SEARCHENGINES
Daily Search Forum Recap: July 22, 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 is testing new link citations in the AI Overviews. Google is also testing saving AI Overviews for later. Google is showing some AI-generated images in some knowledge panels. Microsoft Advertising is rolling out new brand lists in Performance Max. Bing is testing related searches at the top.
Search Engine Roundtable Stories:
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Google Tests Link Icon Citations For AI Overviews
Google is also testing link icons in the AI Overviews to show citations for statements generated in the AI Answer. These links, when clicked, will take you to an overlay window that shows those links in a search result format page. No, clicking the link icon will not take you directly to the source but you will see the search result snippet. -
Google Testing Save Button For AI Overviews
Google is testing the ability to save your AI Overviews to your Google Interests section. If you are opted-in to labs in Google, and you see AI Overviews, at the bottom of the AI Overview, you may see a new “Save” button. -
New Microsoft Advertising Brand Lists For Performance Max Campaigns
Microsoft Advertising is rolling out brand lists for Performance Max campaigns. “Brand lists allow greater control over brand image and ad visibility, including the brands you don’t want your ads to be associated with,” Microsoft wrote in its help documentation. -
Google Knowledge Panels Using AI-Generated Images
Google is showing AI-generated images in some of the knowledge panels they show in Google Search. Google is not creating these images; they come from images on third-party sites. And honestly, I kind of like it, at least in some cases. -
Bing Tests Related Searches At Top – Below Search Bar
Bing is testing placing the related searches at the top of the search results page, directly under the search bar. The searches are exactly what you would see in the bottom but in a different format at the top. -
Google Wooden Hive Tree
I don’t know what this is, but I spotted this photo at the Google office in Kirkland, Seattle. It looks like some sort of wooden art, maybe of a tree, maybe of some hive, I am not sure.
Other Great Search Threads:
Search Engine Land Stories:
Other Great Search Stories:
Analytics
Industry & Business
Links & Content Marketing
Local & Maps
Mobile & Voice
SEO
PPC
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: August 29, 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.
Yelp sued Google, the search marketing industry found it funny. Google has a new tag diagnostic and consent management setup for Google Ads. Google says it does not count words or links on a page. Google is unifying booking on Google Business Profiles and Google Local Service Ads. Google is testing from your notifications.
Search Engine Roundtable Stories:
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Yelp Sues Google Over Unfair Advantage In Local Search
Yelp has officially filed a lawsuit against Google for allegedly using its monopolistic powers to give Google an unfair advantage in local search and local search ads. “For years, Google has leveraged its monopoly in general search to pad its own bottom line at the expense of what’s best for consumers, innovation, and fair competition,” Yelp’s General Counsel, Aaron Schur said. -
Google: We Don’t Count Words Or Links On Your Blog Posts
We know Google has told us for many years that word count is not a thing, Google doubled down on it last year. Google’s John Mueller reiterated that over the weekend saying not just words on a page but also links on a page are not counted by Google. -
Tag Diagnostics & New Consent Management Setup In Google
Google announced what it is calling “strengthen your first-party data strategy with new tools.” These new tools are Tag Diagnostics and a new consent management setup within Google Ads, Google Analytics, and Tag Manager. -
Google Merging Booking On Google Business Profiles & Local Services Ads
Google emailed some local businesses saying it will begin “unifying” booking on Google Business Profiles (GBP) and Local Services Ads (LSA). Google said this will create a “more seamless experience for your clients and their customers.” -
Google Search Tests From Your Notifications Box
Google Search seems to be testing a new search box that is titled “from your notifications.” I assume this works for Android devices only, where Google Search can detect the Android notifications, and show them when the query may be relevant to the notification? -
Google Bangkok 3D Signage with Googlers You May Know
Here is a photo from the Google Bangkok office, when Google held a Search Central Live event. You can see Daniel Waisberg, Cherry Prommawin and Gary Illyes in the photo standing next to this Google 3D signage.
Other Great Search Threads:
Search Engine Land Stories:
Other Great Search Stories:
Analytics
Industry & Business
- Google to spend $400 million to expand Nevada data centers, The Nevada Independent
- Brave lays off 27 employees, TechCrunch
- Googlers Say Leaders Use AI to Dodge Tough Questions at TGIF Meetings, Business Insider
- OpenAI reportedly in talks to close a new funding round at $100B+ valuation, TechCrunch
- Shopify welcomes new CTO Mikhail Parakhin, Shopify
- AI Doomers Had Their Big Moment, The Atlantic
- Google to invest another $400m in Nevada data centers, Data Center Dynamics
- Google weighs large data centre in Vietnam, source says, in nation’s first by US big tech, 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: August 28, 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.
