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Some things in life are constant – Google rankings aren’t one of them.
If you’ve been paying attention (or just reading this website), you’ve likely noticed that rankings are becoming increasingly unstable. Industry veterans, with years of context, may feel this shift the most.
That’s why I believe SEO is evolving into something new.
What that means – and whether the industry is adapting well – is a discussion for another time (TL;DR: we’re not doing great, but we’re not failing either. Change is hard).
One key driver of this shift is SERP instability.
What I’d like to do here is explore that notion and give some concrete facts.
The average level of volatility in 2024
Rank was 26% more volatile in 2024 than in 2023.
It’s not as simple as it sounds, which is why we’ll look at multiple metrics to create a data picture as best we can.
However, if you looked at how much rank volatility increased in 2024 and compared it to how much it either increased or decreased in 2023, the answer would be 26% – at least on desktop.
Now, that’s not universal across every sector of the web.
For example, as you can see above, certain niche industries saw far higher volatility increases in 2024 relative to 2023.
If your site helps folks relish information about their favorite snack, it might be over 50% more volatile (for the record, relish is no one’s favorite snack).
However, what was almost universal was that all but one of the vertical’s Semrush tracks saw an increase in rank volatility in 2024:
All but one vertical (Real Estate) saw what I would call a “noticeable” increase in rank volatility over the course of 2024 compared to 2023 (which itself was “noticeable”).
I want to highlight that the data shows average volatility – already high in 2023 and even higher in 2024 (except for Real Estate).
In general, the numbers across devices are close enough that it doesn’t justify wasting your time.
In this case, the difference between devices was clear – a full 10 percentage points.
While the desktop SERP was 26% more volatile in 2024 than in 2023, the mobile SERP was “only” 16% more volatile.
The disparity between devices continued all the way down to the niche level.
On desktop, the Health vertical, for example, was not one of the niches that saw the most increased volatility in 2024. On mobile, as shown above, it clearly was.
That’s not because keywords associated with the medical field were so much more volatile on mobile.
The numbers for the Health niche are quite similar across devices. The disparity is largely due to other verticals having higher rates of volatility in 2023 on mobile than on desktop:
If you look at ecommerce, the vertical had literally the same level of rank volatility on both desktop and mobile in 2024. However, on mobile, the volatility average was 5 points higher.
The gap between the mobile and desktop volatility increase is due to the higher levels of mobile volatility in 2023, which resulted in less of an increase relative to 2024.
However, the levels of absolute volatility are the same across devices. (Again, using the Shopping vertical, the average volatility was at 8.5/10 on both devices in 2024.)
By the way, a volatility score of 8.5 is out of this world.
All these numbers, when factoring in the volatility levels in 2023 and then the increase of them in 2024, are out of this world.
Is increased rank volatility a lasting trend or a temporary spike?
An increase in average volatility in 2024 doesn’t tell the whole story.
We need to determine if a single event skewed the data – perhaps one or two months of extreme volatility.
The answer? No.
Volatility in 2024 was widespread. Except for July (and to some extent August), the year was consistently more volatile from the start.
July 2023 is interesting to recall because there was no official update.
The volatility you see above in July 2023 was the result of an odd and ongoing period of extreme rank volatility that happened around the middle of that month:
Image courtesy of Search Engine Roundtable
The upshot and the importance of the data is that it means we’re not just in a more volatile rank period that may or may not abate.
Rather, it would appear we’re in a new scenario of what volatility on the SERP looks like.
I can only speculate that it will get worse as Google has been reported to say they are moving to continuous and ongoing algorithm updates.
How drastic is drastic?
Another question neither the average level of volatility nor the volatility trends answer is how volatile?
Meaning, how drastic is the rank movement?
It’s entirely possible that smaller micromovements are a big part of the more volatile SERP (which, for the record, was already incredibly volatile for years – more on that later).
Standard deviation is one of the best metrics to measure rank volatility.
When you look at the baseline and how far off the volatility is, rank volatility is noticeably less drastic:
Every vertical saw a decrease in the standard deviation relative to 2023, aside from one (and the “news” SERP is its own beast).
Now we have a scenario where the “amount” of volatility increased, but the extent of the movement itself decreased relative to 2023.
Do not mistake that for “Oh, rank isn’t fluctuating in a drastic manner.” It’s relative to 2023, not in absolute.
If we take the Dolorean to 88 mph, we’ll see that back in 2021 standard deviation, outside of News, ranged between 1.15 and 1.69:
That range in 2024 (again outside of News) is 1.3 – 2.5. Rank is not “less volatile” over time.
