Deemphasizing Links as a Ranking Factor
One of the key changes is that Google core update 2024 appears to be deemphasizing the role of links in its ranking algorithm. This is evidenced by two things:
- The removal of the word “important” when describing links as a factor for determining page relevance in Google’s Spam Explainer document. Previously it stated links were an “important factor”, but now just says they are “a factor.”
- A statement from Google’s Gary Illyes at Pubcon Austin 2023 that links aren’t even in the top 3 most important ranking signals anymore.
The combination of removing that strong descriptor of “important” from the documentation about links, along with Illyes’ comment downplaying their significance, signals that Google Update 2024 is likely giving links less weight as a ranking factor in this core update.
Content Created for Link Manipulation
Google core Update 2024 has added a new sentence calling out “Creating low-value content primarily for the purposes of manipulating linking and ranking signals” as an example of unacceptable link manipulation tactics.
This appears to be aimed at practices like Private Blog Networks (PBNs), where networks of low-quality sites are created solely to link back to a target site in an attempt to boost its rankings. By calling out “low-value content” created just for links, Google core update 2024 is clamping down on these artificial link manipulation schemes.
Scrutinizing Outgoing Links
A new addition states that Google’s algorithms will consider “any behavior that manipulates links to your site or outgoing links from your site” as potential link spam.
Previously, Google’s focus was primarily on policing inbound, incoming links as manipulation vectors. But now they are making it clear that sites attempting to boost rankings through manipulative outgoing links practices will also be targeted by their spam detection systems.
Expired Domain Repurposing
The update introduces a new signal related to “expired domain abuse” where an expired domain is repurposed in a very different way than its previous use, likely in an attempt to manipulate search rankings.
Some examples Google provides are things like an affiliate site on a former government domain, a commercial medical site on an old non-profit domain, or a casino site on a past elementary school domain – essentially looking for dramatic shifts in how the domain is repurposed compared to its history.
This signal appears aimed at curtailing a tactic where domains with an established history and external links are purchased solely to leverage that link equity for an entirely different commercial use by repurposing the domain.
Ambiguity and Ongoing Rollout
As with many major algorithm google updates, Google describes some of these new link-related changes in fairly ambiguous terms, likely to avoid providing too many specifics that could be exploited.
Additionally, this March 2024 Google core update will take about a month to fully roll out across its systems. So the full impact and precise targeting of these new link signals may not be apparent immediately.
Conclusion
The overall takeaway is that March 2024 Core Update is taking a harder stance against various link manipulation schemes – from low-quality content just for links, to repurposing old domains, to scrutinizing not just inbound but also outbound linking patterns. Sites engaging in such tactics are likely to see a negative impact from this core update’s changes to link signals and rankings.
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