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.

Subscribe with Google sites may see an increase in impressions and clicks in the performance report in Search Console. Google said using explicit and extreme curse words can trigger your site to be filtered by SafeSearch. Google is testing “where to stop along the way” for some queries. Google is testing removing the estimated number of results. SEOs are split on if Google is getting worse or if the web is to blame.

Search Engine Roundtable Stories:

• Poll Shows SEOs Split On If Google Or The Web Is Getting Worse
  
  There have been a lot of complaints about the quality of Google search results – the truth is, there are always complaints. Assuming you believe the results are indeed getting worse (which not everyone would agree with), is Google to blame, or is it the fault of the web in general to blame?
• Google Tests Removing Estimated Number Of Search Results Again
  
  Seems Google is once again testing removing the estimated number of search results under the search bar. You know, the line that says “About X results in Y seconds” Google is testing removing that again.
• Google Search Console: Sites Using Subscribe With Google May See Increase In Impressions & Clicks
  
  Google added a new annotation to the Google Search Console performance reports on December 5th, saying that sites that use Subscribe with Google may see an increase in clicks and impressions. I’ll be honest, I am a bit confused by the annotation was added this week and not in 2018 when the feature was added.
• Google SafeSearch Can Be Triggered By Use Of Explicit & Extreme Cursing
  
  A couple of years ago, Gary Illyes of Google noted that using many more X-rated curse words can trigger Google to think your site is adult oriented and thus be filtered out by SafeSearch. But how much, how often, and how explicit do those words need to be on your site to trigger it?




• Google Search Tests “Where To Stop Along The Way”
  
  Let’s say you are going on a road trip from one location to the next. One thing I expect some of those who do such entertainment would want to know is where are good places to stop along the way. Google is answering that now, I think, in a new test, with a carousel of locations you can stop along the route.




• Teddy Bear Hardly Working At The GooglePlex
  
  Here is a random photo I found posted by a Googler of his massive teddy bear hardly working at the Google office, the GooglePlex. The bear’s feet are up on the desk and he sits back and looks at the

Other Great Search Threads:

• Google has updated the Multi-location dashboard so that 1- there are no more hacks to get to the old dashboard 2- You can now easily have multiple locations open from the dashboard 3- the web editor has been moved to the n, Mike Blumenthal on Twitter
• LSAs will show at the top of the page, but they don’t preclude other ad formats from showing., AdsLiaison on Twitter
• We’ve just added 20 more videos explaining Publisher Policies (https://t.co/kthfMcQKxi) & Restrictions (https://t.co/58ZfgrItay). These aim to help pubs understand Google’s policies better, contextualizing them in the adver, Aurora Morales on Twitter
• GA4 – Configure settings has moved to Admin. As of now Events, Conversions, Audiences, Custom definitions and DebugView are now under property settings in Admin, Shameem Adhikarath on Twitter
• Google merchant center links are using up my crawl budget, WebmasterWorld
• In the end, these are all just tools, how you use them is up to you. Not every tool needs to be used to build a house, not every house needs to be a skyscraper. Build what you need, use what works for you & which you have experience with., John Mueller on Mastodon
• Introducing the 2022 Guiding Stars, Local Guides Connect
• Probably just because tracking them takes resources, and most people don’t dig into those details., John Mueller on Mastodon
• I don’t think there’s an issue with crawl budget, at least it would surprise me., John Mueller on Mastodon

Search Engine Land Stories:

Other Great Search Stories:

Analytics

Industry & Business

• Amazon, Google, Microsoft, Oracle get $9 billion Pentagon cloud deals, CNBC
• Google Faces a Serious Threat From ChatGPT, Washington Post
• Google Offices: You Won’t Believe Work Gets Done at These Three Spaces, Architectural Digest
• Google must delete search results about you if they’re fake, EU court rules, POLITICO
• Google must remove ‘manifestly inaccurate’ data, EU top court says, Reuters
• US Sides Against Alphabet’s Google in Social Media Case, Bloomberg

Links & Content Marketing

Local & Maps

Mobile & Voice

SEO

PPC

Search Features

Other Search

Feedback:

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