024 core update “signals the end of thin, search-engine-first content” and rewards pages that serve the audience’s intent. It also prioritizes expert insights and maintains high quality.
SEO professionals have responded by strengthening author credibility and transparency on their sites. This includes adding author bios with credentials, citing reputable sources, and showcasing firsthand experience in content. By clearly demonstrating expertise and real-life experience, creators build the trust signals that Google’s quality rater guidelines favor.
The payoff is significant. Content considered authoritative is less likely to suffer in rankings during algorithm tweaks. As one SEO guide put it, “if you’re considered an authority, you’re less likely to suffer negative consequences” from core updates.
Modern SEO strategies prioritize user intent over exact keywords. In practice, this means researching what users truly want when they search for a query and crafting content that fully answers those needs. Doing this will naturally hit the proper target and supplemental keywords you are trying to rank for.
Google’s AI advancements enable it to interpret nuanced search intent beyond just keyword matching. As a result, content creators now map out topics and queries by intent category (informational, transactional, etc.) and ensure their pages satisfy those intents comprehensively.
Rather than publishing many thin articles targeting various keywords, creators produce in-depth, evergreen resources that remain useful over time. They also address related questions and subtopics within a single page or content hub to cover the user’s journey.
This approach aligns with Google’s goal of surfacing “useful, original content” even from smaller independent sites. In short, content depth and relevance have trumped sheer volume.
As a 2024 SEO trends report noted, marketers must adapt by producing content that aligns with user intent, using natural language and long-tail keywords. Successful adaptation stories underscore this shift.
One e-commerce site saw better rankings after removing “fluff” text that was only there for SEO and focusing on genuinely helpful product information. Overall, writing for users first—answering their questions and pain points—has become non-negotiable.
The rise of generative AI has enabled faster content creation, but 2024’s updates emphasized that quality control is essential for AI-written material. Google has stated it will “reward high-quality content, however it is produced,” but also warned that using AI solely to manipulate rankings violates spam policies.
Many sites that flooded the web with mass-produced AI text were hit hard by the March 2024 “helpful content” update, which aimed to de-rank low-quality, unoriginal content by up to 40%. SEO professionals now treat AI as a writing assistant rather than a set-and-forget solution.
Content teams leverage AI for research, drafting, or expanding topics but then apply rigorous human editing, fact-checking, and polishing to ensure the output meets Google’s E-E-A-T and helpfulness criteria. The emphasis is on originality and accuracy.
For example, adding unique insights, data, or personal experience to AI-generated drafts is key. Content creators can scale output without sacrificing quality by blending AI efficiency with human expertise.
This balanced approach allows sites to benefit from AI (faster content creation) without triggering the “spam” alarms that Google’s algorithms now raise for auto-generated, thin content. The net result is both efficiently produced and user-focused content—exactly what Google’s 2024 updates are trying to encourage.
With Google’s improved understanding of context and intent, keyword strategy in 2024 has evolved beyond exact-match targeting. SEO experts adjust by doing more in-depth intent analysis for their target queries and clustering keywords into broader topics.
Instead of creating separate pages for dozens of similar keywords, a common adaptation is to build one authoritative page (or a content cluster) that covers a topic in-depth and naturally incorporates many relevant terms. This strategy benefits from Google’s ability to recognize synonyms and understand queries conversationally.
Content creators are paying more attention to long-tail keywords and natural language phrases matching users' questions. This shift is partly driven by voice search and AI chat behaviors and partly by Google’s Search Generative Experience, which summarizes answers for more complex, conversational queries.
Pages that read like an FAQ or a comprehensive guide—incorporating users' “who, what, why, how” questions—tend to perform better for intent-based searches. Google’s SGE preview even suggested that using a more natural question-answer style can help content align with what the AI will summarize.
For SEOs, that means researching the queries behind the queries. Many now use tools (or AI) to analyze search results and “People also ask” suggestions to infer user intent.
