On March 7, 2017, website administrators, site owners, and search engine optimization (SEO) experts went into a frenzy. Many websites experienced a substantial decline in traffic overnight. Panicked SEOs scrambled to reassure their clients, some of whom had lost up to 90% of their traffic.

This is how many people learned about the latest major Google algorithm update, which was dubbed the “Fred” update, the name jokingly given to the update by webmaster analytics guru Gary Illyes. Google regularly modifies and updates its search algorithms. However, very few updates have the kind of instantaneous effect that Fred did. Now, nearly half a year after Fred’s implementation, some websites are still struggling to recover their lost traffic – some, but not all. This article will take an in-depth look at the Google Fred update. We will investigate its immediate and long-term effects, its intended goal, and what you can do to prepare for and mitigate possible traffic losses as a result of future updates.

What Exactly Was the Google Fred Update?

The Fred update, implemented on March 7, 2017, was a modification to Google’s search ranking algorithms. Google initially decided not to publicize the upgrade. When SEOs and webmasters checked their analytics data on March 8, this lack of warning caused many of them to panic. Even though the update’s consequences have reverberated throughout the search marketing media landscape, Google has yet to formally acknowledge the Fred update.

What Was the Goal of Google’s Fred Update?

Unsurprisingly, Google is hesitant to explain the reasoning behind the Google Fred update, as it has been with prior major updates such as the Hummingbird update, which was released in September 2015. However, many SEOs assume that quality was the primary driver for Fred, specifically how aggressive monetization strategies utilized by some websites were, in Google’s opinion, harming its users’ experience.

Image via Tydal Wave Creative

Which Websites Were Most Affected by Fred?

Following Fred, many SEOs began investigating which websites had been most severely impacted by the update. While Google has yet to substantiate any of the assumptions surrounding its most recent algorithm update, there is considerable evidence to support the notion that Fred was meant to penalize websites that prioritized monetization over user experience. In an analysis of 100 websites affected by the Fred update, Barry Schwartz discovered that the vast majority of the websites he examined had common characteristics, notably that they were all largely content-driven and had intrusive advertising placement.

Image via The Verge Of course, these characteristics could apply to millions of websites, yet millions of websites were not destroyed by the Fred update. So, what went wrong? The data certainly suggests that websites that prioritize monetization over user experience were hit the hardest, particularly those with a large amount of advertising inventory and thin, arguably useless content. Schwartz’s theory about the link between the Fred update and aggressive monetization held true. In his research report, Schwartz observed that webmasters of numerous websites indicated traffic gains after removing or significantly lowering their ad inventory, reinforcing the link between unethical advertising methods and traffic penalties. Interestingly, not all webmasters saw significant traffic drops following the implementation of the Fred update. Some, in fact, witnessed remarkable traffic increases, with some seeing rises of more than 100% after the release, as Glenn Gabe noted in his write-up at G-Squared Interactive. The images above show Google Analytics data from one of Gabe’s clients. Rather than a drop in traffic, this website owner observed a stunning 125% rise in traffic overnight.

Images via Glenn Gabe/G-Squared Interactive What is truly remarkable, however, is that this significant traffic surge was not the consequence of SEO efforts undertaken on or around March 7, 2017 – it had been done long before Fred was released. This suggests, as Schwartz pointed out in his study, that Fred was not a drastic overnight shift, but rather a significant fine-tuning of previously existing algorithmic adjustments.

What Exactly Is “Aggressive Monetization” That Fred Targeted?

Few experts, particularly working SEOs, have been transparent about the types of websites most affected by the Fred update. After all, naming and shaming websites with poor advertising is not exactly conducive to professional self-preservation. Some SEOs have, however, described some of the difficulties their clients encountered after Fred was released, which should serve as a cautionary tale to website owners who are tempted to take shortcuts in the pursuit of profit. Barry Schwartz compiled a list of roughly 20 unique URLs that site owners of websites severely impacted by Fred had provided to him for research. Schwartz was quick to point out that not all of the websites shared with him (privately or otherwise) prioritized monetization over user experience, but many did. Several of the websites mentioned in Schwartz’s report were portal sites, as illustrated below:

An example of a portal site that was negatively impacted by the Google Fred update, via Barry Schwartz

Fred Targeted Low-Quality Backlinks

According to evidence, it wasn’t just excessive ad placement that may have resulted in traffic penalties when Fred was released. Low-quality backlinks were also a target, according to some studies. Both StatCounter and TechWyse discovered that low-quality backlinks were a recurring theme among websites severely impacted by the upgrade. This implies that backlinks to websites with low domain authority, outdated or broken links, or simply “unnatural” links were all fair game for Fred, so much so that some SEOs believe link quality is the update’s defining feature.

Link profile metrics for the nexus-security blog taken from Moz’s Open Site Explorer

How to Respond to Fred – And Future Google Updates

Fred caused significant disruption to many websites, whether as a result of low-quality links, excessive ad placement, thin content, or a combination of these factors. This, of course, might be considered beneficial to users, which is good for Google’s business. Living in constant dread of Google’s whims has long been the norm for SEOs, but there are a few things you can do to reduce the chances of your site being harmed by future algorithm modifications. If you are concerned about the possible effects of Google updates, consider the following measures.

