SEARCHENGINES
Daily Search Forum Recap: May 13, 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 explains the differences between algorithm updates, data refreshes and more – again. Google Search Console doesn’t keep data for de-indexed URLs. Google lifted some of the manual actions over the site reputation abuse policy. Google said the video needs to be super obvious on the page for it to be a video page. Google Ads updated its disclosure policy for event ticket pages. Google I/O is tomorrow – I decided not to attend in person, it is just easier to cover at my desk.
Search Engine Roundtable Stories:
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Google Again On Difference Between Algorithm Updates & Data Refreshes
Danny Sullivan, Google’s Search Liaison, posted on X explaining the differences between algorithm updates, like core updates, and then data refreshes, the data that goes into those ranking systems. This is actually something Matt Cutts, former Googler, did back in 2006, on his blog and now Danny Sullivan did a short version of it on X. -
Google Lifts Some Site Reputation Abuse Policy Penalties
About a week ago, we reported that Google began enforcing its new site reputation abuse policy by issuing manual actions and ranking penalties for those sites that violated those policies. Google seems to be now lifting some of those manual actions where the sites took the necessary action and no longer are violating the policy. -
Google Search Console Doesn’t Keep Data For Most De-Indexed Pages
Gary Illyes from Google said on LinkedIn that Google Search Console doesn’t “keep (almost) any data for un/de-indexed.” -
Google: Video Pages Need To Be Super-Obvious Video Play Pages
In April 2023 and December 2023 Google changed how it classifies what it would consider video pages. In short, the video on the page needs to be the main piece of content for Google to show it a video thumbnail in the search results and to show it in the videos tab in Google Search. -
Google Ads Updates Disclosure Policy For Event Ticket Sale
Google Ads will be modifying its disclosure policy for event ticket sale. The update will say that the “disclosures should be easily visible and clearly explained in the top 20% (above the fold) of any destination when reached via an ad.” -
Google Gemini Swag: Bag, T-Shirt, Jacket & More
Google has given some folks some new swag for its Gemini AI features, formerly known as Bard. Here are some photos of the Gemini bags, t-shirts and jackets.
Other Great Search Threads:
- Missing Google I/O – just so much easier covering it from my desk than at the event. Hope all the SEOs going have a blast!, Barry Schwartz on X
- I caught a Google test. Check out the posts on this listing; they’re FB posts, not GBP posts. Can’t see it again. Has anyone seen this?, Amy Mattison Toman on X
- Noticed a few changes on Google’s local panel: Reviews now appear in a block card format with filter options. Both image/video and text reviews are displayed in this new format directly on the local panel, visible at the right, Shameem Adhikarath on X
- I work for the Google Search teams. Not the PR team. Also, I’ll give you a little background here. Maybe you’ll find it helpful, maybe not., Google SearchLiaison on X
- not gpt-5, not a search engine, but we’ve been hard at work on some new stuff we think people will love! feels like magic to me. monday 10am PT., Sam Altman on X
- a page cannot both have a noindex robots meta tag and redirect. It can only be one or the other. – a page blocked by robots.txt will not be crawled, so Googleb, John Mueller on X
Search Engine Land Stories:
Other Great Search Stories:
Analytics
Industry & Business
- Big Tech regulatory crackdown spreads to Asia and Australia, Financial Times (Sub)
- Google layoffs in SF impact dozens, KRON4
- Sam Altman shoots down reports of search engine launch ahead of Google I/O, The Verge
- Apple Closes in on Deal With OpenAI to Put ChatGPT on iPhone, Bloomberg
- All About Googleplex, Google’s Main HQ: Size, Cost; Other Offices, Business Insider
- An Ex-Google Employee Shares Layoff Indicators, Red Flags, Business Insider
- Microsoft to invest 4 billion euros in France, Reuters
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.
SEARCHENGINES
Daily Search Forum Recap: September 30, 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.
The Google Search ranking volatility won’t calm down, we have another volatile weekend. Google may have penalized the Forbes Advisor site. We have another interview with Google’s Danny Sullivan, this one done by Aleyda Solis. Google Search Console recommendations are not fully rolled out yet. Google updated its Google Shopping interface. Google Local Service Ads has TCPL (Target Cost Per Lead).
Search Engine Roundtable Stories:
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Google Search Ranking Volatility & Shuffles This Weekend
Google will not, refused to, calm down, and the ranking volatility, the shuffling of the search results, remains constant. This weekend, probably starting on Friday, September 27th, through the whole weekend, we are seeing even more signs of movement and volatility. -
Did Google Hit Forbes Advisor With A Search Penalty Over Site Reputation Abuse?
