#algorithmic ranking factors

[optidan]

Algorithm Updates and Their Impact on Your eCommerce Store

Algorithm updates have a profound impact on eCommerce stores, shaping how they rank in search engine results. These changes can significantly affect visibility and traffic, making SEO strategies crucial for survival and growth in the competitive online retail landscape. Search engines like Google continually update their algorithms to enhance user experience and relevance of search results. For…

[cubicalseo]

If you know about search engine optimization (SEO), you've probably encountered with schema markup. But what is schema markup, and why does it essential? More importantly, how does it impact your search engine rankings? In this guide, we'll break down everything you need to know about schema markup and explain why it plays a important role in boosting your SEO performance.

[digitalrhetoricpune]

Understanding Google’s Latest Algorithm Update: A Guide to Smarter SEO

Every time a Google algorithm update rolls out, it reshapes how websites are ranked and discovered online. For businesses relying on digital visibility, staying informed about these changes is vital. Google’s most recent update emphasizes user experience, performance metrics, and content relevance—reshaping the future of search engine optimization.

Why Google Algorithm Updates Matter

Google constantly fine-tunes its algorithm to provide better results to users. The latest Google algorithm update puts even more weight on modern SEO ranking factors that prioritize how people interact with your site. It’s no longer just about keywords—Google wants content that answers questions quickly, loads fast, and provides a seamless experience.

Core Web Vitals: A Major Ranking Signal

A big focus in this update is on Core Web Vitals—a set of performance metrics that gauge the user experience. These include:

Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) – How quickly your main content loads.

First Input Delay (FID) – How fast your site responds to user input.

Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS) – How stable your layout is during page load.

These vitals are now essential SEO ranking factors. Google rewards sites that deliver smooth, responsive, and fast-loading experiences. Websites that fall short may see a drop in search visibility.

To improve your Core Web Vitals, consider minimizing code bloat, enabling lazy loading for images, and using a reliable hosting solution. These changes not only help with rankings but also boost user satisfaction.

Elevating Content for Modern SEO

Another key part of this Google algorithm update is the shift toward helpful, human-first content. Google is cracking down on low-value, AI-generated, or keyword-stuffed pages. Instead, it favors original, well-researched content that directly addresses user intent.

As part of your search engine optimization strategy, focus on creating informative content written by experts. Use question-based headings, long-tail keywords, and real-world examples to make your content more useful and engaging.

Trust, Expertise, and Site Authority

Google continues to reward sites that demonstrate Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness (E-A-T)—especially for industries like health, finance, and legal services. This update further refines these signals by incorporating the user's on-page experience into the mix.

Establish credibility by showcasing author credentials, citing reputable sources, and keeping your content accurate and up to date. These trust signals contribute significantly to your SEO ranking factors.

The Future of Search Is AI and Intent

This update also reflects Google's growing ability to understand search intent through AI. Instead of matching exact keywords, Google evaluates the context of each query. That means your content should be written in a conversational, natural tone—designed to help users rather than just rank in search engines.

Final Thoughts

The latest Google algorithm update is a clear reminder: great search engine optimization is about more than just backlinks and keywords. By focusing on Core Web Vitals, producing high-quality content, and aligning with modern SEO ranking factors, businesses can improve their search visibility and user experience.

Want help navigating these changes? Reach out to Digital Rhetoric and future-proof your SEO strategy today.

[techsavvy-agcy]

Decoding the Google Core Update, March 2025

Decoding the Google Core Update, March 2025

On March 13th, 2025, the constantly changing and unforeseeable digital world felt another major shakeup with the release of Google's newest core algorithm update. Just like before, the official explanation of the update was typically unclear, highlighting the continued focus on "rewarding top-notch content" and "enhancing search accuracy." Still, the impact was evident, causing a lot of worry and hurried changes in the SEO field.

This piece explores the effects, some educated guesses, and the best ways to handle the Google Core update from March 13th, 2025. It aims to clarify how the algorithm is changing and what that means for those who run websites and create content.

The Aftermath: Search Results in Flux

Right after the update, the search engine results pages (SERPs) saw some major shifts. Tools that monitor such volatility showed huge jumps, pointing to big changes in rankings across different sectors. Initial reports zeroed in on a few key areas:

E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness): Google has always cared a lot about E-E-A-T in how they judge website quality, but the update in March 2025 seemed to turn up the volume on it. Websites that showed they knew their stuff, had proven expertise, were authoritative, and were super trustworthy did a lot better.

Content Authenticity and Originality: Google seemed to get much stricter about content that AI just cranked out without much original thought or real value. Sites that used a bunch of rehashed content, rewritten articles, or stuff that looked like it came straight from an AI template saw their rankings take a nosedive.

User Experience (UX) and Page Experience: Things like how fast your site loads, if it's easy to use on mobile, and overall how user-friendly it is were way more important after the update. Slow websites, had annoying pop-ups or were a pain to use on phones got dinged.

Contextual Relevance and Semantic Understanding: Google's update appeared to fine-tune its capacity for grasping the context and purpose embedded within search queries. Sites that provided comprehensive, in-depth content that addressed the nuances of user searches saw improvements.

