Google’s Domain Diversity Change Broadens the Field for Search Results

Domain Diversity Launch Limits the Number of Results per Domain

Have you ever searched for a product or service and had the first page monopolized by a single domain? Maybe you’ve searched for a particular service and the query returned five or more links to Yelp reviews or Pinterest boards. For years consumer searchers and SEO professionals have complained about the narrow field of certain queries. Google’s latest change aims to diversify SERPs and limit the number of results from a single domain.

Have you ever done a search and gotten many listings all from the same site in the top results? We've heard your feedback about this and wanting more variety. A new change now launching in Google Search is designed to provide more site diversity in our results….

— Google SearchLiaison (@searchliaison) June 6, 2019

Google announced the site diversity change last week via the company’s Search Liaison Twitter Account. In an effort to expand the range of results, Google will now show no more than two results from the same domain for most search queries. However, in instances where Google’s systems “determine it’s especially relevant to do so for a particular search,” they may include more than two results from the same domain.

This site diversity change means that you usually won't see more than two listings from the same site in our top results. However, we may still show more than two in cases where our systems determine it’s especially relevant to do so for a particular search….

— Google SearchLiaison (@searchliaison) June 6, 2019

How Will This Affect My SEO Campaign?

In theory, it shouldn’t – though it may improve the page rank for some keywords that lacked SERP diversity prior to the change. If you rank #1 for a particular search term, your rank should not be affected. However, if you dominated the first page of results, you may see fewer results for your domain and your competition may gain some ground.

This will only impact organic, core results. Google did not apply these changes to featured snippets, map results, paid ads, or other search features.

What About Subdomains?

For the purpose of domain diversity, subdomains will be treated like any other domain page. Therefore, results for blog.yourdomain.com and shop.yourdomain.com will count as two results from www.yourdomain.com.

Exceptions to this include sites that use subdomains to host separate websites, like WordPress and Weebly. If they host several sites that offer the same product or service, each of those sites may have two results for a particular search term.

Not Necessarily an Update

The Google site diversity change is just that, a change. The company has avoided calling it an update and has stressed that it is separate from the June 2019 Core Update released two days before. Danny Sullivan, the Google employee behind the Search Liaison Twitter account stated, “Personally, I wouldn’t think of it as an update, however. It’s not really about ranking. Things that ranked highly before still should.

It started a little bit about two days ago but went fully live today. Personally, I wouldn't think of it like an update, however. It's not really about ranking. Things that ranked highly before still should. We just don't show as many other pages.

— Danny Sullivan (@dannysullivan) June 6, 2019

Site Diversity History

Google makes changes to its algorithm and search results almost daily. Most if these changes have little noticeable impact on search results. This change, however, will affect the way Google displays results. Google made domain diversity changes in 2010, 2012, and 2013 in response to growing competition for top search terms. This latest change moves search results in a more inclusive direction, helping improve visibility for more domains without technically penalizing domains that already rank well.

What Does the Domain Diversity Change Mean for Your Site?

Still the uncontested leader in search, Google’s ever-changing algorithm can have an immense impact on your website’s visibility and the success of your business. Investing in consistent, quality content is the best way to insulate yourself from what can seem like a volatile search environment.

CS Marketing’s SEO clients have the benefit of our team’s years of experience in white hate SEO strategies. If your organic SEO campaign seems sluggish, contact the CS Marketing team. Let us show you how we consistently keep out clients on the top of search results.