{"id":1561,"date":"2024-12-24T13:22:48","date_gmt":"2024-12-24T13:22:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.stanventures.com\/news\/?p=1561"},"modified":"2025-10-29T07:28:13","modified_gmt":"2025-10-29T07:28:13","slug":"googles-search-shake-up-small-websites-struggle-to-survive","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.stanventures.com\/news\/googles-search-shake-up-small-websites-struggle-to-survive-1561\/","title":{"rendered":"Google\u2019s Search Shake-Up: Small Websites Struggle to Survive"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Recent changes to Google\u2019s search algorithm are creating a storm for smaller websites, many of which are finding it harder than ever to compete.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>With Google controlling over <a href=\"https:\/\/gs.statcounter.com\/search-engine-market-share\">86%<\/a> of global internet searches, the company\u2019s updates\u2014like the recent \u201chelpful content update\u201d\u2014are reshaping the digital landscape, not always for the better.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>While Google aims to prioritize content \u201cby humans, for humans,\u201d these changes are having unintended consequences that are leaving small creators in the dust.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-1562\" src=\"https:\/\/www.stanventures.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Googles-Search-Updates-Are-Squeezing-Out-Small-Sites.jpg\" alt=\"Google\u2019s Search Shake-Up: Small Websites Struggle to Survive\" width=\"1792\" height=\"1024\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.stanventures.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Googles-Search-Updates-Are-Squeezing-Out-Small-Sites.jpg 1792w, https:\/\/www.stanventures.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Googles-Search-Updates-Are-Squeezing-Out-Small-Sites-300x171.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.stanventures.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Googles-Search-Updates-Are-Squeezing-Out-Small-Sites-1024x585.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1792px) 100vw, 1792px\" \/><\/p>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_83 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-transparent ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\"><\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.stanventures.com\/news\/googles-search-shake-up-small-websites-struggle-to-survive-1561\/#small-creators-feeling-the-impact\" >Small Creators Feeling the Impact<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.stanventures.com\/news\/googles-search-shake-up-small-websites-struggle-to-survive-1561\/#the-quality-vs-spam-dilemma\" >The Quality vs. Spam Dilemma<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.stanventures.com\/news\/googles-search-shake-up-small-websites-struggle-to-survive-1561\/#google-responds-but-creators-remain-skeptical\" >Google Responds, But Creators Remain Skeptical<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.stanventures.com\/news\/googles-search-shake-up-small-websites-struggle-to-survive-1561\/#my-take-googles-responsibility\" >My Take: Google\u2019s Responsibility<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.stanventures.com\/news\/googles-search-shake-up-small-websites-struggle-to-survive-1561\/#whats-next-for-creators\" >What\u2019s Next for Creators?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.stanventures.com\/news\/googles-search-shake-up-small-websites-struggle-to-survive-1561\/#key-takeaways\" >Key Takeaways<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"small-creators-feeling-the-impact\"><\/span><b>Small Creators Feeling the Impact<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>According to an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnet.com\/tech\/services-and-software\/google-search-changes-are-killing-websites-in-an-age-of-ai-spam\/\">article<\/a> published by CNET, Brandon Saltalamacchia, the creator of the handheld gaming site Retro Dodo, has experienced this <a href=\"https:\/\/retrododo.com\/google-is-killing-retro-dodo\/\">challenge<\/a> up close.<\/p>\n<p>After the algorithm update in September 2023, his website\u2019s traffic dropped by a staggering 90%. What was once a thriving platform is now barely holding on.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Saltalamacchia has had to lay off his entire team except for his editor-in-chief, Sebastian Santabarbara. Despite investing his personal savings to keep the site afloat, he\u2019s frustrated with the lack of clear solutions.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Nobody knows what\u2019s going on,&#8221; he says, reflecting on the contradictory advice he\u2019s received from SEO experts. Saltalamacchia\u2019s experience is not unique.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Thousands of small site owners are grappling with similar challenges as larger, well-established outlets seem to benefit from the changes. The question remains: who truly gains from these updates?<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"the-quality-vs-spam-dilemma\"><\/span><b>The Quality vs. Spam Dilemma<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Google says its updates are designed to weed out spam and low-quality content. The changes include <a href=\"https:\/\/www.stanventures.com\/news\/the-ups-and-downs-of-googles-ai-overviews-what-it-means-for-seo-604\/\">AI-generated summaries<\/a> at the top of search pages, which often push other content further down. But many argue these efforts are hurting genuine, high-quality creators.