They then optimize content structure accordingly, perhaps beginning a blog post with a direct answer or summary (to grab Featured Snippets or AI overviews) and then providing detailed sections below. This approach ensures the page is relevant to both broad and specific searches.
One expert noted that optimizing for intent is about building content that addresses specific user needs, not just stuffing in keywords. In practice, sites see gains by aligning each piece of content with a clear intent and ensuring the format matches that intent.
For example, how-to guides work well for DIY queries, product comparisons for shoppers, and long-form explainers for broad informational searches. Combined with continuous keyword research to spot emerging queries, this intent-driven strategy helps content remain visible even as Google’s understanding of language gets more sophisticated.
Another adaptation is topic clustering and internal linking to signal relevance. Rather than isolating pages, SEO professionals group related content under thematic pillars.
For example, a site might have a core “ultimate guide” page targeting a high-level keyword, supported by several niche sub-pages (each targeting a specific subtopic or intent). All these pages interlink logically.
This cluster approach helps Google see that the site has depth on the subject, which can improve rankings for the whole group of pages. It’s a response to algorithms favoring authority on a topic.
A single high-quality hub page can pass relevance to its cluster and vice versa. In this model, keyword targeting becomes more about covering a breadth of semantically related terms than repeating one term.
Practically, content creators now incorporate related keywords, synonyms, and entities into their copy to capture the full context of a topic. Often, this is guided by NLP tools or SEO content optimizers.
For example, a page about electric cars might naturally include terms like “EV charging,” “battery range,” “Tesla,” and “environmental benefits.” This signals comprehensive coverage.
This semantic richness, paired with a clear intent focus, is a formula many use to future-proof content against algorithm changes. As Google’s AI gets “smarter” at evaluating content, the sites that do thorough keyword intent research and deliver relevant, valuable content are rewarded.
One of the biggest shake-ups in 2024 is Google’s expansion of AI-driven search features, notably the Search Generative Experience (SGE) with its AI-generated overviews. These changes alter how results are displayed, leading to a rise in zero-click searches, where users get answers directly on the results page.
SEO professionals proactively adjust strategies to remain visible and relevant in an AI-summarized search world.
Google’s AI Overviews (SGE) provide summarized answers at the top of the SERP for specific queries, pulling information from multiple sources. This pushes traditional organic links further down, so content creators are keen to be among the sources that the AI overview cites.
The exact inclusion is algorithmically determined, but the consensus is that strong E-E-A-T and relevancy are key. Google’s John Mueller confirmed that core updates now affect whether a site features in AI answers. Essentially, this reinforces that only high-quality, authoritative content gets picked up.
To position themselves in this, SEOs ensure their content is comprehensive and directly answers likely user questions. Pages that succinctly answer a query (much like a featured snippet) and provide additional detail can perform well.
Experts recommend addressing a range of related questions on your page to increase the chances that some portion of your content is helpful for an overview. For instance, structuring an article with clear Q&A or FAQ sections can help Google easily extract relevant points.
Another adaptation is diligently implementing structured data markup (schema.org markup for FAQs, HowTos, articles, etc.). Structured data helps Google better understand your content and context.
In the age of AI search, this clarity can make your site a more attractive candidate for inclusion in an overview. Google noted that providing structured data gives its systems a clearer picture of your content, increasing the likelihood of being selected as a source.
While Google says there’s “nothing special for creators to do” beyond standard best practices, in practice, this means doubling down on all SEO fundamentals. Clear page structure, schema markup for relevant snippets, and concise, factual content that AI can quickly parse are essential.
Content creators also experiment with multi-format content—integrating text, lists, tables, and short videos. Google’s results pages increasingly mix media, including visual results and video snippets.
An example is adding a short explainer video or infographic alongside textual content. This engages users and increases the chances of being picked up by Google’s AI-organized results, which emphasize diverse content types.
With more answers delivered directly on the SERP, websites risk lower click-through rates. SEO professionals are finding ways to attract clicks even when an AI or featured snippet provides a quick answer.
