Google SEO 101: Site Migrations

Published

4 years ago

August 27, 2020

google seo 101 site migrations via mattgsouthern

Google’s Martin Splitt, and Glenn Gabe of G-Squared Interactive, get together to discuss the most common questions SEOs ask about site migrations.

Here’s a quick recap of each talking point, along with its corresponding time stamp in the video.

Redirecting images during a site redesign or migration (0:00)

It’s important to set up 301 redirects for images during a site migration, which is something that tends to be overlooked by site owners.

Will you always experience a drop in traffic with a domain name change or a site migration? (1:53)

A site move won’t always result in a loss of traffic.

Splitt says:

“If you are literally just moving from one domain to another, copying the entire URL structure and the entire content over, then you will not necessarily see a drop of traffic.”

Buying a new domain name with history & traffic anomalies (2:40)

There are certain situations when domain history may be a factor, particularly if it was previously used for spamming purposes.

Traffic anomalies may occur during a site move when the new site is not an exact 1:1 copy of the old one.

It’s risky to make changes as part of a site move, Splitt says, because Google will have to re-crawl and re-process everything.

Site merger vs site move (6:24)

A site move refers to moving everything from one domain to another. The end result should be an exact copy of the old site.

A site merger refers to combining two sites, which is by no means the same as a site move. The end result is treated as a whole new site.

What goes on on the Google side once a domain name change is triggered? (8:12)

When a site moves from one domain to another, and all redirects are in place, Google first checks for similarities between the old and new site.

Again, a true site move in Google’s eyes is creating an exact copy of an old site on a new domain.

If Google recognizes that a true site move has occurred, it will begin forwarding all signals from the old domain to the new one.

The speed at which this process is completed will vary from site to site.

Why would one use the Change of Address Tool? (10:16)

The change of address tool is a way for site owners to send additional signals to Google that a site move has taken place.

It’s a more explicit signal that tells Google a site has been moved permanently and it’s not just a temporary change.

If a site moves, is there a reassessment of content quality by Google? (11:15)

Google is constantly reassessing content quality regardless of whether there has been a site move.

Even if your content is considered high quality now, it doesn’t mean that will always be the case.

The reverse is also true. Low quality or spammy content could, in theory, be seen as high quality if improvements are made.

As mentioned earlier, if high quality content is copied from one domain to another during a site move, then the signals will follow as well.

Should you revert back if a site migration results in a major drop in traffic? (14:54)

Before hitting reverse on a site move, first check to make sure there are not any technical issues getting in the way.

Technical issues could be Google not recognizing the redirects, or the old site isn’t being crawled often enough for Google to pick up on the redirects.

If you’ve done everything right, and traffic has not improved after a month, then start looking into some outside help.

A site move should only be reverted if you’re completely out of options.

Should one unblock URLs normally blocked by robots.txt during a site migration? (17:31)

No, blocked URLs should not be unblocked during a site move.

Most common problems after a site moves & doing things step-by-step (18:16)

The most common problem site owners run into, as mentioned before, is making too many changes during a site move.

A site move should not be used as an opportunity to make changes to the site in any way. At least not until Google has crawled and reprocessed the new site.

See the full Google SEO Mythbusting video below:

Searchenginejournal

Google Warns About Misuse of Its Indexing API

Published

6 days ago

September 12, 2024

Max

Google Warns About Misuse of Its Indexing API

Google has updated its Indexing API documentation with a clear warning about spam detection and the possible consequences of misuse.

Warning Against API Misuse The new message in the guide says:

“All submissions through the Indexing API are checked for spam. Any misuse, like using multiple accounts or going over the usage limits, could lead to access being taken away.”

This warning is aimed at people trying to abuse the system by exceeding the API’s limits or breaking Google’s rules.

What Is the Indexing API? The Indexing API allows websites to tell Google when job posting or livestream video pages are added or removed. It helps websites with fast-changing content get their pages crawled and indexed quickly.

But it seems some users have been trying to abuse this by using multiple accounts to get more access.

Impact of the Update Google is now closely watching how people use the Indexing API. If someone breaks the rules, they might lose access to the tool, which could make it harder for them to keep their search results updated for time-sensitive content.

How To Stay Compliant To use the Indexing API properly, follow these rules:

Don’t go over the usage limits, and if you need more, ask Google instead of using multiple accounts.
Use the API only for job postings or livestream videos, and make sure your data is correct.
Follow all of Google’s API guidelines and spam policies.
Use sitemaps along with the API, not as a replacement.

Remember, the Indexing API isn’t a shortcut to faster indexing. Follow the rules to keep your access.

