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Daily Search Forum Recap: February 6, 2024

Published

10 months ago

February 7, 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 difference between ranking signals, ranking factors and ranking systems. Google said it will clarify E-E-A-T and quality raters guidelines. Google Search Console may lose verification with the Google Domains to Squarespace Domains migration. Google is testing adding “web results” to the search menu. Google AdSense is scaling publishers up to CPM bidding. Google Ads confirmed a bug with “confusing ad text” and there is another bug with updating credit card details.

Search Engine Roundtable Stories:

Google Explains Systems Are Machines That Use Ranking Signals & Factors Which Are Fuel

Danny Sullivan, the Google Search Liaison, gave a good analogy of the differences between ranking systems, ranking signals and ranking factors. He said signals and factors are the same, the “signal/factors are like fuel; systems are the machine that uses them,” Sullivan wrote.

Google To Clarify E-E-A-T & Quality Rater Guidelines Documentation

Danny Sullivan, Google’s Search Liaison, said we should expect to see more clarification from Google on its creating helpful content page, specific to the section “Get to know E-E-A-T and the quality rater guidelines.”

Google Tests Adding Web Results To Search Menu (Return Of Ten Blue Links)

Google is testing adding the ability to search for just web results, like you would filter by just video results, just image results, just news results, just shopping results and so on. Google is testing placing “web results” to the top search bar under the search box.

Google Ads Bugs With Confusing Text In Ads & Updating Credit Cards

Google Ads has some new bugs today, one that Google confirmed over advertisers received a notice for “confusing text” for their ads and the other not yet confirmed around advertisers being unable to update their credit cards on file.

Google AdSense Publishers CPM Bidding Hitting Close To 100%

Last November, Google told its AdSense publishers that it would be switching how it pays them for the Google Ads they embed on their websites. Now, it seems like many AdSense publishers are noticing that Google has completely switched over to this new payment model. Note that not all are switched from CPC to CPM bidding fully.

Google Search Console May Lose Verification With Squarespace Migration

Google is sending some domain holders who were with Google Domains and who are automatically being migrated to Squarespace notices that their Search Console verification may go away. This is only if you do not host your DNS records with Google and you set up DNS verification with Google Search Console.

Search Liaison Visits Google Search Central Team

Danny Sullivan, the Google Search Liaison, went to visit the Google Search Central team in Zurich last week. Here is a photo with Sullivan with Martin Splitt, Lizzi Sassman and John Mueller. Gary Illyes I think was in Kolding, Denmark for a conference.