The Google 2024 December Update is rolling out.

Here is what I found out:

The March Core Update in 2024 caused big problems for many websites, including mine. My website's visibility dropped by 99%!

There was no penalty or security issue—it felt like being blocked for no clear reason. Nobody seemed to talk about it. I added a screenshot from Google Search Console (GSC) to show how this update affected websites.

I looked into reports from other people on the Google support forum. They also saw similar drops—huge drop, small spike, then another drop. Now, the December 2024 Spam Update seems to have fixed this.

I even spoke with a few website owners, and some said they didn’t do anything because they didn’t know what to do. Their websites, like mine, were perfectly fine. I didn’t use AI or do anything shady with content.


I’ll probably never know what caused this, but it didn’t seem fair.


I’ve added screenshots of other websites that I researched.
All of them went back up after the December update—every single one!

I think the March update was too sensitive and flagged things as spam that weren’t.



Is anyone else seeing their visibility go up in the past few days?

I need help for writing content

Hi, i havea question for all profeasionals, who are dealing with client GBP's. That while on boarding or committing with a client how much area do you commit with them you will be working in a time span. Do you work in miles or sq miles or something else.

I am new in local seo. I need the best resources to learn about it to rank business in local research. How can i start?

How do we get the "Book Online" Button on GMB? Is Google accepting new requests to become a partner with "Reserve with Google Partner"?

Hi, I have a SAB business that was verified in Rosburg, WA (28.4 miles from my target city, Astoria, OR). I’m considering changing the address to somewhere in Astoria (closer to the city) and getting it verified there if needed. Is it worth it? Will my GBP get suspended?

Hi everyone, we’re planning to update our address to a new location (residential address) and switch to a Service Area Business (SAB) type. Could this cause a suspension of our Google Business Profile?

Four year's back there is a person who published an image which is still appearing on my GBP profile which I want to remove it permanently. I reported that Image multiple times in the past but still its appearing on the profile. Let me know how can I remove it permanently.

Here is the image link: Contributions by Burhan gammeryt

Need effective way for this image removal.
Thanks and regards,
Atul

Google has a new "Report Business Conduct" form that lets you report businesses that offer incentives in exchange for reviews or pressure people to leave reviews.

Quote Google:

If you believe a business is offering incentives in exchange for reviews, or pressuring people to leave reviews, you can use this form to report a concern.

Click to expand...

What do you think?

Hey guys, so for those interested in a webinar about how reviews drive local SEO success, check this out:

On December 18, 2024, at 2 PM ET, GatherUp will share insights from a survey of 1,200 Americans, revealing how reviews shape consumer trust and local SEO performance. Reviews are critical in today’s digital world, directly impacting buying decisions and local business reputation.

The webinar will cover key findings about what makes reviews trustworthy, where consumers look for reviews, and why recency and personalization are becoming more important. Experts will also explain how businesses can improve their responses to reviews, turning negative feedback into opportunities for customer retention.

The event will include discussions about managing reviews ethically, the role of AI in review responses, and the risks of practices like review gating or fake reviews. The goal is to provide practical strategies for agencies and SEO professionals to help their clients succeed.

A live Q&A will follow the presentation, giving attendees a chance to ask questions and get specific advice. Registration is open for this session, which offers fresh data and actionable insights to strengthen local reputation strategies.

Here is a link to sign up: Insights From 1,200 Consumers: How Reviews Drive Local SEO Success

Can I change a GBP profile from SAB to having an address by using the 'Suggest Edit' option to add the new address?

Does all type of backlinks I need to create, Please share roadmap how should I do off-page seo?

Does all businesses need all type of backlinks forums, web2.0, document image videos etc ???

Please clear my confusion thank you!

I am managing a car wash business GBPs. They have 19 GBP now. Within a few months, they will acquire more carwash sites.

Now they want to use only one single corporate phone number for all of their GBP. So that they can monitor 24 hours all the customer's quires. its more scalable using one single corporate phone number and answering all customer's questions. I recommended that they use a unique local phone number for each location. I also explain how it would affect the map ranking if they one single corporate phone number. And also about the NAP consistency.

Is there any way or any solution to how they would make it more scalable to answer customer queries?
How should I handle it?

Hi,

How will i get right backlinks to our website with relevant backlinks?
.
.
Is there any idea to find backlinks or having sotwares?

Hello everyone,

I’m very grateful for this forum! I’ve recently taken the leap to leave my agency and start working as a freelancer, and I want to make the most of this opportunity. Here’s my current plan:

My client has budgeted 40 hours for SEO setup and 30 hours for web design. After this setup, we’ll transition to an ongoing 7-9 hours per week for maintenance and updates. I’ll be handling both the SEO and web design aspects.

Currently, my client is ranking for a cleaning business in Allen, TX (the main location) using his homepage. Now, he wants to target multiple locations, but his site lacks service-specific pages. I plan to create dedicated pages for each target city and develop a service-specific page.

For the service page, should I focus on keywords without location modifiers? Here’s what I envision for the setup:

Service Pages:

• Deep Cleaning Service
• Recurring Maintenance Cleaning Service
• Same-day Cleaning Service
• Post-Renovation Cleaning Service

Location Pages (covering all services for each city):

• Allen, TX
• McKinney, TX
• Frisco, TX
• Plano, TX
• Richardson, TX
• Carrollton, TX
• Garland, TX
• The Colony, TX
• Hebron, TX
• Fairview, TX
• Lucas, TX
• Parker, TX
• Murphy, TX
• Wylie, TX
• Prosper, TX
• Melissa, TX

Do you think this is the right strategy, or would you recommend any adjustments? I’ve also considered creating a dedicated service page for each location, but I’m concerned about the workload.

Thanks in advance for your insights!