GOOGLE

This Week in Search News: Simple and Easy-to-Read Update

Published

3 months ago

June 30, 2024

Entireweb News Bot

This Week in Search News: Simple and Easy-to-Read Update

Here’s what happened in the world of Google and search engines this week:

1. Google’s June 2024 Spam Update

Google finished rolling out its June 2024 spam update over a period of seven days. This update aims to reduce spammy content in search results.

2. Changes to Google Search Interface

Google has removed the continuous scroll feature for search results. Instead, it’s back to the old system of pages.

3. New Features and Tests

Link Cards: Google is testing link cards at the top of AI-generated overviews.
Health Overviews: There are more AI-generated health overviews showing up in search results.
Local Panels: Google is testing AI overviews in local information panels.

4. Search Rankings and Quality

Improving Rankings: Google said it can improve its search ranking system but will only do so on a large scale.
Measuring Quality: Google’s Elizabeth Tucker shared how they measure search quality.

5. Advice for Content Creators

Brand Names in Reviews: Google advises not to avoid mentioning brand names in review content.
Fixing 404 Pages: Google explained when it’s important to fix 404 error pages.

6. New Search Features in Google Chrome

Google Chrome for mobile devices has added several new search features to enhance user experience.

7. New Tests and Features in Google Search

Credit Card Widget: Google is testing a new widget for credit card information in search results.
Sliding Search Results: When making a new search query, the results might slide to the right.

8. Bing’s New Feature

Bing is now using AI to write “People Also Ask” questions in search results.

9. Local Search Ranking Factors

Menu items and popular times might be factors that influence local search rankings on Google.

10. Google Ads Updates

Query Matching and Brand Controls: Google Ads updated its query matching and brand controls, and advertisers are happy with these changes.
Lead Credits: Google will automate lead credits for Local Service Ads. Google says this is a good change, but some advertisers are worried.
tROAS Insights Box: Google Ads is testing a new insights box for tROAS (Target Return on Ad Spend) in Performance Max and Standard Shopping campaigns.
WordPress Tag Code: There is a new conversion code for Google Ads on WordPress sites.

These updates highlight how Google and other search engines are continuously evolving to improve user experience and provide better advertising tools.

AI

Exploring the Evolution of Language Translation: A Comparative Analysis of AI Chatbots and Google Translate

Published

7 months ago

February 26, 2024

Max

A Comparative Analysis of AI Chatbots and Google Translate

According to an article on PCMag, while Google Translate makes translating sentences into over 100 languages easy, regular users acknowledge that there’s still room for improvement.

In theory, large language models (LLMs) such as ChatGPT are expected to bring about a new era in language translation. These models consume vast amounts of text-based training data and real-time feedback from users worldwide, enabling them to quickly learn to generate coherent, human-like sentences in a wide range of languages.

However, despite the anticipation that ChatGPT would revolutionize translation, previous experiences have shown that such expectations are often inaccurate, posing challenges for translation accuracy. To put these claims to the test, PCMag conducted a blind test, asking fluent speakers of eight non-English languages to evaluate the translation results from various AI services.

The test compared ChatGPT (both the free and paid versions) to Google Translate, as well as to other competing chatbots such as Microsoft Copilot and Google Gemini. The evaluation involved comparing the translation quality for two test paragraphs across different languages, including Polish, French, Korean, Spanish, Arabic, Tagalog, and Amharic.

In the first test conducted in June 2023, participants consistently favored AI chatbots over Google Translate. ChatGPT, Google Bard (now Gemini), and Microsoft Bing outperformed Google Translate, with ChatGPT receiving the highest praise. ChatGPT demonstrated superior performance in converting colloquialisms, while Google Translate often provided literal translations that lacked cultural nuance.

For instance, ChatGPT accurately translated colloquial expressions like “blow off steam,” whereas Google Translate produced more literal translations that failed to resonate across cultures. Participants appreciated ChatGPT’s ability to maintain consistent levels of formality and its consideration of gender options in translations.

The success of AI chatbots like ChatGPT can be attributed to reinforcement learning with human feedback (RLHF), which allows these models to learn from human preferences and produce culturally appropriate translations, particularly for non-native speakers. However, it’s essential to note that while AI chatbots outperformed Google Translate, they still had limitations and occasional inaccuracies.

In a subsequent test, PCMag evaluated different versions of ChatGPT, including the free and paid versions, as well as language-specific AI agents from OpenAI’s GPTStore. The paid version of ChatGPT, known as ChatGPT Plus, consistently delivered the best translations across various languages. However, Google Translate also showed improvement, performing surprisingly well compared to previous tests.

Overall, while ChatGPT Plus emerged as the preferred choice for translation, Google Translate demonstrated notable improvement, challenging the notion that AI chatbots are always superior to traditional translation tools.

Source: https://www.pcmag.com/articles/google-translate-vs-chatgpt-which-is-the-best-language-translator