Google’s December Update & How We’re Keeping Your SEO on Track
How we’re shaping SEO strategy beyond rankings as search continues to evolve
Hi H Client!
This week, we’re sharing how Google’s December core algorithm update may be showing up in your organic visibility as we move into the new year, and how we’re evaluating what actually matters versus what’s temporary.
Rather than reacting to short-term ranking movement, our focus is on separating meaningful performance signals from normal seasonal fluctuation. That approach helps keep your SEO strategy stable and positioned for long-term growth even as search behavior continues to evolve.
Google Algorithm Update: What You Need to Know
Google rolled out a core algorithm update on December 11. Since then, our team has been actively monitoring how it's affecting visibility across the lawn, landscape, and outdoor living space — with a specific focus on what impacts your business.
Here's what we're tracking:
Your most important search terms and whether changes are tied to the update or to normal winter seasonality
Year-over-year performance comparisons, not just month-to-month movement
Which specific pages gained or lost visibility, since different services often respond differently
Competitor movement, because rankings always shift relative to the full local market
This approach helps avoid overreacting to short-term noise and keeps decisions grounded in trends that influence leads and revenue.
How Your Visibility Is Being Evaluated Beyond Rankings
Traditional keyword rankings no longer tell the full story. As search evolves, how your business is discovered and validated matters just as much as where a keyword sits on a given day.
Alongside monitoring the update, we’re continuing to refine how your organic visibility is measured by:
Evaluating entity signals and service-level visibility tied to how Google understands your business
Monitoring AI-influenced search behavior and discovery paths alongside traditional search behavior
Looking at how users are finding businesses like yours across multiple entry points
This allows us to keep your strategy grounded in how people are actually searching today, not just how rankings have historically been measured.
Why Core Updates Happen
Core updates are broad recalibrations of how Google evaluates content across the entire web. They aren’t penalties and they aren’t aimed at individual businesses.
During these updates:
Some pages rise, others dip
Movement can continue for several weeks
Fluctuations are expected before things stabilize
This is exactly why your SEO strategy is designed to be steady and data-driven rather than reactive.
What This Means for You
The primary rollout is complete, and we now have a clearer picture of what’s meaningful versus temporary.
You may see:
Rankings may continue settling into early February
A short-term dip doesn’t automatically signal a problem
Improvements give us insight into what’s working and where to apply it elsewhere
Most importantly, temporary ranking shifts do not derail your long-term visibility or lead flow. We’re monitoring trends closely to ensure your SEO strategy stays strong as search continues to change.
Questions About What You’re Seeing?
If something in your reporting looks different or raises questions, your Project Manager is the best place to start. We’re happy to walk through what we’re seeing and how it fits into the bigger picture.
Until next Friday,
Lauren Cullnan
Director of Client Happiness and Project Management