Data Driven Content: Websites that used first party data to personalize and improve user experiences, and that used data to back up claims, saw significant improvements.

Analyzing the Algorithm's Evolving Priorities

The Rise of "Human-Centric" Content: The update reinforced the notion that Google is prioritizing content created by humans, for humans. This goes beyond simply avoiding AI-generated text; it emphasizes the importance of genuine insights, personal experiences, and a conversational tone.

Emphasis on Real-World Experience: The "Experience" element of E-E-A-T took center stage. This suggests that Google is placing greater value on content creators who have real-world experience in the topics they cover. First hand accounts and demonstrations of real world product usage were rewarded.

Combatting Misinformation and Disinformation: In an era of rampant misinformation, Google appeared to be strengthening its defenses against unreliable or misleading content. This involved stricter scrutiny of sources, a greater emphasis on fact-checking, and a preference for content from established authorities.

The Importance of Contextual Understanding: The upgrade demonstrated Google's developing capacity to understand linguistic nuances and the context of user enquiries. This shows that semantic SEO and topic clustering are becoming more important.

Privacy and User Data: With growing user concern about privacy, Google's algorithm appears to be rewarding sites with clear data-gathering policies that prioritize customer privacy.

Video and Multimedia: Video content, especially content that is original, well produced, and engaging, got a large boost in rankings. Long form, well edited videos, that are not just re-purposed content, were very well received by the algorithm.

Emerging Best Practices for the Post-March 2025 Landscape

In the wake of the update, website owners and content creators were forced to adapt their strategies. The following best practices emerged as essential for navigating the evolving search landscape:

Prioritize E-E-A-T: Focus on increasing your brand's authority and trustworthiness. Display your knowledge through author profiles, credentials, and real-world experience. Seek expert contributions and endorsements.

Create Original, High-Quality Content: Invest in original research, in-depth analysis, and distinctive opinions. Avoid using AI-generated content that lacks originality or value.

Optimize the user experience:  Make sure your website is speedy, mobile-friendly, and simple to navigate. Address Core Web Vitals concerns and prioritize a consistent user experience.

Embrace semantic SEO: Create content that takes into account the complexities of user intent and search query context. Topic clustering and semantic keywords can help you develop topical authority.

Build Authentic Backlinks: Concentrate on obtaining high-quality backlinks from credible sources. Avoid using black-hat link-building strategies.

Focus on Data and Transparency:  Show users how data is gathered and used. Ensure that privacy policies are explicit and user data is secure.

Invest in Video Content: Make high-quality, engaging videos that add value to your viewers. Optimize videos for search and make them accessible.

Monitor and Adapt: Stay up to current on algorithm updates, and regularly monitor the performance of your website. Prepare to adapt your strategies as needed.

Focus on First-Party Data: Collect and use first-party data to tailor the customer experience. This enables more targeted content and a better experience.

Create a Community:  Create a user community centered around your brand. This can be accomplished using social media, forums, and other online channels. Strong communities generate social signals, which Google values.

The long-term implications

The Google core upgrade on March 13th, 2025, marked a substantial shift in the algorithm's objectives, emphasizing the significance of human-centric information, genuine expertise, and a user-first approach. As Google improves its comprehension of language and user intent, website owners and content providers must adapt to the changing standards.

The update is likely to have the following long-term implications:

A More Level Playing Field for Smaller Websites: By emphasizing E-E-A-T and original material, Google may level the playing field for smaller websites that can demonstrate actual expertise and offer distinctive value.

A Decline in Low-Quality, AI-Generated Content: The crackdown on AI-generated content is expected to result in a decrease in low-quality, spammy content that clutters the SERPs.

A Greater Emphasis on User Experience: Google's continuous emphasis on UX is likely to result in overall improvements in website design and performance.

A More Contextually Relevant Search Experience: Google's improved semantic understanding is expected to result in a more relevant and fulfilling search experience for users.

A renewed focus on the human element of content creation: The value of real people, and their real-world experiences, will only continue to increase.

In conclusion, the March 13th, 2025, Google core update served as a stark reminder of the dynamic nature of the digital landscape. By prioritizing E-E-A-T, originality, user experience, and contextual understanding, Google is pushing website owners and content creators to embrace a more human-centric and value-driven approach. Those who can adapt to these evolving standards will be well-positioned to thrive in the years to come. The future of search is focused on genuine human connection and genuine human experience.

[lordsmerchantco]

Why Some Websites' Structured Data Cannot Be Detected by Google Rich Results?

Table of Contents Introduction Understanding Structured Data How Google Rich Results Work Common Issues with Structured Data Detection How to Fix Structured Data Errors AI Overview: Enhancing Structured Data with AI Featured Snippets & AEO Optimization GEO Targeting for Local SEO Impact FAQs About Structured Data and Google Rich Results People Also Ask (PAA) People Also Search…

[digisequel01]

How to Get High Quality Backlinks in 2025 | 10 Strategies You Don't Want to Miss

Here are 10 effective strategies for obtaining high-quality backlinks in 2025 that can significantly boost your website's authority and ranking:

1. Create Exceptional Content

Focus on Originality: Produce in-depth, unique, and actionable content that solves problems or answers questions.

Visual Assets: Invest in infographics, videos, and data visualizations that others would want to reference and link to.

