Google’s 2024 Core Update and AI Overviews in Search

November and December brought more than just a chill in the air - it brought Google's latest update - AI-generated overviews designed to deliver a greater prominence in search results.   

Google’s November 2024 Core Update was released on 11 November and finished rolling out in early December. One week later (on Friday, 12 December), Google rolled out another - December 2024 Core Update. The broad core algorithm update – of which there are typically about three or four a year – continues Google’s refinement of its search engine to improve the quality of results, reassessing how content is ranked.

These broad core updates usually take about two weeks to roll out, with changes to rankings not realised globally for up to a month or so later. It is recommended that people keep calm and wait until the algorithm update is completed before analysing traffic changes.  

But what is Google updating?

What are Core Updates?

Google’s core updates are a refinement of the search engine results pages to ensure that helpful and reliable results are being found by searchers across the globe. The changes are broad in nature, and don’t target specific sites or individual web pages. 

Other broad core updates were released in March and August this year, though some have had a more lasting impact on content creators and SEO strategies than others. 

Most notable was the Helpful Content update of August 2022, and its successor, Helpful Content update 2.0, in September 2023. Google is always keen to reward people-first content – content that is written for the user and not solely for search engines. 

Tackling poor-quality and AI-written content in the most recent Helpful Content update and in the broad core updates that followed signifies Google’s intent on keeping search engine results helpful and reliable. 

AI is affecting search, not just in content ideation and creation, but in providing results on the SERPs (Search Engine Results Pages), too. In May, Google brought in AI Overviews – and, in August, rolled this out to six new countries. 

By the end of October, Google announced, “in our largest expansion yet, we’re launching AI Overviews in more than 100 countries and making them accessible in more languages – helping you search in a whole new way, no matter what questions are on your mind.” 

The proliferation of the AIO (AI Overviews) as a search engine feature is tied to this November and December 2024 core algorithm update. There are several ways AIO, and organic search results overlap. 

What are AI Overviews (AIO)? 

AI Overviews (AIO) in the search results are like an advanced, generative Featured Snippet typically displaying an aggregation of answers taken from results in the top ten for a given query.  

This overlap between websites cited in AIO and organic search results started in September – and since the update, it’s become more volatile. Essentially, high-ranking organic search content has a high chance of appearing in an AIO citation at the top of the SERPs. We've started to see some of our optimised clients appear in AI Overviews. 

A Venn client appearing in AI Overviews.

Another Venn client appearing in AI Overviews.

It’s important to note that this can only be speculated on at this moment in time as Google hasn’t commented on the trend, though research suggests a strong correlation between AI search results and the top ten organically ranking answers. 

Google Search Console currently doesn’t distinguish between AIO clicks and traditional organic search clicks, so your site could be receiving AIO organic search traffic already.  

Receiving a citation in AIO doesn’t guarantee a click, though, as a user may find the answer they’re looking for on the SERP in what is an AI-generated summarised answer. If nothing else, a citation offers the opportunity for brand awareness. 

AI’s evolving role within search

Google is redefining the way it works with humans. Its algorithms will continue to try to keep pace with developments in AI for content creation and curation. 

However, Google’s AI Overviews have not been welcomed by publishers, broadly speaking. Not least because AIOs are seen harshly. Google re-words your content alongside your competitor’s content as part of a summary with a small, difficult-to-notice citation link to your original work.  

This is not to say that AI Overviews are not worth aiming for. The fundamentals that return your content in the AIOs are best practices for ranking good content in the traditional top ten. 

What to do now following the update 

Over the coming weeks, our Tech SEO team will be monitoring the impacts of these changes for our optimised clients. Working with our strategists and content team, we’ll help our clients monitor keyword ranking changes, organic search clicks, visibility, and conversion rates. Dips or spikes that cannot be accounted for as seasonal factors could mean that Google’s update is affecting your site negatively or positively.  

With broad core updates, Google evaluates not just individual pages for ranking but the overall site. If the November and December Core update has negatively impacted your site, improvements will need to be made across the majority of pages on your website before you see results. 

Much like the Helpful Content updates, consistent and long-term commitment to quality content will see your site’s standing in Google’s eyes improve. 