One approach is to tease additional value beyond the immediate answer—using compelling title tags and meta descriptions that suggest there’s more to learn by clicking through. Another strategy is focusing on queries where users are more inclined to click, such as research-heavy or comparison topics.
Building a brand presence also helps. Users may choose a source from the overview links when they recognize it as authoritative or familiar.
Google’s AI results include source links, and a strong brand can “stand out in search results.” This is why digital PR and brand mentions across the web are part of the adaptation strategy.
SEO professionals closely monitor performance metrics with these features in mind. Google Search Console shows impressions and clicks from SGE results, helping track traffic via AI summaries.
If zero-click results are siphoning off traffic for certain query types, content teams respond by expanding content to target more in-depth queries. They also improve on-page engagement, so users who do click stay longer and provide positive engagement signals.
Adapting to AI search features involves staying technically prepared with structured data, maintaining top-tier content quality, and leveraging branding. This ensures your site remains a go-to resource even when Google answers questions.
Frequent algorithm changes in 2024—including core updates, spam updates, and continuous tweaks—led to considerable ranking volatility. Despite these fluctuations, SEO professionals have adopted a proactive, resilient stance to maintain or improve visibility.
Key strategies include ongoing content improvements, technical optimizations, diversification of traffic sources, and vigilant performance monitoring.
One proven tactic focuses on high-quality, evergreen content that can weather algorithm changes. Sites consistently publishing well-researched, user-focused content tend to suffer less during core updates.
Many teams performed thorough content audits after significant updates, identifying pages that dropped in ranking and assessing why. Often, the fix involved updating outdated information, expanding content depth, or merging and pruning thin pages.
For example, after the Helpful Content system became more influential, webmasters pruned “unhelpful” posts with high bounce rates or low engagement to improve overall site quality. Content revitalization is another strategy.
Updating older successful articles with new insights, data, or examples keeps them relevant. Google explicitly rewarded content updates and improvements in recent core updates.
The August 2024 update “aims to capture better improvements that sites may have made.” Expert SEOs recommend setting up a regular content review process.
For instance, teams should quarterly review their top landing pages and lowest-performing pages in the Search Console. They then improve or remove content as needed.
This kind of content maintenance ensures a site stays aligned with Google’s current expectations. It can even recover traffic lost in earlier updates.
One case study highlighted a site that removed low-value content, like generic product descriptions added purely for SEO. It saw rankings rebound strongly in the next update, illustrating how cleaning up content can pay off.
Algorithm updates aren’t just about content. Google also looks at site performance and user experience.
Professionals have quickly optimized Core Web Vitals and mobile usability as part of post-update fixes. Faster load times, stable layouts, and mobile-friendly pages contribute to better user engagement metrics, which correlate with better rankings.
An audit might reveal technical issues like slow page speed or poor site structure if an update hits a site. By improving the page experience, sites not only please users, but also align with Google’s goal of enhancing UX.
One illustrative example showed how an SEO audit found a page cluttered with ads and pop-ups, leading to a terrible user experience. After reducing the ad load, the page’s engagement improved, and its search performance recovered.
Google’s guidance is straightforward. “Google wants users to find what they’re looking for quickly and effortlessly while enjoying the process.”
SEO teams routinely check site navigation to ensure users find information quickly. They also review on-page layouts to make content easy to read without distractions.
Many content creators also tweaked their pages to answer user queries early on to increase satisfaction in 2024. The overall strategy is to make sites as helpful and pleasant as possible.
Doing so helps immunize against many algorithmic demotions, as Google’s updates increasingly measure real user value.
Google’s 2024 updates also affected off-page SEO, especially link-building practices. The crackdown on spam, including the March 2024 spam update and new site reputation policies, means old link schemes are more dangerous than ever. At the same time, genuine, quality link-building remains invaluable.