The average level of rank fluctuation may not be as drastic as in 2023, but as a paradigm, we are not even close to the levels seen in 2021 and have surpassed the higher extremes of rank movement seen in 2020.
Back in 2020, we were looking at standard deviations above 1. Now, we’re talking about deviants above 2 (of which I have four above 2 at home).
We can still pull back another layer.
Is the reason the standard deviation is higher overall related to a few strong spikes of colossal rank volatility?
That doesn’t appear to be the case.
The above graph shows a narrowing of the gap between the minimum and maximum levels of volatility.
The difference between minimum and maximum volatility in 2023 was 8.1 points, down to 7.2 in 2024.
That’s a less drastic “spiking” of max volatility (relatively speaking).
There are two (if not more) possible reasons for this:
The minimum score was higher, meaning we started at a higher level of volatility, which would make the gap between the minimum and maximum levels of volatility narrower.
There were fewer large spikes but overall more “less drastic” rank movement so the levels just never got as high in 2024. Thus, the gap between the minimum and maximum levels of volatility is narrower.
If you look at all the data together (see, there’s a method to my madness), some signs point to more volatility that is less drastic overall.
Why?
The average amount of volatility is up in 2024.
The rank movement is less drastic overall in 2024 (see standard deviation).
Thus, to apply Occam’s Razor (which has nothing to do with actual razors), the most likely scenario behind the narrowed gap between minimum and maximum volatility is that the volatility, while more frequent, did not get as many “highs” as it did in 2023.
However, the counterargument would be the month-by-month volatility trends we saw above (adding here again for convenience), which show that the jump in the amount of volatility was steeper in 2023 than in 2024:
It’s not hard to see. August 2023 and August 2024 show just about the same levels of volatility. But look where the amount of volatility started in 2023, far lower than in 2024.
One might speculate that if the amount of volatility spiked like it did in 2023, so did the levels of volatility.
This is a fancy way of saying, I don’t know – which I am not supposed to say in official SEO articles. (So you didn’t read that).
But it also brings me to my next data point. The pivots are so good here it feels like a podcast.
Things are volatile, but who’s counting?
Me.
I am counting.
Did you know that Semrush only recorded 15 days or low volatility in 2024?
Of course, not. Who would actually know that off the top of their heads? That’s just weird.
But it’s true.
On desktop, there were just 15 days of low volatility and just 83 days of “normal” volatility.
For the record, yes, 2024 has 366 days, not 365. It was a leap year. I know how to add numbers.
So, just assume there is one less day of high volatility to make yourself feel better.
By the way, that means a 64% reduction in the number of days of low volatility in 2024 and a 39% reduction in days of normal volatility.
Conversely, there was a 19% increase in “high volatility” days in 2024 and an absolutely massive increase of 80% in “very high volatility” days!
Slightly different on mobile with a few more days of low volatility throughout 2024 (although the number of high volatility days was the same):
However, there were 12 fewer “very high” volatility days on mobile in 2024, so that’s good.
But mainly, none of it is good.
Roughly 78% of 2024 was volatile, with 36% of the year being very volatile (desktop). That feels like a nightmare. For many, it was and still is.
More volatility? Who freaking cares?! (Or as most Search Engine Land articles put it: why we care)
You.
At least you should. Our conception of what Google is as a marketing channel is starting to shift.
First, the results are less than stellar at times.
I was Googling a medical condition, and I was forced to choose between the same content from different websites such as the Mayo Clinic, Web MD, whatever, or Reddit.
That’s like having to choose between strawberry ice cream or strawberry ice cream with nuts.
Then there’s the whole LLM thing, AI search engines and AIOs, AI-generated content, AI something whatever, and yada, yada, yada.
And then, on top of that, content consumption trends have totally changed IMHO (they’re constantly changing, BTW).
Oh, and I forgot about Reddit being firehosed into the SERP. (Would you like sprinkles on that ice cream?)
On top of all of that, the SERP is a heap of volatility. That’s a lot.
It’s like Thanksgiving dinner with your family and your in-laws, and all that’s being served is boiled tofu.
Also, they don’t have a TV, so you can’t watch football, and they don’t have beer; they have Zima from 1992.
So what should you do about it?
I didn’t say I was giving advice; I was just showing why you should care.
What you should do about it is a whole other conversation. And yeah, it goes far beyond “diversify your channels” or “aim for owned audiences.”
