SEARCHENGINES
Daily Search Forum Recap: September 30, 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.
The Google Search ranking volatility won’t calm down, we have another volatile weekend. Google may have penalized the Forbes Advisor site. We have another interview with Google’s Danny Sullivan, this one done by Aleyda Solis. Google Search Console recommendations are not fully rolled out yet. Google updated its Google Shopping interface. Google Local Service Ads has TCPL (Target Cost Per Lead).
Search Engine Roundtable Stories:
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Google Search Ranking Volatility & Shuffles This Weekend
Google will not, refused to, calm down, and the ranking volatility, the shuffling of the search results, remains constant. This weekend, probably starting on Friday, September 27th, through the whole weekend, we are seeing even more signs of movement and volatility. -
Did Google Hit Forbes Advisor With A Search Penalty Over Site Reputation Abuse?
Google may have hit Forbes Advisor with a manual action, downgrading its rankings over maybe the site reputation abuse policy. Lars Lofgren wrote about this marketplace, as he put it, on September 18th and then a week or so later, it looks like it was hit by a Google manual action. -
Another Interview With Google’s Search Liaison: Big Brands, UGC Content, AI Overviews & Future
Danny Sullivan, the Google Search Liaison, has been interviewed again – this time by Alyeda Solis. It is pretty similar to my interview with Google’s Search Liason, but this one is recorded and available for everyone to watch. -
Google Search Console Recommendations Not Fully Rolled Out
About 8 weeks ago, Google announced Google Search Console Recommendations and rolled it out to a limited number of properties within the platform. Google said the roll out will be slow and yea, it is slow. Daniel Waisberg from Google confirmed on Friday that it is not fully rolled out yet. -
Google Local Service Ads TCPL (Target Cost Per Lead)
Google seems to be rolling out a new bidding option for Local Service Ads named Target cost-per-lead (tCPL) bidding. Target cost-per-lead (tCPL) bidding is a semi-automated smart bid strategy. You set your desired average cost per lead, and Local Services Ads automatically adjusts bids to aim for that target. -
Google Shopping Interface Updated With Expandable Refinements
Earlier this month, we reported that Google was testing a new Google Shopping Search interface. Well, Google may have rolled it out now. There is the new logo, with a more e-commerce like interface and then these large search refinement boxes. -
Big YouTube Button & Glowing Blocks
Here is a photo from the Google offices in Tel Aviv of a guy sitting on a really big YouTube button, next to a stack of glowing red blocks.
Other Great Search Threads:
Search Engine Land Stories:
Other Great Search Stories:
Analytics
Industry & Business
Links & Content Marketing
Local & Maps
Mobile & Voice
SEO
- AI crawlers are hammering sites and nearly taking them offline, Fast Company
- JSON–LD vs Microdata Revisited, Search Pilot
- Proving the value of organic investment in SEO, Blue Array SEO
- Unpacking NerdWallet’s SEO: 10 Things I Discovered , Ahrefs
- Website duration performance based on category durations, Kopp Consulting
- SEO Dashboard in Google Sheets, Hobo
- 8 SEO Hiring Managers Share Their #1 Interview Question, Ahrefs
- Real Estate SEO: 6 Things You Can Do to Compete With Big Sites, Ahrefs
- SEO for Ecommerce Product Pages, Practical Ecommerce
- Srsltid impacting Core Web Vitals via TTFB caching, RUMvision
PPC
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.
SEARCHENGINES
Google Volatility With Gains & Losses, Updated Web Spam Policies, Cache Gone & More Search News
Google Search rankings gains were lost for many, followed more more volatility this week. Google updated its web search spam policies, with a focus on site reputation abuse. Google’s cache operator is now fully dead. Google’s site command for image search seems broken. Google fixed a Search Console reporting bug with product snippets. Google Maps has this fake reviews notice on business profiles. There may have been a spike in reviewed removed by Google on September 17th. Also small changes to your business listing may now trigger re-verification on Google Business Profiles. Google merchant listings now added priceType and sale pricing examples. Google spoke about image SEO and the importance of the embedded page. Google is testing new shopping/product cards on the search results. Google is testing “from small businesses” carousel. Google is testing “states in the news” and “backstory” sections for top stutters. Google product detail grids is testing most popular and best price labels. Google is testing for you labels and preferred source labels. Google Ads has a ten sitelinks but it is a bug. We had a poll on if you are using traditional search less now with AI products out. That was the search news this week at the Search Engine Roundtable.
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Search Topics of Discussion:
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SEARCHENGINES
Google’s 26th Birthday Doodle Is Missing
Today is the day Google would be celebrating its birthday or anniversary – September 27th. As Google posted last year, On September 27, 1998, Google Inc. was officially born.