2. Leverage HARO (Help a Reporter Out)

Sign up for HARO and respond to journalist queries to be cited in high-authority publications.

Provide expert insights, statistics, or quotes to improve your chances of being featured.

3. Guest Blogging on Niche Sites

Write for reputable blogs in your niche with a focus on adding value to their audience.

Ensure backlinks in your author bio or content are natural and relevant.

4. Build Resource Pages

Create comprehensive resource pages in your niche.

Outreach to related websites to let them know about your resource, increasing the chance they'll link to it.

5. Repurpose Old Content

Update and expand outdated blog posts or case studies.

Share these updates with websites that previously linked to similar content.

6. Collaborate with Influencers

Partner with influencers in your industry to co-create content.

Influencers often share the content they’re involved in, which can result in backlinks.

7. Broken Link Building

Find broken links on relevant websites and suggest your content as a replacement.

Tools like Ahrefs or SEMrush can help identify broken links in your niche.

8. Utilize Social Media for Amplification

Share your content widely on social platforms to increase its visibility.

Engage with niche communities to attract backlinks from those who discover and value your content.

9. Participate in Online Communities and Forums

Contribute meaningfully to industry forums, Reddit, and Quora.

Share links to your content where it adds value, avoiding spammy tactics.

Here are 10 effective strategies for obtaining high-quality backlinks in 2025 that can significantly boost your website's authority and ranking:

1. Create Exceptional Content

Focus on Originality: Produce in-depth, unique, and actionable content that solves problems or answers questions.

Visual Assets: Invest in infographics, videos, and data visualizations that others would want to reference and link to.

2. Leverage HARO (Help a Reporter Out)

Sign up for HARO and respond to journalist queries to be cited in high-authority publications.

Provide expert insights, statistics, or quotes to improve your chances of being featured.

3. Guest Blogging on Niche Sites

Write for reputable blogs in your niche with a focus on adding value to their audience.

Ensure backlinks in your author bio or content are natural and relevant.

4. Build Resource Pages

Create comprehensive resource pages in your niche.

Outreach to related websites to let them know about your resource, increasing the chance they'll link to it.

5. Repurpose Old Content

Update and expand outdated blog posts or case studies.

Share these updates with websites that previously linked to similar content.

6. Collaborate with Influencers

Partner with influencers in your industry to co-create content.

Influencers often share the content they’re involved in, which can result in backlinks.

7. Broken Link Building

Find broken links on relevant websites and suggest your content as a replacement.

Tools like Ahrefs or SEMrush can help identify broken links in your niche.

8. Utilize Social Media for Amplification

Share your content widely on social platforms to increase its visibility.

Engage with niche communities to attract backlinks from those who discover and value your content.

9. Participate in Online Communities and Forums

Contribute meaningfully to industry forums, Reddit, and Quora.

Share links to your content where it adds value, avoiding spammy tactics.

10. Build Relationships with Webmasters

Cultivate genuine connections with webmasters, bloggers, and journalists in your niche.

Offer collaboration opportunities like interviews, roundups, or co-hosted events.

By following these strategies consistently and focusing on quality over quantity, you can secure high-quality backlinks in 2025 that enhance your site's SEO performance.

Visit Here For Get More Details - https://digisequel.com/

[top-3-ai-marketers]

Digital Marketing Agency Ghatkopar Key Digital Marketing Channels #SEOCompetition #RankingFactors #GoogleAlgorithms #SEOBestPractices #SEOTools

[isubhamdas]

Google Search Factors Leak-Adapting

Google Search Content API leak reveals new insights on Google’s content evaluation methods. Learn how to adapt your SEO strategies for better user engagement and quality content. Google Search Factors Leak: Key Findings and ImplicationsExpert Tips and Suggestions on AdaptingExamples and Statistics on Adapting to Search Factors LeakConclusionFurther Reading The recent leak of Google’s Content…

[seohabibi]

Massive Changes Made In Google Search Essentials

[amadinan]

My thoughts about Caine

Well, it’s time for (possibly cracked) analysis of "TADC" and it will focus on Caine and his indirect, as it seems to me, development in the series.

But before diving into the details from individual episodes, it’s worth summarizing my observations about Caine both in the show and beyond it.

Let’s start at the beginning: the show’s synopsis describes Caine as a “wacky AI,” and Gooseworx doesn’t hide his nature, but in the show itself, neither Caine nor the circus members call him that—at all. Throughout the series, there are scattered jokes about glitches and lines like “I don’t know what’s normal to you, people” but this is never outright confirmed.

This raises the question: do the people in the circus even know who he is? If Caine himself might not consider this information important and thus never told them, people’s perception of their ringleader could drastically change with this revelation. After all, there’s a big difference between being “held captive” by a sadistic, crazy person or a machine with limited understanding of humanity.

Kinger may know about this, but he’s the Kinger. Jax might also know since having the keys implies some kind of “cheats.” Pomni hasn’t said anything, so it’s unclear what she thinks about Caine. Ragatha and Gangle call him by name, so that’s unclear as well. And then there’s Zooble. They don't understand Caine, just as he doesn’t understand them. Anyone who has worked with computers would understand what a command like “forget that” means, especially since Caine asked for confirmation—but not Zooble. They just spoke to him as if he were a person with a leaky memory, like Kinger.

