For the original iTunes version, click here.

Google Search had more weekend volatility, surprise, surprise. Google responded more to the search leak around Navboost, clicks and user interactions. I interviewed Google’s Elizabeth Tucker on the March core update and much more. Google said you can recover from the helpful content update after a core update. Google spoke about fixing a few pages and how that can help, or not, with the helpful content update. Google said sometimes search experiments cause issues with Search. Google said you cannot completely disregard desktop for SEO. Google Search Console performance reports gain merchant listings for the image tab. Google added return policy structured data to the organization level. Google dropped home activity cards from Search. Google said the lastmod date in your XML sitemap is either trusted or not. Google said you should disallow crawling of action URLs. Google needs to fix product variant structured data. Google is testing organizing the search results. Google is testing shaded favicon, site name and URL in the top of the snippet. Google is testing local five packs. Google is testing QR codes in the local panels. Google Business Profile websites now completely 404. Bing is testing black review stars. Google is testing call and location extension new formats. Appel Siri is getting more useful with Apple Intelligence and ChatGPT. That was the search news this week at the Search Engine Roundtable.

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Search Topics of Discussion:

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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 experiments sometimes cause problems for Google Search and they need to revert them. Google Business Profile websites now 404. Google Ads it testing new call and location extension formats. Google is testing a new from sources across the web snippets. SEO bloggers are the reason Googler’s don’t share as much, sorry. Plus, I posted the SEO video recap (in a daze).

Search Engine Roundtable Stories:

• 
  Search News Buzz Video Recap: Google Weekend Volatility, Google On Search Leak, Elizabeth Tucker Interview, Apple Intelligence & More
  
  
  Google Search had more weekend volatility, surprise, surprise. Google responded more to the search leak around Navboost, clicks and user interactions. I interviewed Google’s Elizabeth Tucker on the March core update and much more. Google said you can recover from the helpful content update after a core update…
• 
  Google: Sometimes Search Experiments Conflict Causing Issues
  
  
  In the last Search Off The Record podcast, Gary Illyes from the Google Search team said that sometimes issues can arise within the Google Search results due to two experiments that conflict with each other. He said at the 19:41 mark, “Very often there are experiments that need to be rolled back because two experiments might interact very badly with each other.”
• 
  Google Business Profiles Websites No Longer Load – 404
  
  
  Google Business Profiles websites, which stopped loading websites and began redirecting to the Google Business Profiles listing on Google Maps now completely 404 – as expected. It was supposed to stop working completely this past Sunday, but it did not stop working until later this week.
• 
  Google Tests New Call & Location Extension Ad Format
  
  
  Google may be testing a new call extension and location extension ad format. This format shows up as a carousel of links or buttons that you can scroll through below the ad snippet in the search results.




• 
  Google Tests Multiple Featured Snippets Under From Sources Across The Web
  
  
  Google is testing a new look for the “from sources across the web” search results feature. This one looks like the multiple features snippets look, with the perspectives design, but is titled under the “from sources across the web” search results.
• 
  I’m The Reason Googlers Don’t Reply With Nuance
  
  
  Did you know that SEO bloggers, like myself, are the reason you see fewer and less nuanced responses from Google Search reps? John Mueller from Google said so on Reddit, where he wrote, “Love the SEO news/bloggers, but it also means I can’t reply to things with nuance publicly.”





• 
  Google Dinosaur Eating A Baby
  
  
  Stan, the Google dinosaur, has a baby in its mouth, as if it is eating the baby. Stan is the Google dinosaur that is located at the GooglePlex, the Google Mountain View offices in California.

Other Great Search Threads:

• SEO jobs are slightly down, but if you’re interviewing, you NEED to know how to negotiate You are way more valuable than you might realize Terrific guide via @CarolynLyden with tons of actionable strategies to increase your SEO salary, Cyrus SEO on X
• SEO Tip: for the first time ever, Google is now testing Seller Ratings for organic listings outside of the US. Seller Rating rich results have been a default feature within the US for almost a year, now being expanded to other reg, Brodie Clark on X
• Update on AI Overviews Inclusion Per Category: * Google is slowly adding more AIO in a few sectors after the update generating a big decrease, but nothing like what they were showing at the start. See the evolution of, Aleyda Solis on X
• BTW, beyond just adding the end of my SMX presentation to YouTube, I’ve been toying with the idea of providing *concise* video podcasts covering interesting things I come across in ‘Google Land’. And by concise, I mean less than 15, Glenn Gabe on X
• In talking with the recipe team, we think ratings probably mean more to readers if they’re associated with something more than just the rating alone. In particular, readers probably appreciate ratings that a, Google SearchLiaison on X
• Seems like there was a big issue with GA4 while I was offline – it also seems the issue was just resolved, Barry Schwartz on X
• This was a @rustybrick update on https://t.co/usdbVw3dzG, to clarify, Barry asked us why desktop was so flat so our dev increased the number of sample queries, caused a spike and had to normalise data appropriately. It was a hot day, but, DEJAN on X