Please take my poll on the Google August core update – over here. Google Ads accidentally released an “internal tools” button. Google issued Google Discover manual action policy violations. Google Local Service Ads review links are expiring soon. Google Ads added new shopping trends reports, new AI features and more. Looker Studio won’t show Google Ads Auction Insights data soon.
Search Engine Roundtable Stories:
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Google August 2024 Core Update Impact Poll
Last week, a reader here asked if I would poll the audience to see how the last Google search algorithm update impacted them, the Google August 2024 core update. So, I am asking you to take the poll below or on X to see how SEOs, in general, were impacted by this core update. -
Google Ads Gains Shopping Trends, Sync, AI & More Ad Features
Google Ads announced a number of updates yesterday, across new reporting, shopping tools and more ad features, including, of course, AI ad features. “To help retailers maximize success and stay nimble in this year’s shorter holiday shopping season, today at our annual Think Retail event we shared some new updates to Google tools,” Google wrote. -
Google Ads Accidentally Releases Internal Tools
Tons of Google Ads advertisers are noticing a new button available in the Google Ads advertiser interface named “internal tools.” There is a lock icon for the internal tools button and when you click on it, it has the headline “audience builder.” -
Google Issues Manual Actions Over Google Discover Policy Violations
In the past couple of days, Google has issued many manual actions around Google Discover policy violations. Just to be clear, you may have seen your Google Discover traffic drop with the August core update, and this policy violation notice would be unrelated to that. Google issued manual actions manually (but in batches) and Google never sends notices like this for algorthmic updates. -
Google Local Service Ads Review Links Expiring, Business Profiles Reviews Will Remain
Google has posted a notice that the old customer reviews links in Local Service Ads will expire and the Google Business profile link will be what you should use going forward. The notice is in the reviews section within Local Service Ads. -
Looker Studio Loses Access To Auction Insights Fields
Google’s Looker Studio has lost access to the Google Ads Auction Insights fields as of August 24, 2024 for new data sources. Then after September 23, 2024 it will no longer be available for existing data sources. -
Search Queries On Google Shade Structure
We’ve seen these shade structures at the GooglePlex but I didn’t know that these round discs had search queries and questions engraved in them. I found an Instagram photo zoomed into the discs and you can see that this one asks “where did all the cowboys go?”
Other Great Search Threads:
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.
SEARCHENGINES
Daily Search Forum Recap: August 27, 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.
Amazon Web Services blocked Googlebot from my images, I posted a short case study on the issue. Google local panel maps is testing expanding them in the search results. Google updated the organization structured data. Google does not try variations of URLs. Google spoke about making your login page a sitelink in Google Search.
Search Engine Roundtable Stories:
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AWS S3 Blocked Googlebot From My Image URLs – Here Is My Recovery
Back in mid-June, I noticed that Google was not showing many of my images in Google Search and Discover and also some readers were pointing it out to me. So I used the handy Google Search Console URL Inspection tool to find out those S3 URLs I was using to host my images were blocking Googlebot from crawling. -
Google Updates Organization Markup Search Docs To Clarify Logo & Other Usage
Google has updated the first paragraph of its Organization structured data search developer documentation. Google said the update is to clarify “that some properties can influence which logo is shown, while others are used behind the scenes.” -
Google: We Generally Don’t Try Variations Of URLs
John Mueller from Google in the latest SEO office hours said that Google, Googlebot, does not generally try variations of URLs to see if they work. So if you have a URL like domain.com/pagegoeshere1/, Google won’t try domain.com/pagegoeshere2/ to just try it out of curiosity. -
Get Your Login Page As A Sitelink In Google Search Results
For many sites that have customer or client portals, including SaaS companies, the login page is the primary destination for a lot of searchers. It will help your customers bypass your homepage and go right to the login area. The question asked of Google is how do you ensure that login page shows up as a Sitelink in your Google Search results snippet. -
Google Local Panel Maps Tests Expanding In Search Results
Google is now testing a new user experience for maps in the Google Search local panel section. Normally when you click on the map in the local knowledge panel, you are taken into Google Maps. Now, Google is testing expanding the maps while you stay on the Google Search results page. -
Google Garden Program Fruit Vine
Here is a photo from a video, which I embedded below, of the Google garden program that shows the fruit vine which is part of that program. The sign reads, “This fruit vine is a part of Google’s garden program. Please do not pick the fruit!” It added, “Looking for a snack? Head to your nearest MK. Thanks for understanding!”
Other Great Search Threads:
Search Engine Land Stories:
Other Great Search Stories:
Industry & Business
Links & Content Marketing
Local & Maps
Mobile & Voice
SEO
PPC
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.
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