SEO professionals have adjusted by shifting toward earned media and digital PR strategies. Many are moving away from manipulative link tactics that once worked but now pose risks.
In 2024, Google’s SpamBrain and manual actions targeted sites with spammy link patterns. This included low-quality guest posts, link farms, or “parasite” content on other domains.
This reinforced a long-standing best practice: prioritize natural, high-quality backlinks. SEO experts now focus on earning links through strong content and outreach rather than buying or rapidly exchanging links.
One industry analysis noted, “Manual link building involves acquiring links through outreach, strategic content creation, and relationship building.” This means doing the hard work to get real endorsements from other websites.
Links from authoritative sites in your niche carry even more weight in the post-2024 landscape. Google sees these as votes of confidence that align with your topical authority.
Conversely, a barrage of irrelevant or low-quality links can now be a liability. Google’s algorithms have improved at identifying and discounting paid or spam links, rendering them useless or harmful.
SEO professionals report doubling down on relevance. For example, a fintech company seeks links from respected finance or tech publications rather than random directories.
The big trend is a pivot towards digital PR—creating newsworthy content or research that naturally attracts press mentions and links. This could mean publishing a study or infographic and pitching it to journalists or bloggers.
Such earned media links are high-quality and sustainable. A group of 42 link-building experts unanimously emphasized building a brand and securing coverage on sites Google values instead of chasing easy but low-quality links.
One expert stated, “The focus now needs to be building a brand with targeted outreach, high-quality links, and coverage from sites that Google (and consumers) value.” This highlights how link-building in 2024 has become more about brand-driven content marketing than traditional SEO hacks.
Alongside pursuing quality links, SEO professionals strictly avoid black-hat link tactics that 2024’s updates penalize. Google’s updated policies target practices like buying links, excessive link exchanges, or using private blog networks.
The March 2024 update even introduced policies against “site reputation abuse.” This stopped sites from hosting low-quality third-party content purely to pass link equity.
The message is clear: any link scheme intended purely for game rankings will likely backfire. SEO experts advise auditing backlink profiles and disavowing obvious spam links to keep sites safe.
Additionally, they recommend ensuring any sponsored or affiliate links are correctly tagged with rel="sponsored" or rel="nofollow" to avoid unwanted scrutiny. The cost of cheap link tricks has risen.
Google can now ignore or penalize these, and recovery is difficult. Real-world cases from 2024 show this clearly.
For example, websites that had amassed hundreds of low-quality backlinks saw drops in rankings when algorithm updates nullified those links. On the other hand, sites with fewer but genuinely earned links often fared better.
At a conference, Google’s Gary Illyes hinted, "We need very few links to rank pages… over the years, we’ve made links less important.” He later clarified the statement, but it aligns with Google’s algorithmic trajectory.
In practice, link builders in 2024 put more creativity into outreach. For instance, they personalize pitches to bloggers, leverage partnerships for co-marketing (e.g., guest webinars that earn a link on a partner’s site), and use social media to promote link-worthy content.
Engaging in communities like industry forums or Q&A sites can also indirectly lead to links when done authentically. People often cite helpful contributors, generating organic backlinks.
All these efforts tie back to one principle: earn trust to earn links. This mirrors Google’s E-E-A-T focus, where authoritative backlinks from trusted sources complement on-page E-E-A-T, reinforcing credibility in the algorithm’s eyes.
Off-page SEO isn’t only about links. Brand mentions citations of a brand without a hyperlink, and overall reputation matters more than before.
While these are not direct ranking factors, they contribute to trustworthiness signals. SEO professionals now monitor online mentions and reviews to build a positive digital footprint.
Some invest in online PR campaigns and thought leadership to increase brand visibility on authoritative sites. If a brand is frequently referenced alongside key topics, even without links, Google’s entity understanding may boost the site’s relevance.
Additionally, user engagement from external sources—like social media or YouTube traffic—can indirectly help SEO. This happens when engaged users spend time on the site and later search for the brand directly.