Search Engine Land Stories:

Other Great Search Stories:

Analytics

Industry & Business

Links & Content Marketing

Local & Maps

Mobile & Voice

SEO

• How to Build a Strong Brand Moat With SEO, Moz
• SEO Strategy in 2024: Industry Study Insights to Consider, Ignite Visibility
• The “Why” Behind Major SERP Traffic Dips in SaaS and Beyond, Foundation Inc
• 5 Ways to Increase User Experience Satisfaction with a Better SEO Strategy, Capture Commerce
• Adjusting SEO Tactics After The Google API Exposure, Location3 Media
• David Vs. Goliath [Part 2]: Algorithm Updates Have Become The Biggest Risk In SEO, Search Engine Journal
• How SEO Marketers Can Move Beyond Checklists, Amsive
• Is Google S.E.O. Gaslighting the Internet?, The New Yorker
• The 6 Biggest SEO Challenges You’ll Face in 2024, Ahrefs
• Why Downplaying Branded Keywords is Costing You Big, SERP’s Up SEO Podcast

PPC

• Google’s breaking down, but we need to keep our eye on the ball, Check My Ads
• TikTok comes for Google as it quietly rolls out image search capabilities in TikTok Shop, TechCrunch
• Upcoming Workshop: Performance Max and the Google Ads API, Google Ads Developer Blog
• All Your GML 2024 Questions Answered – with Ginny Marvin of Google Ads, PPCChat
• Batch processing support for Performance Max, Google Ads Developer Blog
• As Google Targets Advertisers, It Could Learn a Lot From Bing, Wired
• The Google Ads Auction Exposed: Antitrust Trial Revelations – Part 1, PPC Hero
• What you can do with Copilot in the Microsoft Advertising Platform, Microsoft Advertising

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.

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 description overlays on local photos in the Google local pack. Microsoft Bing is testing black review stars. Google said we should not let Googlebot crawl action URLs. Google is testing larger fonts for the snippet title link and smaller fonts for the site links. Google updated GA4 attribution models to associate conversions better to paid search campaigns. Reminder, I am offline today and this newsletter was pre-written and scheduled.

Search Engine Roundtable Stories:

• 
  Google Fixes GA4 Attribution Models To Better Associate Conversions To Paid Search
  
  
  Google posted a notice that it fixed an issue where Google Analytics, GA4, would sometimes not credit the proper conversion attribution to the paid search campaign. Google said it will update the “attribution models in GA4 over the next two weeks to improve the accuracy of conversion credit for paid search campaigns.”
• 
  Google Tests Larger Fonts For Main Snippet Title Link & Smaller Font For Sitelinks
  
  
  Google is testing a larger font size for the main search result title link, followed by smaller fonts for that same snippet’s sitelinks. This was spotted a few days ago by both Umair Khan on X and Lily Ray on X.
• 
  Google: Disallow Crawling Of Action URLs (Buy Now, Sign Up, etc)
  
  
  Google posted a public service announcement saying you should disallow Googlebot from crawling your action URLs. Gary Illyes from Google posted on LinkedIn, “You should really disallow crawling of your action URLs. Crawlers will not buy that organic non-GMO scented candle, nor do they care for a wishlist.”
• 
  Bing Tests Black Review Stars In Search Results
  
  
  Microsoft is testing using black-colored review stars in its Bing Search results. This is instead of the yellow or orange review stars. I am not sure why they are testing it in black, but they are.
• 
  Google Local Pack Photos With Labels
  
  
  Google seems to be testing adding labels and descriptions on the photos within the local business profile listings. These are on both the carousel of images and on the detailed business profile page.
• 
  I’m Feeling Lucky Notebooks At Google
  
  
  Here are some colorful notebooks that say “I’m Feeling Lucky” that were spotted at the GooglePlex, the Google office in Mountain View.
• 
  Programming Note: Offline For Shavuot On Wednesday & Thursday
  
  
  This is a programming note that I will be completely offline for the holiday of Shavout/Shavous, from Tuesday night, June 11th, through late Thursday night, June 13th – I return Friday, June 14th. Any stories published here will be scheduled, written beforehand, and not written during the holiday hours.

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.

Note: This was pre-written and scheduled to be posted today, I am currently offline for Shavout.