Google Updates Affect Rank Tracking And PageSpeed Scores
Google updates may impact rank tracking data and PageSpeed scores, according to Search Engine Journal. These changes can affect website owners' understanding of their online presence.
Original reporting · searchenginejournal.com
Original: “Google Rank Data Issues, Lighthouse Update & AI Opt-Out – SEO Pulse via @sejournal, @MattGSouthern”
Read “Google Rank Data Issues, Lighthouse Update & AI Opt-Out – SEO Pulse via @sejournal,…” at Search Engine Journal →
How this was written. CTCV wrote this article with a language model from Search Engine Journal’s reporting (model: @cf/meta/llama-3.3-70b-instruct-fp8-fast); it describes that reporting rather than adding to it. The original, linked above, is the full story.
Key points from Search Engine Journal’s report
- Google updates may affect the accuracy of rank tracking data due to unrelated listings and unresolved goto links.
- PageSpeed Insights scores may change due to the updated version of Lighthouse, which provides more accurate results.
- Google, Microsoft, and OpenAI plan to honor a shared robots.txt control for AI training preferences.
- Technical SEO will remain relevant for AI search, according to Google's John Mueller.
- OpenAI's ChatGPT has reached a significant milestone, with its volume of search-like queries now roughly one-fifth the volume of queries of Google.
Google has introduced updates that may affect the accuracy of rank tracking data, Search Engine Journal reported. Two issues in Google results can throw off ranking reports: unrelated listings and unresolved goto links. This can lead to inaccurate tracking of website rankings, making it difficult for owners to understand their online presence.
The issue of unrelated listings can crowd out tracked pages from collected results, while unresolved goto links can hide which page ranked. According to an SE Ranking review, 84 percent of flagged cases were unrelated listings about a single word from the query. This can significantly impact website owners who rely on accurate rank tracking data to inform their SEO strategies.
Another update affects PageSpeed Insights scores, which may change even if no changes have been made to the page. This is due to the updated version of Lighthouse, which now runs version 13.6.0. The new version provides more accurate results, but may also impact JavaScript-intensive websites more significantly. Website owners should be aware of these changes to ensure they are optimizing their pages effectively.
Google, Microsoft, and OpenAI have also announced plans to honor a shared robots.txt control for AI training preferences. This control would allow website owners to opt-out of AI training using a single robots.txt group, rather than multiple per-company rules. However, opting out through this group would not cover the same uses at Google and Microsoft, according to Search Engine Journal.
In a related development, Google's John Mueller stated that technical SEO will remain relevant for AI search. He expects AI systems to build on SEO, and technical SEO to stay relevant. This means that website owners should continue to prioritize technical SEO, including optimizing for AI crawlers. Mueller also emphasized the importance of establishing a solid foundation for a website, rather than relying on tactics that may be mimicked poorly.
Additionally, OpenAI's ChatGPT has reached a significant milestone, with its volume of search-like queries now roughly one-fifth the volume of queries of Google. However, it is essential to note that this comparison is based on different metrics, with ChatGPT counting questions that send it to the web, while Google's figure is based on referral data. Website owners should be aware of these differences when evaluating their online presence.
In conclusion, these updates highlight the importance of staying up-to-date with the latest developments in search engine optimization. By understanding the impact of these changes, website owners can adapt their strategies to ensure they remain competitive in the online landscape.
Questions and answers
What is affecting the accuracy of rank tracking data?
Two issues in Google results: unrelated listings and unresolved goto links, which can throw off ranking reports.
How will the updated version of Lighthouse impact PageSpeed Insights scores?
The new version provides more accurate results, but may also impact JavaScript-intensive websites more significantly.
What is the shared robots.txt control for AI training preferences?
A control that allows website owners to opt-out of AI training using a single robots.txt group, rather than multiple per-company rules.