Social media has become a supporting player. Though Google doesn’t count likes or shares as ranking signals, a strong social presence can amplify content reach and generate the organic buzz that leads to links.
In 2024, many content creators treat SEO, content marketing, and social media as an integrated ecosystem. A piece of content is created with SEO in mind and then promoted via newsletters, Twitter, and LinkedIn to attract users and potentially earn citations from other websites.
This holistic approach to off-page SEO aligns with Google’s direction. As one SEO specialist said, “The days of outsmarting algorithms with tricks are over—the only path forward is focusing on trust, relevance, and a user-first experience.”
Building a respected brand online not only cushions against algorithm changes but also attracts the kind of links and mentions that Google’s 2024 algorithms reward.
SEO experts agree that 2024’s updates rewarded a “back to basics” approach. The focus has shifted toward truly serving users while punishing shortcuts.
Numerous case studies and expert commentaries throughout the year illustrate what worked.
Marie Haynes and other SEO consultants reported recovery stories where sites hit by the Helpful Content Update rebounded by removing or revamping low-quality pages.
One site that lost visibility in March 2024 audited its content and removed 15% of thin or off-topic articles. Over the following months, after the August core update, its rankings climbed back as overall content quality improved.
This confirms Google’s statement that the helpful content system can “better capture improvements that sites may have made.” The site showed Google it was more focused and trustworthy, leading to a ranking boost in subsequent updates.
An SEO case study from late 2024 highlighted a health blog that gained traffic after implementing E-E-A-T best practices. The site added detailed author profiles for all medical articles, cited sources from medical journals, and included expert reviews on critical pages.
When the November 2024 core update rolled out, this site saw a boost in rankings. Competitors with similar content but fewer credibility signals dropped.
This aligns with Google’s emphasis on trustworthiness post-update. Content that demonstrates expertise and experience can outperform similar content lacking those signals.
SEO professionals like Lily Ray often advise such E-E-A-T enhancements. They have observed positive outcomes, especially in “Your Money, Your Life” (YMYL) niches like health and finance.
A technology blog previously engaged in aggressive link building was hit by the October 2023 spam update and again by the March 2024 update. Realizing the game had changed, the site’s SEO team disavowed many spammy backlinks and stopped all paid link schemes.
Instead, they invested in creating a free online tool that naturally attracted links from universities and resource pages. Over time, the site’s trust signals improved. By the December 2024 core update, rankings stabilized, highlighting that earning organic links can help sites recover and thrive.
In 2023, a niche e-commerce store built a community forum and a YouTube channel. By 2024, many users navigated directly to the site or searched for the brand name instead of finding it through generic searches.
When the August 2024 core update caused upheaval, this site’s traffic dipped slightly before rebounding quickly. Google likely recognized its brand queries and consistent user engagement, stabilizing its rankings.
Surfer SEO observed that websites with strong brand recognition tend to be less affected by algorithmic volatility. The takeaway is that building a loyal audience provides a buffer against Google’s swings.
Users who trust your brand will seek you, signaling authority to Google through branded searches and mentions. This reinforces how brand strength contributes to ranking resilience.
Some publishers turned AI-generated snippets into an opportunity. One news publisher adapted to SGE summaries by ensuring their articles provided context and depth beyond what the AI could summarize.
They also optimized for Google’s new “Topics” and “Perspectives” sections by featuring expert opinions within their articles. As a result, their content frequently appeared as a cited source beneath AI overviews.
While the traffic from these citations was lower than traditional top rankings, it was still meaningful. More importantly, the traffic was highly qualified, as users who clicked through wanted the whole story.
This case underlines that adapting content format for new SERP features can maintain visibility. For example, adding expert commentary for the “Perspectives” filter or structuring content as concise Q&As for “People Also Ask” can increase exposure.
The common thread across all these case studies is adaptability. In 2024, the most successful sites monitored trends and made strategic changes to align with Google’s evolving direction.
