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 had a local search update last week that seemed to have reversed the previous December, Vicinity update. Google is discontinuing the old URL parameter tool after first telling us they would vastly improve it. Google search confirmed it is rolling out a much more visual design for some queries. Google web stories seem to be showing up for competitive keyword phrases. Google News is testing search results with and without borders.

Search Engine Roundtable Stories:

• Google Local Search Update On March 23rd ‘Corrects’ Vicinity Update
  
  On March 22nd and 23rd I noticed the BrightLocal tracking tool spike up a bit, so I kept tabs on that we may have had a Google local search update. Well, Joy Hawkins posted in the Local Search Forums that this update seems to have been a “correct” of the “Vicinity Update,” which was the update we reported on in December 2021 that later Google confirmed.
• Google Search Console To Kill URL Parameter Tool On April 26th
  
  Google has announced this morning that on April 26, 2022 it will be killing off the URL parameter tool under the legacy Google Search Console. This is a bit of a surprise being that Google did say it was planning on vastly improving it but some Googlers also wanted to see the tool go away.




• Google Search Results Rolls Out Much More Visual Design In Grid Formats & More
  
  On Friday afternoon, Google confirmed with me that the search company has rolled out more visual results for some queries in the mobile search results. I’ve been experimenting with a number of queries and for some of those queries, saying the results are “more visual” is an understatement.




• Google Visual Stories Showing On Page One For Competitive Keywords
  
  Brodie Clark reported that Google is now showing web stories / visual stories on the first page of the mobile results even for competitive keyword phrases. I can confirm that do see these coming up for me in New York as well.
• Google Tests News Search Results Snippets Without Borders
  
  Google is always testing, always, and here is another test where Google is testing snippets in the Google News search results without borders.
• Vlog #165: David Melamed On Review Gating, Misinformation, Trust Decay & Personalization In Marketing
  
  
  
  In part one of my interview with David Melamed, we spoke about his background and the beauty of the search marketing industry. David Melamed and I in part two then spoke about the long term viability and success of search spam, antitrust issues and more…




• Google Chrome Table
  
  The Google Chrome logo makes for a nice table top for a round table and that is exactly what they did in the Google Canada office a while back. Here is a coffee table with the Chrome logo on the top

Other Great Search Threads:

• It depends on how quickly we reprocess the page – which is usually somewhere between days & weeks. To hide it faster, you can use the URL removal tools, which take about a day (if you have the site verified)., John Mueller on Twitter
• It can happen if we recognize a second language on a page. You can use notranslate if you want to avoid that, but I’d be surprised if that link changes anything for your site’s visitors., John Mueller on Twitter
• Little easter egg: in the ad preview tool, nothing is clickable except the Related searches links – which will update the search preview., Greg on Twitter
• With the reopening of Microsoft offices around the world, Microsoft Advertising teams have been catching up in person for the first time in quite some time! #MSFTAds #MicrosoftAdvertising #PerformanceMarketing, Microsoft Advertising on Twitter
• That feels like a stretch from what I said there. Google sees alt-text as a part of the page (you can search for it and find it in the snippet). It’s like other text on the page. The primary purpose, John Mueller on Twitter
• Microsoft Advertising is hiring! Want to make a difference? So do we. Step in to explore the wealth of career opportunities and take your career to the next level. #MSFTAds, Microsoft Advertising on Twitter
• Since “John Mueller” is aware of all SEO tactics and ranking algorithms, then Why can’t he own his personal blog where he can do affiliate and many more things? And ranks in the first position of Google SERP and makes millions or billions of dollars, Reddit
• Toxic links is a marketing term that means absolutely nothing., John Mueller on Twitter

Search Engine Land Stories:

Other Great Search Stories:

Analytics

Industry & Business

Links & Content Marketing

Local & Maps

Mobile & Voice

SEO

PPC

Search Features

Other Search

Feedback:

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