Google may have hit Forbes Advisor with a manual action, downgrading its rankings over maybe the site reputation abuse policy. Lars Lofgren wrote about this marketplace, as he put it, on September 18th and then a week or so later, it looks like it was hit by a Google manual action. -
Another Interview With Google’s Search Liaison: Big Brands, UGC Content, AI Overviews & Future
Danny Sullivan, the Google Search Liaison, has been interviewed again – this time by Alyeda Solis. It is pretty similar to my interview with Google’s Search Liason, but this one is recorded and available for everyone to watch. -
Google Search Console Recommendations Not Fully Rolled Out
About 8 weeks ago, Google announced Google Search Console Recommendations and rolled it out to a limited number of properties within the platform. Google said the roll out will be slow and yea, it is slow. Daniel Waisberg from Google confirmed on Friday that it is not fully rolled out yet. -
Google Local Service Ads TCPL (Target Cost Per Lead)
Google seems to be rolling out a new bidding option for Local Service Ads named Target cost-per-lead (tCPL) bidding. Target cost-per-lead (tCPL) bidding is a semi-automated smart bid strategy. You set your desired average cost per lead, and Local Services Ads automatically adjusts bids to aim for that target. -
Google Shopping Interface Updated With Expandable Refinements
Earlier this month, we reported that Google was testing a new Google Shopping Search interface. Well, Google may have rolled it out now. There is the new logo, with a more e-commerce like interface and then these large search refinement boxes. -
Big YouTube Button & Glowing Blocks
Here is a photo from the Google offices in Tel Aviv of a guy sitting on a really big YouTube button, next to a stack of glowing red blocks.
Other Great Search Threads:
Search Engine Land Stories:
Other Great Search Stories:
Analytics
Industry & Business
Links & Content Marketing
Local & Maps
Mobile & Voice
SEO
- AI crawlers are hammering sites and nearly taking them offline, Fast Company
- JSON–LD vs Microdata Revisited, Search Pilot
- Proving the value of organic investment in SEO, Blue Array SEO
- Unpacking NerdWallet’s SEO: 10 Things I Discovered , Ahrefs
- Website duration performance based on category durations, Kopp Consulting
- SEO Dashboard in Google Sheets, Hobo
- 8 SEO Hiring Managers Share Their #1 Interview Question, Ahrefs
- Real Estate SEO: 6 Things You Can Do to Compete With Big Sites, Ahrefs
- SEO for Ecommerce Product Pages, Practical Ecommerce
- Srsltid impacting Core Web Vitals via TTFB caching, RUMvision
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.
SEARCHENGINES
Google Volatility With Gains & Losses, Updated Web Spam Policies, Cache Gone & More Search News
Google Search rankings gains were lost for many, followed more more volatility this week. Google updated its web search spam policies, with a focus on site reputation abuse. Google’s cache operator is now fully dead. Google’s site command for image search seems broken. Google fixed a Search Console reporting bug with product snippets. Google Maps has this fake reviews notice on business profiles. There may have been a spike in reviewed removed by Google on September 17th. Also small changes to your business listing may now trigger re-verification on Google Business Profiles. Google merchant listings now added priceType and sale pricing examples. Google spoke about image SEO and the importance of the embedded page. Google is testing new shopping/product cards on the search results. Google is testing “from small businesses” carousel. Google is testing “states in the news” and “backstory” sections for top stutters. Google product detail grids is testing most popular and best price labels. Google is testing for you labels and preferred source labels. Google Ads has a ten sitelinks but it is a bug. We had a poll on if you are using traditional search less now with AI products out. That was the search news this week at the Search Engine Roundtable.
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SEARCHENGINES
Google’s 26th Birthday Doodle Is Missing
Today is the day Google would be celebrating its birthday or anniversary – September 27th. As Google posted last year, On September 27, 1998, Google Inc. was officially born.
But if you go to Google.com, there is no Doodle on the home page to celebrate. Google generally, but not always, has a special birthday Doodle, unless there is another event they want to commemorate on September 27th.
Instead, all you see is the classic Google logo on the Google home page:
Last year, Google had their 25th birthday Doodle that went through all the old Google logos over the years:
They went all out for their 25th birthday, a lot of events, parties, and celebrations.
Maybe this year, with all the legal issues and troubles, Google is not in the mood to celebrate. Maybe with all the new AI competition, they are feeling sluggish? Maybe with all the search ranking wonkiness, they are feeling tired? I am not sure.
I did email Google’s press team to get a statement and if I hear back, I’ll add it here.
Here are the past Doodles on this date:
Just note, in the old days, Google couldn’t decide on when it was its birthday. Google celebrated the birthday on September 7th, September 8th, September 26th, even on September 4th, but in the most recent years, Google has been consistent with September 27th.
Happy 26th birthday Google – I guess?
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