Daily Search Forum Recap: March 4, 2024

Here is a recap of what happened in the search forums today, through the eyes of the Search Engine Roundtable and other search forums on the web.

Google Business Profile websites are still working, for now at least. Google is going to introduce a new verification process for Local Service Ads. Google Ads to pause inactive ad groups automatically. Google Ads Editor version 2.6 is now out. I posted the big Google webmaster report for March 2024.

Search Engine Roundtable Stories:

• 
  March 2024 Google Webmaster Report
  
  
  
  
  Here is the big Google Webmaster report for March 2024 and this past month was pretty calm relative to previous months. We had three unconfirmed Google ranking updates in February and zero confirmed ones – with Google again telling us search quality improvements are coming…
• 
  Google Ads To Automatically Pause Inactive Ad Groups
  
  
  Google Ads announced it will automatically pause inactive ad groups. Google will pause ad groups created at least 13 months ago and have not had impressions in the past 13 months.
• 
  Google Business Profiles Websites Still Working (For Now…)
  
  
  In January, Google told us that the Google Business Profiles websites will stop working on March 1, 2024. Google said the URLs will redirect from the website to the Google Business Profile listing for a couple of months and then eventually stop working altogether. Well, March 1st came and went and the Google Business Profiles websites still work.
• 
  Report: Google Local Service Ads To Gain New Verification Process
  
  
  Google may roll out a new verification process for its Local Service Ads program. Supposedly this verification process will reduce spam within the LSA program and lead to legit businesses having an easier time getting exposure in this space.
• 
  Google Ads Editor Version 2.6 Is Now Out
  
  
  On Friday Google quietly released version 2.6 of the Google Ads Editor. This new version comes about four months after the previous version, version 2.5 of Google Ads Editor, was released.





• 
  Sergey Brin At Google Gemini 1.5 Hackathon This Weekend
  
  
  Sergey Brin, the co-founder of Google, was in San Francisco this weekend and stopped by the Google Gemini 1.5 Hackathon at the AGI House. He met up with a bunch of coders and gave a talk as well.

Other Great Search Threads:

• I think I found the search partner placement report for Pmax! Report editor> Performance Max campaign placement. There are over 10k placements listed, including sites with no impressions., Christine Zirnheld on X
• The rich results test only recognizes structured data that has an effect in search – the ones which we document on, John Mueller on X
• This message will appear to all customers globally to alert you to the new Google Services selection in your account and to check your settings. We recommend all relevant Google services be configured to receive data label, AdsLiaison on X
• When I joined Google in 1999, I didn’t understand how it was possible to win vs much larger and better funded competitors such as Altavista, but it seemed like a good opportunity to learn. What I learned is that if you’re in the, Paul Buchheit on X
• AdSense Earnings and Observations – March 2024, WebmasterWorld
• Last night, I looked at my phone, and there it was: a notification saying, “Work profile deleted.” Finally, I was cut off from the Google universe I’d inhabited for the last 9½ years., Ben Morss On LinkedIn

Search Engine Land Stories:

Other Great Search Stories:

Industry & Business

Links & Content Marketing

Local & Maps

Mobile & Voice

SEO

PPC

Search Features

Other Search

Feedback:

Have feedback on this daily recap; let me know on Twitter @rustybrick or @seroundtable, on Threads, Mastodon and Bluesky and you can follow us on Facebook and on Google News and make sure to subscribe to the YouTube channel, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts or just contact us the old fashion way.