Make sure your SEO fundamentals are solid

Using thorough keyword research to inform your page title and H1, with long-tail keywords for H2s through to H4 headings, is important for structuring your content. 

Then, in the main body copy, demonstrating EEAT (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness and Trustworthiness) along with Helpful content will lead to more prominent ranking results.   

Prioritising industry expertise and genuine user value in content creation over solely keyword optimisation is the way forward. 

How does this update impact SEO in recruitment? 

If you want more brand awareness, positioning of your brand as a thought leader, and potential additional clicks through to your site, then AI Overviews are worth taking note of. 

Google’s November and December 2024 Core Update will only make way for more AI Overview opportunities. Building on the Helpful Content updates of the past, Google wants to reward sites that answer a search query helpfully and reliably, with the user at the forefront of mind. 

This means no AI-written content. Particularly in a YMYL (Your Money, Your Life) subject like recruitment, the principles of EEAT apply most strongly. 

Experience first-hand is especially rewarded. Expertise, which includes original research as well as supporting articles from reputable sources, is also important. It’s about making your content as unique and as helpful as possible. 

Authoritativeness comes from the compounding of articles written in a particular specialised area. Trustworthiness can be conveyed in the tone of voice of your writing. 

What is the future of AI Overviews?

Google’s AIOs are guaranteed to evolve as advancements in technology, changing user perceptions, and regulation shape their development. 

There may be increased personalisation, as AI Overviews deliver more helpful and reliable results based on users’ search history, behaviour and context.  

Dynamic updates in the form of real-time breaking news, location-specific information, or recent changes to relevant information could also become prevalent. 

Accuracy and trustworthiness are going to be more important than ever, so stronger fact-checking mechanisms need to be in place to reduce misinformation. 

Bias will be mitigated as AI trains on a greater variety of sources, allowing for more balanced perspectives in AIOs. 

As Google is already favouring first-hand experience, the search engine is likely to continue to prioritise quality, credible, and authoritative sources and original research over low-quality or derivative content. 

Future AIOs will also likely include rich media summaries (an advancement of Google’s current Rich Results). AI could process and interpret complex datasets, charts or other visualisations directly into search overviews, simplifying dense information. 

Interactive elements like video, infographics and audio snippets should make results even more engaging, too. Summarisation options may become available, such as choosing between concise and detailed or biased-neutral overviews. 

Continuous innovation in AI models could mean that search engines better understand not just keywords but also the deeper intent, emotion and context behind user queries. 

What’s for sure is that AI Overviews are not going away. They will evolve through real-world user interactions and become more intuitive and accurate over time. 

Don't miss out on optimisation opportunities

We hope the insight on Google’s latest November and December core update and AI Overviews (AIOs) will help to better inform your own strategies.  

 The key takeaways from the update include: 

• Google will continue to prioritise people-first content as opposed to content created just for search engines. 
• Content will need to be high-quality, unique and follow the principles of EEAT. 
• Long-tail, informational search queries hold the best opportunities for AIOs. 
• Strategies must be well-planned with content thoroughly researched, not just in terms of keyword research but also what will provide your users with value and match intent. 

With the update finalising rolling out, your agency must keep an eye on the search results to ensure your content is seen by your target audience and that your website performs well in SERPs. Our recommendation is to follow the data on your content from Google Search Console and Google Analytics. Audit your content – whether landing pages or blog posts – checking position, organic search clicks and conversions. Take time to read more on Google AI Overviews and review your organic search performance.   

By not continuing to produce helpful content demonstrating EEAT with sound technical SEO foundations, you will risk missing out on the opportunity to appear in the top ten search results and AI Overviews for relevant search queries. 

Don’t worry, we get it. With all the other day-to-day duties of running an emerging or established agency, we appreciate that finding the time and resources to optimise your website in line with Google’s latest update is easier said than done.  

Thankfully, you don’t have to tackle this alone. Our team of SEO specialists are on hand to help you monitor the update and its impact on AIOs and the wider search results for your recruitment website.  

So, if you believe your site has been affected by this recent Google update or would like to learn more about our content optimisation and strategies to help attract more targeted organic search visitors (including in AI Overviews), get in touch with one of our SEO specialists today.