For the first time in what feels like forever, Google Search tracking tools are finally showing normal levels of activity. While some people are still noticing changes in their search rankings—both up and down—overall, things seem to have settled.
December was an intense month for search updates, and the chaos carried into early January 2025. But now, over the past few days, the tools are reflecting a much-needed cooldown.
Here’s a quick recap of the last month:
- The November 2024 core update wrapped up in December.
- The December 2024 core update started and finished.
- The December 2024 spam update also began and ended.
Despite these updates being over, things stayed volatile until recently. Add to that the Google local ranking bug from last weekend, which Google hasn’t addressed, and it’s been a hectic time for SEOs.
Now, though, the dust seems to be settling.
SEO Tools
Here’s what the latest SEO tools are reporting:
Since Saturday, January 11th, almost all the tracking tools have shown a significant drop in volatility, suggesting things have calmed down considerably.
While SEO chatter continues, it’s much quieter than in previous weeks, which adds to the sense that things are settling.
But is this just the calm before the storm? Should we be bracing for something big? With more core updates expected in 2025 than in previous years, it’s certainly possible.
What are you noticing in your rankings and traffic?
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