Personally, I think it means taking a very hard look at how we approach audiences and resonate with them.
https://i0.wp.com/dubadosolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Top-categories-by-volatility-change-2024-vs-2023-rnfGgz.png?fit=1600%2C1079&ssl=110791600http://dubadosolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/dubado-logo-1.png2025-02-03 15:00:002025-02-03 15:00:00How volatile have Google rankings really been?
Different timeframes: Instead of simply 30-day website visitors, test 10-day, 60-day, 90-day, or 180-day audiences based on your industry and website traffic.
365-day audiences: Ideal for remarketing annual products or services, such as trips, holidays, or Black Friday deals, to previous customers.
Page-specific visitors: Retarget users who visited key pages, like pricing, by setting up “Page location” contains “your specific URL.”
Converted audiences: Target users for other products or exclude them from campaigns based on completed purchases or form submissions.
New visitors: Show ads only to new users, excluding repeat visitors.
Traffic sources: Use audiences from other platforms, like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, or large newsletter lists, by applying Templates > Acquisition > First user source, campaign, or medium.
Additional advanced options include:
Inactive users: Retarget users who haven’t been active for a set timeframe (e.g., 7 days), or delay ads until specific events, like a free trial expiration.
Session duration: Target users who spent significant time on your website (e.g., over 1 minute) to exclude low-interest audiences.
There are three primary campaign types for targeting remarketing audiences. Let’s explore best practices for setting them up and optimizing their performance.
1. Search remarketing
Setup best practices
You can target the same remarketing audiences you’ve set up in GA4, often called RLSA (remarketing lists for search ads).
To avoid overlap, separate your search remarketing campaigns from standard search campaigns that don’t target a remarketing audience.
The simplest approach is to create a search remarketing campaign using the same and/or different keywords while excluding that remarketing audience from your standard search campaigns.
In search remarketing, you can test broader keywords, including:
Broad match terms.
Review-related queries.
Competitor names.
Since these users have already visited your site, broader targeting carries less risk.
For ad creative, you can either reuse existing ads or test unique copy tailored to search remarketing.
Choose what performs best. If using unique ads, consider adding more selling points and testimonials. Also, test different landing pages, coupons, or special deals.
For bidding, test manual bidding, max conversions, or target CPA – especially if the campaign generates a high number of conversions.
Even with higher CPCs, maximizing conversions can be worthwhile, as these users are already familiar with your brand.
Optimizing search remarketing campaigns
Optimization follows the same principles as standard search campaigns:
Test different ad copy.
Adjust ad group variations.
Experiment with new keywords.
Pause underperforming ones.
Add negative keywords.
However, avoid directly mirroring changes from your standard search campaigns. What works there won’t necessarily work in search remarketing.
You can swap out audiences as needed, but otherwise, optimization remains similar to standard search.
Regular adjustments are essential. Don’t leave it on autopilot.
When targeting different remarketing audiences, use separate ad groups or campaigns.
Avoid grouping drastically different audiences together or expanding them with “optimized targeting.”
For ads, you can reuse copy from search or banner ads or test unique messaging specific to display remarketing. Choose what delivers the best results.
With remarketing banner ads, include your logo and branding to ensure immediate recognition. Even if users don’t click, the impressions still provide branding value.
For high-traffic websites, consider testing three separate remarketing campaigns:
Desktop-only.
Tablet-only.
Mobile-only.
Combining all devices in one campaign often results in mobile traffic consuming the most clicks and budget.
Instead of blocking mobile traffic entirely or reducing bids, testing a separate mobile campaign may be more effective. Mobile clicks – especially from in-app ads – are often accidental or irrelevant.
For bidding, test manual CPC to control volume and spend or use Maximize Conversions to stop showing ads to users who don’t convert quickly.
Brands with larger budgets aiming for long-term visibility may benefit from manual bidding to maximize touchpoints and reinforce brand presence.
Be cautious with Maximize Clicks bidding. This strategy may favor high-click placements, such as mobile games, where accidental clicks can waste budget.
Optimizing display remarketing campaigns
Optimization follows the same principles as standard display campaigns.
Regularly review placements – especially apps, games, celebrity gossip, quizzes, and entertainment sites – to prevent wasted spend on users who aren’t in the right mindset for your product or service.
If mobile traffic dominates the budget, consider blocking it or running separate device-targeted campaigns.
Continuously test ads to determine which ones drive the most conversions or relevant clicks.
If an ad underperforms with a remarketing audience, replace it.
Avoid leaving display remarketing campaigns on autopilot. Ongoing adjustments are key to maintaining effectiveness.