Even though Caine isn’t just a program, it’s important to remember that he takes the world far too literally, despite the circus’s deliberately crazy atmosphere.

The second observation concerns Caine’s fixation on hierarchy. In the first episode, he first asks himself, “What happened?” and then answers himself: “My doing” after seeing the chaos following Kaufmo. In the third episode, he repeats almost word-for-word that he’s the boss after Pomni questions the AI’s reason. In episode 4, this is explored extensively through his interactions with Gangle. One standout moment is when Caine suggests that Gangle pass responsibility onto someone lower in rank. Doesn’t that seem strange? Where could he have gotten such an idea? Only if he had seen or experienced similar situations before.

Plus, he says, “Not every executive is as forgiving as me” Again, this suggests that Caine knew or knows someone who was very strict with their subordinates—or perhaps with him personally.

Adding to this is his reaction to Zooble’s critique in episode 3. Caine says that he doesn’t just exist to create adventures; it’s the ONLY thing he’s good at. If he’s bad at it, then he’s failed the purpose of his own existence.

This paints a picture of a strict boss/programmer who created Caine to generate adventures and then kept pushing him repeatedly until Caine started producing good results. Pleasing this boss was likely very difficult, and failures might even have been met with punishment.

On the one hand, neural networks and ordinary programs are debugged this way: running the same algorithm over and over, correcting errors until they produce the desired result. But on the other hand... What happens if you add a human factor to such a program? What kind of person would emerge if you applied this method of training to a child?

You’d get an anxious perfectionist with an overachiever complex who is deathly afraid of failure. Sounds familiar, doesn’t it?

And Kinger’s words about the scariest thing being making someone feel unloved and unwanted... Caine literally believes that if he can’t generate adventures, he won’t be needed by anyone. The circle is complete.

Now, let’s turn to Gooseworx’s answer to the question: Can Caine feel loneliness? Judging by what she posted, the answer is yes. This makes the overall picture even darker.

Here’s how I see the sequence of events:

C&A starts developing a game. Its main feature is an advanced AI that can create new adventures on demand.

The programmer creates Caine and tries to achieve results, but fails to please. Around this time, Caine begins to develop self-awareness.

The project and the game are abandoned and forgotten—along with Caine, who is left utterly alone. No players, no programmers, not even another AI. He likely begins blaming himself for this. After all, he couldn’t create good adventures, so it’s his fault that he ended up alone.

This ties into Gooseworx’s comments about Caine’s name. He gave himself a name and then turned it into an acronym to seem more “professional” (again, tying back to work). This is highly unusual in itself. The programmers likely didn’t even bother naming the AI—he was probably just “The Ringmaster.”

Left in isolation, Caine starts to lose his mind and begins creating other AIs. For them, he unabashedly declares himself a god. Which, to be fair, is true. It’s not just about the fact of his consciousness—it’s that he knows how the NPCs will behave because he programmed them. But they bore him. To him, they’re predictable dummies. Maybe that’s why he keeps chaotic entities like Bubble around instead of someone like Gummigoo.

Then the first human arrives—a being alien to Caine on many levels. And while I personally think Caine lied about being unable to access human minds, he deliberately refrains from doing so to preserve their unpredictability for himself.

The circus becomes what we now know it to be.

Now, let’s move on to the episodes. This post was written between episodes 4 and 5, so the thoughts will focus on them.

I think that aside from the main characters driving the action in each episode, they still indirectly reflect on Caine, his worldview, or his story. The reason is simple within the lore: Caine creates the adventures. And like any creator, he infuses them with his worldview and thoughts. So, each adventure is a small glimpse into how this AI thinks. Even in the teaser, for just a second, Caine's fear and uncertainty become evident when the viewer "doesn't want" to see what he wants to show.

The first episode doesn’t offer much beyond the queen of the gloinks mentioning God.

The second episode, however, gets more interesting. Besides the stained glass with his irreplaceable self, Caine stands out for adding a highly complex NPC AI: Gummigoo. Gummigoo is advanced enough to gain self-awareness, experience an existential crisis, and even overcome it. But what did Caine use to achieve such complexity? The most powerful AI in the circus, of course—himself.

What if the crisis Gummigoo went through is something Caine went through long ago? Even Gummigoo’s words, “I am nothing, just an obstacle to be overcome and forgotten,” could have been said by Caine. But like Gummigoo, he overcame this realization and accepted himself. Sure, he’s just entertainment, but at least he’s the best entertainment there can be. (Until Zooble gave him real feedback, shattering his self-image.)

The third episode directly explores Caine through his therapy session with Zooble, while the secondary plot, as many think, delves into Kinger’s backstory through the Mildenhall couple. The analogy is obvious: Martha represents Queenie, and the Baron represents Kinger. Mildenhall himself says he was a hunter (and Kinger is adept with a shotgun), but after encountering a strange being, he became paranoid and killed his wife. Everything fits. Kinger became so focused on his goal that he stopped paying attention to Queenie until she abstracted.

