Lessons from Google’s August 2024 Core Algorithm Update

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Google’s August 2024 Core Algorithm Update has now finished rolling out… And it was most definitely NOT what everyone was expecting or hoping for. So, what can we learn and, crucially, what should you do about it?

What can we learn from the August 2024 Google Core Algorithm Update?

There are 3 key takeaways from this latest update…

1. It wasn’t the big ‘fix’ everyone was hoping for

Many were hoping that this update was going to be the one that fixed all the issues that came out of the September 2023 HCU and the March 2024 Core Update. Unfortunately, that’s not what we saw. This is what Search Engine Journal  had to say about it…

“Overall, it seems like while we saw some recoveries from the September helpful content in 2023, that was only for a few sites and limited recoveries. Most sites did not see significant or meaningful recoveries, from what we can tell. And even more sites saw even more declines or just stayed the same.”

2. Google can no longer be relied on

Given Google had said about this update that…

“This latest update takes into account the feedback we’ve heard from some creators and others over the past few months. As always, we aim to connect people with a range of high quality sites, including ‘small’ or ‘independent’ sites that are creating useful, original content on relevant searches. This is an area we’ll continue to address in future updates.”

…and yet it didn’t really do that, I think we can safely conclude that Google traffic can no longer be relied on in the same way it could in the past.

That said…

3. Google traffic is still good traffic

I’ve heard lots of people say, ‘Oh well it’s not worth bothering with then’ and giving up on Google altogether.

I think that is a big mistake…

Google can and does still send good traffic. It is still, hands down, the best way of getting traffic to a website in most cases.

When you get things right, Google can still send a lot of traffic. (Case in point, Google traffic to both my sites is up 40% YoY.)

So it’s definitely still worth working hard on your SEO. The difference is, Google traffic can no longer be relied on in the same way it used to be.

What should you do about the August 2024 Google Core Algorithm Update?

Given all this, there are 5 things you need to be doing going forward…

1. Keep working hard on your SEO

Don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater! Focusing on SEO and getting traffic from Google is still worthwhile. That means:

• Keep doing good keyword research to find those ‘gold nugget’ keywords
• Keep writing the kind of content Google says it wants to rank: good quality content that is truly helpful
• Keep focusing on improving your website’s UX
• Keep working on building your E-E-A-T

2. Convert ‘borrowed’ traffic into ‘owned’ traffic

But the fact is, Google traffic can no longer be relied on…

And we don’t know what future Google algorithm changes might do – they might be even worse! That is why you should put a lot of effort into converting your ‘borrowed’ Google traffic into traffic you own – in other words your email list!

If you put a lot of effort right now into converting as much of your Google traffic as possible into email subscribers, that means, if things take a turn for the worse in the future, you’ll have a direct way of communicating with your target audience and so you’ll be a whole lot less affected by a drop in Google traffic.

Think of it this way…

Right now, Google is pouring lots and lots of traffic into your bucket each day… but each day the majority of that traffic reads one article and leaves and never comes back… because you have a ton of holes your bucket!

Working hard on your email marketing means you get to convert more and more of that traffic into subscribers, who will keep coming back again and again to your site.

Or in other words… email marketing plugs those holes in your leaky bucket!

READ MORE >>> How to use email marketing to boost your SEO

3. Diversify your income streams

One of the reasons why we’ve all been so reliant on Google traffic for so long is because it’s the only source of traffic that’s big enough to allow you to make a decent income from ads and/or affiliates alone.

It’s almost impossible to get enough traffic from other sources – like Pinterest or social media – to earn a decent full time income from ads and/or affiliates…

Which leaves most bloggers in that precarious state where they are highly dependent on Google for the majority of their income… not a good place to be in right now!

So what’s the solution? 

The solution is to diversify into better paying income streams. Just look at this graph from the most recent Blogging Income Survey…

If you were to diversify into digital products, you could be earning A LOT more per pageview. That means you’d be a lot less reliant on Google for your income, because you’d need a lot fewer pageviews to make a decent income.

For example, based on these figures, to get a monthly income of $5,000 you’d need 179,000 pageviews per month monetizing via ads, but you’d only need 14,000 pageviews per month to get a monthly income of $5,000 from digital products.

And you don’t need me to tell you that it’s a lot easier to get 14,000 pageviews per month from Google than 179,000 pageviews per month!

4. Diversify your traffic sources

But it gets better…

Because, if you need fewer pageviews, suddenly lots of other traffic sources become viable again.

If you only need 14,000 pageviews per month, then suddenly you have lots of options: Pinterest, social media, summits, bundles, JV webinars, collabs with other bloggers, guesting on podcasts, launching your own podcast, running your own affiliate program for your own products… even Facebook ads!

None of these traffic sources send anything like enough traffic if you monetize solely via ads or affiliates… but potentially ALL of them will send enough traffic if you monetize via digital products.

5. Use your time wisely

However, you may have noticed a problem!

In the ‘old’ way of doing things, all you needed to do was do keyword research, create new content and work on your SEO.

But now I’m telling you to also work on your email marketing, create digital products and diversify your traffic sources…

Suddenly that’s a whole lot more work!

And it gets worse…

Because there are a lot of other things you need to do when you monetize via digital products, if you want to get those kind of RPMs.

Things like… building tripwires and evergreen sales funnels, running launches and flash sales, creating nurture sequences and sales sequences, designing sales pages… and a whole lot more besides!