For remarketing, the simplest option is Video Views, which supports skippable in-stream ads, in-feed ads, and Shorts ads using CPV (cost per view) bidding.
This is the easiest way to retarget past website visitors or YouTube channel viewers.
For larger budgets, consider Video Efficient Reach, which allows CPM (cost per thousand impressions) bidding and supports unskippable ads.
Brands focused on reach may also use Non-Skippable Reach if that format aligns with their goals.
When setting up the campaign, consider disablingTV screen targeting unless you have a large brand and budget.
Most advertisers prefer engagement beyond just branding, so blocking TV placements can help allocate spend more effectively.
The Drive Conversions subtype for video campaigns is transitioning to Demand Gen in early 2025.
If you don’t want to expand into Gmail and Discovery ads, it’s best to focus on Video Views for remarketing.
Optimizing video remarketing campaigns
Video remarketing follows the same optimization principles as display remarketing and non-remarketing video campaigns.
Regularly review and block irrelevant placements, including:
Video placements.
YouTube channels.
Topics.
Apps.
Entertainment content.
Video ads often waste budget on kids’ videos, unrelated apps, or entertainment channels. Make sure to continuously block irrelevant placements
If mobile traffic dominates the budget with little to no results, consider blocking it to improve campaign efficiency.
Advanced remarketing strategies
For advanced users, enhance remarketing by layering audience targeting with relevant placements, topics, and keywords simultaneously.
This ensures your remarketing ads appear to past website visitors while they browse specific websites, YouTube channels, or content related to your targeted topics or keywords.
For example, if you offer retirement planning services, you can target previous website visitors while they visit financial or retirement-related websites or view relevant topics.
This strategy works for both display and video campaigns.
You can also handpick high-authority financial or retirement websites and layer them with your remarketing audience for more precise targeting.
It’s important to note that adding a remarketing audience to a Performance Max campaign is not true remarketing.
Performance Max uses remarketing audiences as a signal – a starting point to find similar users – rather than exclusively targeting past visitors.
It will expand beyond that audience based on Google’s machine learning.
By leveraging advanced remarketing and optimization techniques, you can achieve significantly better results than default remarketing strategies.
https://i0.wp.com/dubadosolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/How-to-maximize-your-Google-Ads-remarketing-campaigns-800x450-vI9ez8.png?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1450800http://dubadosolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/dubado-logo-1.png2025-02-03 14:20:352025-02-03 14:20:35How to maximize your Google Ads remarketing campaigns
Google Product Studio is now available within Google Business Profiles. This allows you to edit the background scenes of your products within your local listing using Google’s AI features. Product studio is already available within Google services including Google Merchant Center and Google Ads, and is now available within Google Business Profiles.
More details. Google community manager, Kara, posted about this news in the Google Business Profile forums and wrote:
“We’re excited to announce that you can now change the background scene of your product with Product Studio, a generative AI tool which helps you create engaging imagery to showcase your products.”
Here is what the feature looks like in my account – it says “Transform your product images with Al Quickly generate lifestyle scenes. To get started, upload a product image and select a theme.”
How it works. Google has a more detailed help document on this feature over here but here is how to quickly access this feature in your Business Profile.
To generate a scene for your product, click Edit productsGet started.
Select the image you want to edit.
Wait until the background from your image is removed.
Select a theme for your product.
Choose a generated image from the editor.
If you’re satisfied with the image, click Add image to product.
You’ll receive a confirmation to save the image, click OK.
Once you saved the generated image for your product, from the product editor:
Fill out the fields in the form.
To submit your product, click Publish.
US only. Google did not that “Only merchants in the US can use scene generation in product editor.” Google added, “When you use Product Studio, you agree to the Terms of Service (TOS).”
Why we care. If you manage products within your Google Business Profile account, quickly being able to make those products look more appealing to searchers might be a great thing to increase conversions and sales. Of course, you want to make sure you are happy with how Google’s AI improves your images and only accept changes that you feel will make a positive change to those images.
https://i0.wp.com/dubadosolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/gbp-product-studio-ai-xRAKWC.png?fit=1382%2C1678&ssl=116781382http://dubadosolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/dubado-logo-1.png2025-02-03 12:29:152025-02-03 12:29:15Product studio now available within Google Business Profiles
Affordable Excellence: Just $299 per Master Class.
Exclusive Perks: Earn a certificate of completion to showcase your knowledge.
No Travel Hassles: Join from anywhere — no plane tickets or hotels needed.
Get started.