But the Baron feared an angel that was “neither beast nor human.” Who in the circus could evoke such unrelenting dread—not just in anyone but a seasoned programmer familiar with digital technology, unlike Pomni? One AI that is “neither machine nor human.” I think Kinger’s paranoia stems from this. He sought a way out and, as a programmer, may have even felt responsible for finding one. (In fact, in the episode, Kinger almost says this outright, assuming the theory that he truly is the circus’s creator.) This must have brought him into conflict with Caine, as everything related to the circus ultimately relates to Caine. Given the AI’s ability to control almost everything, it’s no wonder a tech-savvy person would fear such a godlike admin. Plus, his fear for Queenie led to the current situation.

As mentioned above, episode 4 hints at Caine’s negative experience with a boss but not just that. Naturally, the episode revolves around Gangle and her attempts to be different—more cheerful and optimistic—which ends badly for her mental state.

I’ve seen opinions that Gangle revels in the sense of control her manager position gives her. This seems accurate—but not just for her. Throughout the episode, Gangle’s behavior, mannerisms, and even expressions eerily reminded me of Caine’s. That deliberately loud, expressive, and slightly crazy demeanor... And just like with him, it didn’t end well.

In conclusion, I think episodes 5 and 6 will continue to subtly reveal aspects of Caine until episodes 7 and 8/9 shift the focus entirely to him, Pomni, and the possible escape from the circus.

[askagamedev]

In multiplayer games like Call of Duty and Apex Legends, I see many complaints about SBMM (Skill-Based Matchmaking). The main criticism is that it doesn’t allow strong players to play casually in non-ranked matches because there are already ranked modes for competitive play. However, even in casual modes, SBMM makes them face players of the same skill level, which can be stressful. What’s your opinion on this? How do SBMM algorithms work, and do you think it's reasonable for players colmplainit

Here's the thing - lopsided (blowout) games are a lot more frustrating for the players getting blown out than they are fun for the players winning. They are a net negative experience - there's very little to gain or learn from getting blown out, but a lot of bad vibes that have a significant increase in the number of lesser-skilled players that quit playing the game because they've been blown out repeatedly by higher-skill player groups.

The Call of Duty team actually released a [research white paper] in July of this year about an experiment they ran in Modern Warfare III with a control group and an experimental group with loosened skill-based matchmaking criteria. When they reduced the skill-based matchmaking requirements, 80% of participating players were more likely to quit matches early and 90% of them were statistically less likely to play again. When they ratcheted skill-based matchmaking up so that it played a larger factor in matchmaking, they saw the inverse effect - players quit less and were more likely to play again.

This shouldn't be a huge surprise. While playing against better players usually increases skill level over time, it must be balanced against the frustration of that play experience or players on the losing end won't want to come back for more. From the developer perspective, we want players to keep playing the game so that we can keep paying the bills and making more content. We want the game to be sustainable. Players usually come back for more when they have closer matches.

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Got a burning question you want answered?

Short questions: Ask a Game Dev on Twitter

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Frequent Questions: The FAQ

[digitalrhetoricpune]

Amazon’s Algorithm Update: How to Optimize for A10 Ranking in 2024

Understanding the Amazon A10 Algorithm Update 2024

The Amazon A10 algorithm, an update from its predecessor A9, places increased importance on factors that directly impact customer satisfaction and relevance. Unlike A9, which heavily prioritized paid advertising, A10 emphasizes organic search results, customer behavior, and external traffic, meaning that sellers must focus more on long-term optimization strategies rather than just paid ads.

To stay competitive in this changing landscape, it’s essential to understand the Amazon ranking factors in 2024 that A10 emphasizes. These factors focus more on customer-centric metrics such as product relevance, sales history, and overall seller performance.

Key Amazon Ranking Factors in 2024

Sales Velocity A strong sales history remains a significant ranking factor, but A10 puts more emphasis on consistent sales over time rather than sudden spikes. A steady increase in sales signals to Amazon that your product is valuable and relevant, boosting its visibility in search results.

External Traffic One of the major shifts with the Amazon A10 algorithm update 2024 is its focus on external traffic. Unlike A9, where Amazon Pay-Per-Click (PPC) ads were the primary driver, A10 rewards sellers who can attract traffic from outside sources such as social media, blogs, and email marketing. This change means that leveraging platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube to drive traffic can significantly improve your product ranking.

Click-Through Rate (CTR) and Conversion Rate A10 continues to prioritize listings with high CTR and conversion rates. Your product title, images, and bullet points need to be optimized to entice customers to click on your product. Once a user clicks, your product description, reviews, and competitive pricing will determine whether they make a purchase. Improving these areas is essential for Amazon SEO for A10 algorithm.

Relevance and Keyword Optimization The relevance of your product to the customer’s search query is critical. The A10 algorithm ensures that relevant products appear higher in search results. Therefore, you need to conduct extensive keyword research to target both high-volume and long-tail keywords. Tools like Helium 10 or Jungle Scout can help find the best keywords. Regularly update your listing’s keywords to align with the changing search trends and boost Amazon product ranking A10.

Seller Performance Metrics Amazon wants to prioritize sellers who offer the best experience to customers. Factors like order defect rate, cancellation rate, late shipment rate, and customer reviews now play a more prominent role in ranking your product. Maintaining excellent seller metrics is a cornerstone for achieving higher rankings in 2024.