Experts agree that Google aims to “deliver the best content for user intent.” Companies that prioritize serving users rather than manipulating algorithms tend to survive and benefit from core updates.
Google’s 2024 algorithm updates have pushed SEO practitioners to refine their craft with a user-centric approach. Content creators now emphasize quality over quantity, ensuring each piece is trustworthy, useful, and aligned with user intent.
E-E-A-T principles shape content creation, how it is presented, and who authors it, particularly in sensitive niches. Keyword strategy has shifted from a rankings game to understanding audience needs and covering topics comprehensively.
At the same time, SEOs are closely monitoring Google’s AI-driven changes. Optimizing the content structure and metadata is key so their site is cited as an authority when AI summaries appear.
There’s a clear movement towards sustainable SEO practices on the technical and tactical front. Quick wins through black-hat techniques are now more risky than ever.
Instead, the winning formula lies in maintaining a fast, user-friendly website and building a reputable brand. Off-page SEO now overlaps with digital PR, where forming genuine relationships and creating link-worthy content is more effective than automated link schemes.
Ultimately, the key lesson from 2024 is that SEO is no longer just about pleasing algorithms. It is about serving users, with search engines improving at measuring real value.
As one SEO company put it, these changes are not a punishment but a realignment. They are designed to match Google’s goal of delivering the best content for user intent.
The modern SEO playbook now includes expertise in content marketing, UX design, and brand management. This reflects the multifaceted approach needed to succeed today.
Adaptability is crucial for content creators and SEO professionals moving forward. Algorithm updates will continue, often without official announcements, as in 2024.
However, websites can absorb these changes with the proper foundation without losing ground. Regular site audits, listening to reputable industry voices, and, most importantly, understanding audience needs are key.
Websites can continue to thrive by focusing on people-first content, technical excellence, and ethical optimization. The 2024 updates have catalyzed positive change, rewarding those prioritizing authenticity, relevance, and user trust.
Sources
• Varn Digital – “Google Algorithm Updates in 2024 and the Influence of AI,” Dec. 2024. Highlights Google’s more profound understanding of user intent, the rise of zero-click searches, and The growing importance of E-E-A-T.
• Surfer SEO – “8 Tips to Adapt to Google Algorithm Updates,” Dec. 2024. Provides adaptation strategies, emphasizing E-E-A-T, content audits, and brand-building for long-term success.
• RebelMouse – “Guide to Google’s Algorithm Updates and Changes in 2024,” Jan. 2025. Discusses the volatility of the August 2024 core update and suggests focusing on high-quality, evergreen content.
• Wpromote – “Navigating Google AI Overviews: How to Adapt Your SEO Strategy,” May 2024. Explores Google’s AI-driven search changes and how to optimize content for inclusion in AI summaries.
• WordPress VIP – “Is SEO Dead? Adapting to Google’s 2024 Algorithm Updates,” 2024. Emphasizes the shift toward user-focused, experience-driven SEO with a strong website foundation.
• Search Engine Land (PageOnePower) – “Manual Link Building Is More Important Than Ever in 2024,” Apr. 2024. Notes that Google’s March 2024 update deindexed many low-quality sites while reinforcing the value of high-quality, relevant backlinks.
• Search Engine Land (Kaitie Frank, Page One Power) – “Spotlight on E-E-A-T: Enhancing Trustworthiness Post-2024 March Core Update,” Apr. 2024. Discusses how trust signals are increasingly important for rankings.
• Google Blog & Developers Documentation – Official insights into the March 2024 helpful content update, spam policies, and guidance on AI-generated content.
• Glenn Gabe (GSQI) Case Study – Examines how sites with strong backlink profiles but low-value content saw declines, reinforcing that links alone no longer ensure rankings.
• BuzzStream – “Why Link Building Will Look Radically Different in 2025,” Jan. 2025. Highlights the shift from traditional link-building tactics to digital PR and brand-based authority.