It can be easy to conclude that it’s all just too much work and you’re just going to stick with the old way of doing things because it’s working for you right now. 

And I totally understand why you might think that way… But what are you going to do if you get hit badly by the NEXT algorithm update? You can’t just turn on monetizing via digital products overnight – it can take 6 months to a year to start earning a decent income from digital products!

So what’s the alternative?

The alternative is to follow a step-by-step plan for creating a digital product business that ensures you use your time wisely, it doesn’t feel overwhelming, and you don’t waste time and effort making and unpicking mistakes!

It means, if the worse should happen in the next Google update, you’ll be well on your way to building a successful digital product business. (Think of it as your insurance policy!)

And if the worst doesn’t happen, then you’ll be earning way more from each pageview, so it’s win-win!

If that’s the route you’d like to go down, then head here for that step-by-step plan for building a successful digital product business from scratch.

A ROADMAP TO DIGITAL PRODUCT SUCCESS…

If you love the idea of being able to control how much you earn, finally being free from worrying about third parties and their algorithms, helping your audience achieve their dreams, earning a mostly passive income and being able to take time off whenever you want, you’re going to love the Digital Product Success Academy!

Building a successful digital product business requires a lot of moving parts: market research, email marketing, product creation, pricing strategy, building a product ladder, writing a high converting sales page, nurture sequences, sales sequences, evergreen sales funnels, tripwires, beta launches, flash sales, gathering testimonials, digital product specific SEO and more!

When you join the DPSA, you let me worry about all of the moving parts, and you just focus on following the next step on the roadmap, knowing I’ve got everything planned and happening at exactly the right time…

DPSA is for you, if you want to…

👉 Earn more from the traffic you already have: Digital product RPMs are considerably better than RPMs from ads, affiliates and sponsored posts.

👉 Stop worrying about whether you’ll be wiped out in the next Google algorithm update: Because you don’t need those crazy-high pageviews, selling digital products makes you A LOT less dependent on Google.

👉 Be ahead of the curve: If future Google updates are bad for bloggers, guess what every blogger will be doing to try and get back the income they have lost? Get ahead of the curve by starting NOW!

👉 Have a less precarious business: If you get the majority of your traffic from Google and the majority of your income from ads, you don’t need me to tell you that is a very precarious place to be… Diversifying into digital products reduces risk and increases income – so it’s a win-win!

👉 Have a lot of fun along the way: Join a community of like-minded bloggers and online business owners who are all working towards the same goal!

Want to know what it’s like on the inside?

If you’re wondering what it’s actually like inside the Digital Product Success Academy, you can check out what other DPSAers are saying about the DPSA experience here.

Here’s a sneak peek:

“What I love about DPSA is that it is a hands-on, guided, and methodical approach to creating information products. Each step builds upon the previous one, and each task is small enough so there is no overwhelm.

Information is provided in multiple formats, which reduces confusion and fosters focus. The community is refreshingly helpful and supportive”

Michelle Dear-Moncrief, Makers Corner Crafts

“The DPSA is pretty much the best thing ever if you’re serious about making money and seeing growth with your blog. Eb is the perfect person to provide this kind of membership; her background in both marketing and teaching and then, of course, blogging is so evident and so helpful.

Having the DPSA broken down into challenges is genius. It helps keep motivation high since there is a finish line to get to and celebrate every few weeks. And each challenge is broken down into perfect bite-size pieces that are doable and not overwhelming but new and challenging at the same time.

One of my favorite things is that I know Eb has everything planned out and taken care of. I am a super detail-oriented person who wants to do everything and do it right, so it is SO nice to be able to just do what Eb says each day and trust that if something needs to be done, she will tell me and she’ll tell me how and when to do it.

My other favorite part is the DPSA Facebook Community. Having a place to go to ask questions and get feedback is invaluable — especially because Eb is so active in the group and does her best to respond to everyone’s questions.

Honestly, she really should be charging more. I 100% recommend signing up for the membership. Thank you Eb!”

Allison Clark, Give Birth Give Life

“With the information provided so far I feel much more confident that I can build a successful digital product side to my business. The way Eb delivers the information is easy to understand and follow. There is so much support from Eb and the other members of the DPSA. I am loving it so far!”

Lauren Woodger, The Scatty Mum

“If you’re looking to launch your next digital product, Digital Product Success Academy is for you. It’s not just about the easy-to-follow challenges on marketing strategy, and how to launch your product the right way. It’s also about a community of like-minded people to bounce ideas off and get feedback and help from. And I love that you get direct feedback from Eb as well.”

Mariska Ramondino, My Chef’s Apron

“As a food blogger who’s put off digital product marketing for a long time, I find Eb’s DPSA incredibly useful.

It feels like she’s done all the tedious planning for me—from starting out, to what’s needed, and how to reach my goals.

I also really enjoy the DPSA Facebook community. It’s a fantastic place to ask questions. Eb answers each one personally and provides valuable feedback and ideas. You can really tell she has a background in teaching.”

Zerrin Gunaydin, Give Recipe

If that sounds like something you’d love to be a part of, head here to find out more >>> Digital Product Success Academy

More on this topic…

• 10 reasons why you should start selling digital products
• What is the best digital product to sell on a blog?
• How to build a successful digital product business: The 7 essential ingredients that will take you to $100K and beyond!
• How to finally stop living in fear of the next Google update
• How selling digital products will boost your SEO

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