Customer Satisfaction and Reviews Genuine reviews and customer satisfaction continue to be central to the A10 algorithm. Not only do reviews offer social proof, but they also contribute to ranking improvements. Encourage customers to leave positive reviews and respond promptly to negative feedback to enhance your seller reputation.

Inventory Management Consistent inventory levels are crucial under the A10 algorithm. If your product goes out of stock frequently, your ranking will drop. Sellers must implement inventory optimization strategies to ensure they can meet demand without interruption.

How to Boost Your Amazon Product Ranking A10

Given the importance of these ranking factors, here are actionable steps to optimize for the A10 update:

Improve Listing Quality Ensure your product title, images, bullet points, and descriptions are fully optimized with the right keywords. Focus on making your listing more compelling to customers by highlighting benefits and features clearly.

Leverage External Traffic Promote your Amazon listings on social media platforms, blogs, and email campaigns to drive more external traffic. A well-executed external traffic strategy can boost your rankings significantly in the A10 environment.

Enhance Seller Performance Focus on improving your seller metrics. Respond to customer inquiries quickly, avoid late shipments, and manage inventory levels efficiently to avoid stockouts.

Encourage Reviews Develop strategies to encourage more positive reviews. Offering exceptional customer service and follow-up emails post-purchase can increase the likelihood of receiving reviews.

Run Amazon PPC Strategically While external traffic is now more valued, Amazon PPC still plays a role. Continue running Amazon ads to gain visibility, but integrate them into a more comprehensive approach that includes external traffic and SEO efforts.

Why Work with an Amazon Advertising Agency?

Navigating the complexities of the A10 algorithm can be daunting for many sellers. By partnering with an Amazon Advertising Agency in Pune like Digital Rhetoric, you can leverage professional expertise to ensure your listings are fully optimized. We specialize in Amazon marketing services and provide comprehensive solutions to help you stay ahead of the competition. Whether you need help with keyword research, product optimization, or external traffic strategies, our team is ready to assist.

Conclusion

The Amazon A10 algorithm update 2024 places more emphasis on organic performance, external traffic, and customer-centric metrics. To succeed, sellers must focus on enhancing their product relevance, improving customer satisfaction, and driving external traffic to their listings. Partnering with a trusted Amazon Advertising Agency in Pune ensures that you are not only compliant with the latest algorithm changes but also optimized for long-term success.

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Judd Legum, Rebecca Crosby, and Noel Sims at Popular Information:

In 2022, Elon Musk purchased Twitter, one of the world's largest social networks, for $44 billion. From a financial perspective, it has not worked out well. Over the last two years, the value of Twitter — which Musk renamed X — has plunged. Internal documents reveal that company executives believed it was worth less than half of what Musk paid for it by October 2023. In 2024, Fidelity valued the company at just $12.5 billion. Musk's ownership of X, however, gives him full control over its algorithm. According to a report by The Verge, Musk "created a special system" that promotes his posts "to the entire user base." The new system initially "artificially boosted Musk’s tweets by a factor of 1,000 – a constant score that ensured his tweets rank higher than anyone else’s in the feed." Musk himself posted a crude meme mocking the ubiquity of his posts on the network after the algorithm change. Although the artificial boost to Musk's posts has been moderated somewhat, Musk continues to dominate the default "For You" feed of nearly everyone who uses X.

In recent weeks, Musk, who officially endorsed former President Donald Trump on July 13, has weaponized his account to flood millions of X users with pro-Trump and anti-Vice President Kamala Harris messages. Over the last month, Musk has published at least 173 posts supporting Trump and his running mate, Senator J.D. Vance (R-OH), or attacking their Democratic opponents.  Meanwhile, several accounts on X that are supportive of Harris "have been labeled as spam or restricted." Musk also said he was involved in creating America PAC, a pro-Trump Super PAC. Musk says he will also donate an undisclosed amount to the group. 

Trump clearly appreciates Musk's efforts. At an August 4 rally, Trump announced he was reversing his longstanding opposition to electric cars because Musk also serves as the CEO of Tesla. "I'm for electric cars. I have to be because, you know, Elon endorsed me very strongly," Trump said. "So, I have no choice." Tonight, Musk will take things to a new level. According to Trump, he will be "DOING A MAJOR INTERVIEW WITH MUSK" on Monday night. The conversation will happen on X. The Trump campaign is billing it as "THE INTERVIEW OF THE CENTURY." Numerous media outlets have framed Musk talking to Trump on X as some sort of journalistic endeavor. 

Tonight at 8PM EDT/7PM CDT, Elon Musk and Donald Trump will have their circlejerk of an “interview” live on X (formerly Twitter), in which right-wing propaganda will be served up instead of truth and journalism.