<\/p>\n<p>For instance, Nate Hake, founder of the travel site Travel Lemming, saw his traffic drop by 94% in 2023. Google\u2019s &#8220;From Sources Across the Web&#8221; feature, which aggregates snippets from multiple sites, has overshadowed his carefully crafted listicles.<\/p>\n<p>Here is a screenshot of Travel Lemming\u2019s search traffic figures:<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-1563\" src=\"https:\/\/www.stanventures.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/travel-lemming.webp\" alt=\"Travel Lemming\u2019s search traffic figures\" width=\"1200\" height=\"488\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.stanventures.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/travel-lemming.webp 1200w, https:\/\/www.stanventures.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/travel-lemming-300x122.webp 300w, https:\/\/www.stanventures.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/travel-lemming-1024x416.webp 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&#8220;[Google] just completely upended the whole ecosystem,&#8221; says Hake. He\u2019s also had to deal with tactics like &#8220;parasite SEO&#8221; and AI-assisted plagiarism. In one case, reputable sites like the Miami Herald allegedly copied content from Travel Lemming, further eroding its visibility.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">Parasite SEO is taking over travel.<\/p>\n<p>This post is AI written &amp; clearly spun in part from our own content. Zero EEAT. Promotes adult sites.<\/p>\n<p>This parasite outranks Travel Lemming\u2019s written by locals &amp; 100% human guides.<\/p>\n<p>Is this what \u201chelpful\u201d means to Google <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/searchliaison?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@searchliaison<\/a>? <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/vjInOnrxEQ\">pic.twitter.com\/vjInOnrxEQ<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Nate Hake (@natejhake) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/natejhake\/status\/1731196503262429466?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">December 3, 2023<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"google-responds-but-creators-remain-skeptical\"><\/span><b>Google Responds, But Creators Remain Skeptical<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Google has made efforts to address concerns, including a March 2023 update targeting spam and a meeting with creators in October.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>However, these steps have not reassured everyone. Gisele Navarro, managing editor of the air quality review site HouseFresh, <a href=\"https:\/\/housefresh.com\/david-vs-digital-goliaths\/\">describes<\/a> her experience as disheartening.<\/p>\n<p>HouseFresh\u2019s traffic plummeted after Google\u2019s Product Reviews Update, which was meant to promote genuine reviews. Yet, larger sites with less thorough testing processes continued to dominate search rankings.<\/p>\n<p>Joshua Tyler, founder of Giant Freakin\u2019 Robot, was similarly frustrated. After attending the October meeting, he <a href=\"https:\/\/www.giantfreakinrobot.com\/tech\/google-creators-event.html\">criticized<\/a> Google\u2019s lack of accountability.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Further questions were met with indifference,&#8221; he said, pointing out that Google seemed unaware of the broader impact its updates were having.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"my-take-googles-responsibility\"><\/span><b>My Take: Google\u2019s Responsibility<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>As someone who closely follows the tech world, I believe this moment is pivotal for creators and consumers. Google\u2019s decisions have the power to shape the internet, but the company\u2019s lack of transparency is troubling. If Google truly values quality content, it needs to work more openly with creators and ensure its algorithms are fair.<\/p>\n<p>At the same time, the rise of alternatives like TikTok and AI tools such as ChatGPT shows that users are exploring other ways to find information. Google\u2019s actions should focus on fairness and accessibility\u2014not just maintaining its dominance.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"whats-next-for-creators\"><\/span><b>What\u2019s Next for Creators?<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The battle between creators and Google\u2019s algorithms is far from over. Many creators are diversifying their platforms, turning to YouTube, paid search engines, and direct audience engagement through newsletters and social media. While the future is uncertain, one thing is clear: adaptability will be key.<\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019re a creator, focus on building a loyal audience and producing authentic, high-value content. Diversify your traffic sources to reduce reliance on Google. While these steps won\u2019t eliminate the challenges, they can help mitigate the risks.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"key-takeaways\"><\/span><b>Key Takeaways<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\">Google\u2019s updates are drastically reducing traffic for smaller websites, forcing many to scale back or shut down.