Non-stop updates: SEOs discuss the impact on their day-to-day, work-life balance, and career outlook

This year, there has been a notable surge in updates from Google, keeping brands and businesses on edge about potential impacts on their visibility, rankings, traffic, and revenue. Google updates can be a major headache, as they can unexpectedly shake up search rankings, potentially disadvantaging some brands.

As the frequency of updates increases, SEOs might feel more pressure to diagnose issues and find solutions quickly. However, experiences vary widely among SEOs depending on their verticals, roles, and whether they work in-house or at agencies.

To capture a detailed snapshot of this landscape, five SEOs have shared insights on how their workloads change after updates, how their clients respond, and the impact on their work-life balance and career outlook.

### How a Site Performs After an Update Influences the Work Ahead

Algorithm updates are inevitable, and their immediate aftermath can be exhilarating if they yield positive results or devastating if they negatively affect rankings. This high-stakes environment means workloads can vary significantly from brand to brand and SEO to SEO.

“We’re definitely busier after an algorithm update,” said Chris Long, VP of Marketing at Go Fish Digital. He emphasized the importance of communicating the impact to clients and sometimes adjusting strategies accordingly. Crystal Carter, Senior Digital Strategist at Optix Solutions, noted that direct-to-consumer businesses are particularly sensitive to algorithm updates, which can lead to increased monitoring and reporting efforts.

Client demands also differ based on their knowledge and expertise. “Contacts who are very knowledgeable may require a deep-dive analysis into how the update affected their site,” said Jason Melman, Senior Director of SEO and Analytics at Inseev Interactive.

In-house SEOs may experience updates differently since they usually focus on one brand. “Unless the algorithm update hits us hard, the workload doesn’t necessarily increase but shifts,” said Masaki Okazawa, Technical SEO Product Manager at SimpleTire. Monitoring shifts in organic traffic and updating roadmaps are typical post-update tasks.

Veruska Anconitano, SEO and Language Manager at Canva, views Google Search updates as opportunities to reassess site visibility and lists improvements. She advises against rushing to interpret data since updates can take over a week to complete their rollout.

### Be Prepared to Explain Updates to Stakeholders

Post-update changes in traffic and rankings can either be welcomed or incite a state of damage control among stakeholders. “Good news is affirming and helps build more stakeholder buy-in,” Carter said. Conversely, unfavorable outcomes may necessitate providing wider context to higher-ups like the board of directors, illustrating how SEO aligns with business objectives.

Proactive communication can also help. “Talking about our perspective on updates before they happen can ensure we’re on the same page,” Long stated, emphasizing the benefit of stakeholders understanding their competition’s standing post-update.

Clients may also seek simple explanations or require support in disseminating update information internally. According to Melman, this often involves creating presentations to keep everyone informed.

### Work-Life Balance Can Be an Issue, But SEOs Aren’t ‘Saving Lives’

Algorithm updates can stress SEOs, especially when challenging results demand urgent attention. Setting new schedules and prioritizing tasks can help manage client expectations and stress. Okazawa shared experiences of urgent requests for traffic recovery plans, which can be particularly demanding.

Despite the intensity, Long mentioned that updates haven’t significantly impacted his work-life balance, and Anconitano added, “Unless there’s a huge emergency, my work-life balance stays the same… at the end of the day, I’m not saving lives.”

### Numerous Updates This Year: Impact on SEO Careers

Google’s increased update frequency presents challenges like more client requests and difficulty in isolating the impacts of specific updates. However, these updates may also shape SEO career paths by encouraging specialization in areas like e-commerce, content, or local SEO.

Melman noted a trend where niche sites find it harder to compete against big names, which he sees as a rewarding challenge. The fast pace of change in SEO could deter some from long-term commitments to the field. Okazawa highlighted the importance of developing soft skills as a safety net for broader career opportunities.

Long believes that anticipating updates helps maintain focus on long-term strategies that align with what algorithms aim to reward.

### Despite Some Volatility, SEOs Still Have a North Star

The ultimate goal of search engines is to provide the best user experience, a goal that aligns with the purpose of SEO. “The purpose of SEO is to serve users and emphasize metrics like ROI and conversions over ranking and traffic,” Anconitano stated. “Being relevant matters more than anything else, both in Google’s and users’ eyes,” she concluded.