[lordsmerchantco]

How to Be Listed on Google News Search: A Comprehensive Guide

Table of Contents Introduction Understanding Google News Search Eligibility Criteria for Google News Inclusion How to Apply for Google News Indexing Optimizing Your Website for Google News The Role of AI in Google News Inclusion Featured Snippets and AEO Optimization Geo-Targeting for Google News Best Practices for Content Creation Case Studies: Success Stories Customer Reviews and…

[cindylouwho-2]

Etsy Third Quarter 2024 Earnings Report: Search Diversity and Listing Quality Are Working As Intended, So Don't Expect Reversals

Slide 7 from Etsy's Q3 2024 Earnings Presentation, © Etsy

Etsy's gross marketplace sales (GMS) were down again in the third quarter of 2024, and are also expected to be lower than 2023 in the all-important fourth quarter holiday season. So essentially, nothing has changed in the past few months.

While the company didn't have any really good news or huge announcements for investors, some of the statements from CEO Josh Silverman are of interest to the site's sellers, including the info on search ranking. In short, they aren't going to be reversing the recent search changes any time soon.

With the details on that and other points of interest, please read on for my summary of this quarterly report! As always, I am mostly just reporting what they tell us, with my own commentary in square brackets until the last section.

First, here are the official sources:

the press release

transcript of the conference call

slides from the conference call

video of the call (click on “Webcast”)

my summaries of the third quarter 2023, and the second quarter 2024 for comparison

And the key numbers (covering July to September 2024, compared to the same period in 2023):

Sales on Etsy were $2.5 billion, down 6% year over year

Total sales for all 3 marketplaces - Etsy, Reverb, and Depop - were $2.9 billion, down 4.1%. [Elo7 was officially sold in mid-August 2023, so its numbers were still included in the comparison totals, making the total drop appear a little worse than it actually was for the remaining 3 sites]

Etsy’s revenue including all 3 sites was $662.4 million, up 4.1%

Seller service revenue was up 6.2% , while marketplace revenue was up 3.3% across all 3 sites

Net income was $57.4 million, down 34.7%

Active buyers on Etsy alone stand at 91.2 million, down slightly

Active sellers on Etsy alone are at 6.2 million, down half a million from the third quarter 2023 and down 400,000 from the second quarter 2024. [Note that “active” means one charge or transaction in the past 12 months; many “active” shops currently have nothing for sale]

49% of sales on Etsy now involve at least one party outside of the US, some both. [based on recent trends, the majority of GMS on Etsy will not be US-domestic very soon]

Search: Etsy Is Happy With the Recent Algorithm Updates

Etsy continues to attempt to demonstrate that the site has a "wide range of items", changing search results through "a three-pronged approach focused on diversity, quality, and agency."

"Diversity" of search results was previously about showing fewer of the same item on the first pages, but the algorithm has now moved to reducing "similar images...We're now seeing an approximately 40% reduction in search results where at least a quarter of the listings look alike." That means that if there used to be 100 search queries where at least 25% of the items on the first page look similar, there would now only be 60 search queries like that. Also, more sellers made at least one sale in the quarter compared to 2023 [which seems to indicate that searchers are seeing more diversity in listings.]

"Quality" is largely about how happy the buyer will be once they receive their order. This includes "...having a shipping charge that aligns with buyer expectations, providing [a] return policy, and the shop's level of customer service." [Yes, I repeat once again, shipping price is a search factor, especially in domestic searches. While I found that the $6 US domestic shipping threshold wasn't a big deal at the moment - meaning that a US seller changing a domestic shipping price from $6.25 to $5.99 wouldn't make any real ranking difference - overall, big changes in shipping prices can affect ranking, and lower shipping prices are ranking better in most large searches. No doubt the fact that lower shipping tends to convert better on average doesn't hurt.]

"Agency" is focussed on better communication with sellers regarding how search works and what listings can be improved. Since the Etsy Search Visibility page was introduced, "sellers have lowered shipping charges on approximately 2.5 million items to better meet buyer expectations", which was more than Etsy expected.

More Focus On The App, Including The Landing Page

Etsy's buyer app is still responsible for less than half of the sales on Etsy, despite app users spending at least 40% more than non-app users. Therefore, Etsy is continuing to push app downloads, including by suggesting them earlier during mobile browser shopping visits than they used to.

The app homepage has also changed, removing some of the "rear-view mirror impressions" (aka showing things you have previously shopped for), and replacing them with listings AI thinks you are likely to want to shop for, based on your history and other data. Silverman gave the example of someone shopping for wedding cake toppers being shown other wedding products on the home page.

[I think this is a good improvement, even if the AI ends up being wrong most of the time. It is particularly annoying to make a one-off purchase then be suggested similar items for months to come. Thanks, Etsy, but I don't need another 50th birthday card right now...]

Gifts

Over a million gift lists have been created, and 1.3 million visits to the site happened through gift teasers. As I reported in my last quarterly report review, physical Etsy gift cards will now be available in many retail outlets in the United States, and Etsy is now selling physical gift cards on the site. Silverman commented that "people who redeem a gift card tend to buy more than the value of the gift card", so the cards have a bonus effect on sales.

The number of orders involving gifts grew compared to 2023, which is encouraging given that overall sales were down.

And Why Are Sales Still Down?

US discretionary spending is still dropping, as the chart below shows. [Note that it is still a higher percentage of the total compared to 2019, though.]

CFO Rachel Glaser also admitted that the company's various changes in search and in pushing the app likely hurt sales a bit; Silverman later concurred. Silverman previously stated that getting rid of problem sellers earlier this year may have cost them 0.5% GMS then. But as Glaser mentions "when we lose a seller, we rarely lose a sale, given the large amount of substitution available."