<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\">Efforts to combat spam are inadvertently disadvantaging legitimate, human-created work.<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\">Small site owners struggle with Google\u2019s opaque ranking system and inconsistent updates.<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\">Practices like parasite SEO and AI plagiarism are making it harder for genuine creators to compete.<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\">Building direct audience relationships and diversifying platforms are crucial for surviving these changes.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Recent changes to Google\u2019s search algorithm are creating a storm for smaller websites, many of which are finding it harder than ever to compete.\u00a0 With Google controlling over 86% of global internet searches, the company\u2019s updates\u2014like the recent \u201chelpful content update\u201d\u2014are reshaping the digital landscape, not always for the better.\u00a0 While Google aims to prioritize [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1562,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1561","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-seo"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Google\u2019s Search Shake-Up: Small Websites Struggle to Survive - Stan Ventures<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Google\u2019s search updates are reshaping the web, leaving small websites struggling. 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Explore the impact on creators.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.stanventures.com\/news\/googles-search-shake-up-small-websites-struggle-to-survive-1561\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Stan Ventures\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/StanVentures\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2024-12-24T13:22:48+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-10-29T07:28:13+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.stanventures.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Googles-Search-Updates-Are-Squeezing-Out-Small-Sites.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1792\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1024\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Dileep Thekkethil\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@dthekkethil\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@stanventures\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Dileep Thekkethil\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.stanventures.com\\\/news\\\/googles-search-shake-up-small-websites-struggle-to-survive-1561\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.stanventures.com\\\/news\\\/googles-search-shake-up-small-websites-struggle-to-survive-1561\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Dileep Thekkethil\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.stanventures.com\\\/news\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/87d00ff18daf9650e7c925ae4bf86efb\"},\"headline\":\"Google\u2019s Search Shake-Up: Small Websites Struggle to Survive\",\"datePublished\":\"2024-12-24T13:22:48+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-10-29T07:28:13+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.stanventures.com\\\/news\\\/googles-search-shake-up-small-websites-struggle-to-survive-1561\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":805,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.stanventures.com\\\/news\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.stanventures.com\\\/news\\\/googles-search-shake-up-small-websites-struggle-to-survive-1561\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.stanventures.com\\\/news\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2024\\\/12\\\/Googles-Search-Updates-Are-Squeezing-Out-Small-Sites.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"SEO\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.stanventures.com\\\/news\\\/googles-search-shake-up-small-websites-struggle-to-survive-1561\\\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.stanventures.com\\\/news\\\/googles-search-shake-up-small-websites-struggle-to-survive-1561\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.stanventures.com\\\/news\\\/googles-search-shake-up-small-websites-struggle-to-survive-1561\\\/\",\"name\":\"Google\u2019s Search Shake-Up: Small Websites Struggle to Survive - Stan Ventures\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.stanventures.com\\\/news\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.stanventures.com\\\/news\\\/googles-search-shake-up-small-websites-struggle-to-survive-1561\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.stanventures.com\\\/news\\\/googles-search-shake-up-small-websites-struggle-to-survive-1561\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.stanventures.com\\\/news\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2024\\\/12\\\/Googles-Search-Updates-Are-Squeezing-Out-Small-Sites.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2024-12-24T13:22:48+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-10-29T07:28:13+00:00\",\"description\":\"Google\u2019s search updates are reshaping the web, leaving small websites struggling. 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