Concentrate on the Overall Quality of Your Website

One of the most intriguing aspects of Google Fred is how some websites that were severely impacted by the update were able to recover. Glenn Gabe provided three examples of websites affected by Fred in some way in his report: one positively, one negatively, and one that falls into what Gabe refers to as “the grey area,” a middle ground where a site may not be quite where it needs to be but has also shown signs of progress. Consider this screenshot of Google Analytics traffic data for the example site in Gabe’s grey area:

Image via Glenn Gabe/G-Squared Interactive As you can see, the site was severely harmed when Fred was released. However, because the site owner had been focusing on improving the overall quality of their site according to Gabe’s advice, the site was able to nearly fully recover from the initial impact by upgrading factors such as only publishing high-quality content, correcting UX flaws, and addressing site-wide technical SEO issues. I highly advise you to read Gabe’s post to learn more about how this site made a comeback.

Do a Comprehensive Site Audit

It is critical that you understand exactly what factors could put you at risk of being penalized under future algorithmic updates before you freak out (note: this step is optional). This entails performing a comprehensive audit of your entire website. That’s correct, every single page.

Image via netsmartz There are two primary approaches to perform a site audit for SEO: you can do it yourself or you can engage an SEO specialist. For obvious reasons, the DIY approach is quite appealing. It has the potential to save you a significant amount of money and protects you from any potential embarrassment if you have been employing questionable SEO tactics. Going it alone, on the other hand, can be a significant time suck – and if you have never done an SEO audit before, you risk getting erroneous or simply misleading results.

Only Publish Content of the Highest Caliber

This should go without saying by now, but if your website is still operating on the “quantity over quality” publishing model, it is time to completely rethink your strategy. While Google’s ranking signals are still one of the world’s most closely guarded secrets, we do know that Google favors websites that provide extremely relevant, actionable content. The more relevant and valuable a site’s content is, the better the user experience will be, which is what Google desires – for both consumers and advertisers. Consistently producing high-quality content is one of the most difficult tasks any marketing team can face. Maintaining a consistent editorial calendar necessitates a significant investment of time and resources, but the rewards can be even greater. Whether your goal is to publish content daily (as we do here at the nexus-security blog) or once a week, you must concentrate on creating the finest content you can on a consistent basis. Here are some tools that you might find useful in accomplishing this:

• Our 13 Best Content Marketing Tips… Ever!
• The Best Content Marketing Tools for Creation, Promotion, Syndication & More
• What Is Long-Form Content and Why Does It Work?
• The Seriously Comprehensive Guide to B2B Content Marketing
• SEO Basics: Complete Beginner’s Guide to Search Engine Optimization

Improve Your Link Profile

Whether or not link quality was the deciding factor in the Fred update, cleaning up your link profile should be at the top of your priority list in order to prepare for future Google updates. Using Moz’s Open Site Explorer is a fantastic place to start assessing your link profile. OSE, which is offered as a free tool and on a subscription basis for more complex capabilities, can tell you which of your links are strong and from reliable sources, and which are harmful and should be removed. Removing broken and low-quality links not only protects you from penalties, but it also improves the usability of your site – something Google’s all-seeing eye appreciates.

Avoid Overloading Your Site With Online Ads

Remember the good old days when getting online meant enduring minutes of a phone being murdered and website content was virtually indistinguishable from the hideous banner ads? Yeah, that is no longer a workable option. While stuffing every available pixel of real estate on your website with advertising may be successful in driving short-term income, it also signals to Google that you are more interested in generating money than in delivering valuable, relevant content to your users. This not only makes your site much less appealing to potential clients, harming your conversion rates, but it also makes you an easy target. By all means, use any and all ad formats at your disposal to monetize your website, but proceed with caution. The more advertising you have on your site, the more likely you are to be penalized by future changes to Google’s search algorithm.

How Long Does It Take to Recover From Fred?

Unfortunately, as with so much in SEO, there is no one-size-fits-all answer, particularly when it comes to estimating how long it will take to recover from the Fred update’s negative consequences. As we saw in the previous examples, some websites were able to recover quickly, some in as little as a month or so, as seen in Glenn Gabe’s example. It is worth noting, however, that the site featured in Gabe’s example was already adhering to Gabe’s optimization recommendations when the Fred update was released, which may explain why the site recovered so quickly. Other webmasters and website owners, including a few commenters below, are still attempting to reclaim traffic lost months after the update was implemented. It is difficult to predict how long it will take for your website to recover from the Fred update. However, the sooner you address the difficulties that are thought to have been targeted by the update, the sooner you can anticipate your traffic to begin increasing again. However, the amount of effort required to recover from the abyss will be determined by a number of factors. Some websites may be able to get away with minor changes, while others may have to start from scratch.

Ready, Freddy, Go

Google updates its algorithms several times per day. The majority of these modifications are minor tweaks and updates that even the most astute SEO would overlook. That is what makes major updates like Hummingbird and Fred so newsworthy and critical to prepare for. Hopefully, your website or those of your clients were not severely harmed by Fred. If they were, you have most likely already taken steps to correct the situation. If not, keep in mind that shady SEO tactics that may have worked in the past are unlikely to be effective in the long run.