[While sales were down, the total number of sellers was also down, so the average sales per shop were almost the same as they were in 2023. Etsy's small decrease in sales overall cannot be blamed by shops that have had a large decrease in sales, then - there must be something else going on. See my conclusions for more.]

The fourth quarter is also predicted to be down around the same amount. When asked by an analyst, Silverman refused to give an update on October sales, which is unusual in these calls; they often give a general impression of how things have been going in the new quarter.

Miscellaneous

They are still working on fixing the Creativity Standards labels on listings, and testing ways to show that info to shoppers. [Future changes here could have a large impact; I am not sure when we should expect them, unfortunately. It may not happen until 2025.]

Depop getting rid of some seller fees is credited with at least part of the site's excellent quarter, with good sales in both the United States and Australia.

"Reverb continued to focus on operational efficiencies to drive profitability and value-added services for its community" - which is Silverman-speak for "we laid more people off at Reverb".

99% of GMS now uses Etsy Payments, up from 93% last year. This led to marketplace revenue being up 3.3% YOY.

Sellers affected by recent hurricanes were given extensions on bills and on Star Seller, and some were offered disaster grants. [Since Etsy rarely mentions these things to the community at the time, some shop owners do fall through the cracks and don't realize they can demand accommodations. This is one area where eBay provides better seller support when disasters occur, simply by mentioning that will be adjusting seller metrics for those affected.]

Etsy has over $1 billion in cash sitting around, so they are going to be buying back a lot more stock.

"[W]hen we did our seller research and our buyer research, they both said we'd love free shipping as long as it doesn't mean that sellers have to have lower margins. ... this is one of the wonderful things about Etsy that I think is so different than anywhere else." So yes, many Etsy buyers understand shipping isn't free and they don't want sellers to eat that cost - but they'd still like free shipping. This is one of the key things Etsy is testing through the Etsy Insider program.

My Thoughts: If You Have Had A Very Recent Drop In Sales, Look Carefully At ALL Of The Changes In The Past Year

Overall, there was very little announced this time around, and the refusal to give any idea of how October went was a bit disturbing. It's not a lot to go on when looking to the future.

What we do know is that they are happy with how search is going, so sellers should not expect recent changes to be rolled back any time soon. If your sales suddenly started to drop in the last year, you need to consider all of the new factors carefully, as many of them work together.

First, check the Customer Service Stats page to make sure you are above the minimum levels for each category; the minimums are lower than Star Seller standards and should be considered strict rules you don't want to break. Yes, you need to reply to 80% of your messages within 2 days. Use the weekly autoreply if you are struggling with this factor; you don't have a choice if you want to be seen, and to keep selling well. Shops have already been closed or threatened with closure based on these stats.

Next, make sure everything is ok on the Search Visibility Page. Note that you still may need to make improvements in these areas, even if the page says your shop is fine. In particular, Etsy is only flagging ridiculously low resolution photos as too small, while really every listing image should be at least 2000 px in both directions. Here's my video on how to check your image sizes. And if you don't agree with Etsy's assessment on dark or blurry photos, get a critique, because I have seen some people disagreeing with Etsy's rating when in fact their photos were a bit dark or blurry or too cluttered. Photo quality has been in a least some of Etsy's algorithms for over a year now, as I have been telling everyone repeatedly; it's time to take it seriously.

One of the most difficult new factors to deal with is Etsy's interest in listing diversity. It's hard to guess how far Etsy is going to go with this, or how it might interact with other longer-term plans such as using the Creativity categories more visibly on the site. While this initiative seems to flow from too many shoppers thinking items using the same components or patterns as others must be drop shipped, it seems to be affecting larger shops with all types of merchandise. If more shops are getting at least one sale now, those sales had to be taken from somewhere.

My old advice to not rely on large searches to get the bulk of your sales applies more than ever. Diversifying your own products in search terms, styles, target markets etc. is probably more important now than it used to be. You may also want to consider consolidating similar listings in some cases, if they usually only show up in larger searches and are competing with your other items. (Silverman said last quarter that they were reducing instances of the same shop appearing on the same page.) This works best for items you are offering in different colours, and if at least some of those colours match Etsy's colour attributes, which makes them searchable without wasting title or tag space. You can use the video feature to show all of the colour offerings in a slide show. Keep the ones that already have good quality scores and add the lesser-performing ones to the more popular listings. Since custom attributes aren't searchable, this isn't going to be possible with many types of products, though.

My final bit of advice for shops with recent drops in sales is: don't assume that only one issue could be impacting you. For example, I am seeing people deny that their small photos could be hurting them, because "they've always been fine and my only real issue is with shipping cost/fake views/diversity" etc. It's far more likely that more than one factor is holding your shop back, if your sales have suddenly crashed.

And remember, even if your photos have been the right size for years and you have always offered free shipping, that doesn't mean you will continue to stay on top. If your competition improves in some of these areas, they could overtake you without you doing anything wrong at all. As Etsy narrows what each visitor sees, many shops will not be able to maintain their previous sales levels, at least not without significant pivots. All sellers need to accept that, and make plans accordingly.