The second half of January 2025 brought some interesting changes and updates to the world of online marketing in the field of SEO and PPC. Search engines are constantly evolving, and we, marketers, need to k
eep up with the latest trends in order to effectively reach our target audience. In this article, we will summarize the most important events and changes that will affect your search engine optimization (SEO) and pay-per-click advertising (PPC) strategies. We will focus on key algorithm updates,
new features in advertising platforms, and other relevant news that you should not miss.
Confirmed: Google requires JavaScript to block SEO tools
Google has confirmed that it requires JavaScript to be active to effectively block bots and scrapers, including some SEO tools . This change in the display of search results is intended to increase the platform’s sec
urity against abuse by automated scripts. The question remains what impact this change will have on SEO tools, and whether the use of “headless Chrome” (Chrome without a graphical interface), which JavaScript supports by default, will continue to be effective. However, it is highly likely that Google will also implement rate limiting mechanisms that
will limit the number of search requests from a single IP add
ress in a given period of time. This measure is intended to prevent m peter fehn manager strategy & analysis assive data downloads by bots and scrapers. Google’s update consists of silently introducing the obligation to have JavaScript active for all users, including robots, who want to use search.
Google quietly updated its manual actions policy in News and Google Discover
Google has quietly made significant changes to its manual actions policy for Google News and Google Discover. The update, which took place between October 10 and November 27 (the exact date is unkn
own), brought several key changes. Google removed the previous sections dedicated to adult topics and so-called “artificial refreshing” of content (presumably these were practices where older content was arti
ficially “revived” in order to improve search rankings). On the othe singapore data r hand, the section dealing with hateful content was updated and, most importantly, five new sections were added that focus in more detail on various form
s of deceptive practices. This change was pointed out by Gagan Ghotra, which brought the information to wider awareness. The update highlights Google’s efforts to limit the spread of misinformation, manipulative content, and practices that could mislead users within Google News and Discover.
GoDaddy Hosting was “blind” to security threats
According to the FTC’s proposed settlement, GoDaddy waSEO and PPC news: Second half of January 2025s “blind” to security threats in its web hosting, and will require it to implement better security.
The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has accused GoDaddy of being “blind” to security threats that led to repeated security breaches. According to the settlement proposal, th
e company w
as accused of maintaining inadequate security measures despite presenting itself in its marketing materials as a secure web hosting provider. The FTC also highlighted that GoDaddy provided customers wi
th “lax data security,” which was inconsistent with claims on its website, emails, and its Trust Center. The FTC’s proposed order now r
equires the company to implement stricter security measures, including regular independent audits conducted by third parties. The move is intended to improve customer trust and prevent further security incidents.