But if you go to Google.com, there is no Doodle on the home page to celebrate. Google generally, but not always, has a special birthday Doodle, unless there is another event they want to commemorate on September 27th.
Instead, all you see is the classic Google logo on the Google home page:
Last year, Google had their 25th birthday Doodle that went through all the old Google logos over the years:
They went all out for their 25th birthday, a lot of events, parties, and celebrations.
Maybe this year, with all the legal issues and troubles, Google is not in the mood to celebrate. Maybe with all the new AI competition, they are feeling sluggish? Maybe with all the search ranking wonkiness, they are feeling tired? I am not sure.
I did email Google’s press team to get a statement and if I hear back, I’ll add it here.
Here are the past Doodles on this date:
Just note, in the old days, Google couldn’t decide on when it was its birthday. Google celebrated the birthday on September 7th, September 8th, September 26th, even on September 4th, but in the most recent years, Google has been consistent with September 27th.
Happy 26th birthday Google – I guess?
Forum discussion at X.
SEARCHENGINES
Daily Search Forum Recap: September 27, 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’s 26th birthday is today but there is no celebration or Doodle. Google may have removed a ton of reviews this month. If you update your Google Business Profile, it may trigger a re-verification request. Google local panels are testing “about this place.” Bing short videos show more details. Google is asking searchers if they want to see content suggested in their language. Plus, I posted the weekly SEO video recap.
Search Engine Roundtable Stories:
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Today Is Google’s 26th Birthday – Where Is The Doodle?
Today is the day Google would be celebrating its birthday or anniversary – September 27th. As Google posted last year, On September 27, 1998, Google Inc. was officially born. -
Search News Buzz Video Recap: Google Volatility With Gains & Losses, Updated Web Spam Policies, Cache Gone & More Search News
Google Search rankings gains were lost for many, followed more more volatility this week. Google updated its web search spam policies, with a focus on site reputation abuse. Google’s cache operator is now fully dead… -
Report: Small Google Business Profile Updates May Trigger Re-Verification
Krystal Taing, a Google local product expert in the Google Business Profiles forum and Vice President at Uberall, said she is seeing a rise in re-verifications from Google Business Profiles even after just making small changes or additions to your Google Business Profile. -
Spike In Removed Google Reviews On September 17th
Google seemed to have removed/deleted a ton of reviews from Google Business Profiles within Google Maps and Local search last week, around September 17th. This came a day or so before Google updated its Google Business Profiles review restrictions policy. -
Bing Short Videos Now With Details
Microsoft is testing adding more details to the short video carousel it shows in Bing Search. Now it is showing video length, descriptions, a swipe to see more and other changes. -
Google Search Content Suggestions In Specific Languages Toggle
Google has this setting some searchers can manage that lets them turn on or off seeing content in a language that is popular in their region. The searcher can either leave the content language suggestion on or turn it off. -
Google Local Panel Adds “About This Place” Section
Google is testing adding a new section named “About this place” to the local panel in the Google Business Profile listings within Google Search and Google Maps. This section shows you text and image reviews of this place in a stacked card format. -
Old Google Basement Robot (Ann Arbor HQ)
Here is a super old photo that was posted to Instagram from the old Google Ann Arbor offices. This was in the basement. Some Googler named David got dressed up as a robot.
Other Great Search Threads:
- Bing is really cool that if you accidently add a keyword as broad, not only does it blow you up in the search campaigns + it compounds that wasted spend on the Audience network., Greg on X
- Google at risk for 10% of global revenue fines ($30B) for Digital Markets Act non-compliance in Travel (hotels, flights) in Europe. European Commission likely to find Google not in compliance in forthcoming report, Greg Sterling on X
- Google Web Spam Policy : buying links = bad. AI overviews: buying links can be worth it if done correctly, Harpreet on X
- Heads-up, not sure if this is related to the spam policy documentation update yesterday (and possible manual actions coming), or if it’s tied to the algorithmic tremors we have seen since the August core update completed, but Forbes, Glenn Gabe on X
- I thought we might have a chance to rank with this new update… Two weeks later, our hope is gone. But I’m sure the pages outranking HouseFresh are great, right? You tell me: The page ranking on position 2 is a paid partnership, Danny Ashton on X
- Welcome, AlphaChip! Today, we are sharing some exciting updates on our work published in @Nature in 2021 on using reinforcement learning for ASIC chip floorplanning and layout. We’re also naming this work AlphaChip. Since w, Jeff Dean on X
Search Engine Land Stories:
Other Great Search Stories:
Industry & Business
Links & Content Marketing
Local & Maps
Mobile & Voice
SEO
PPC
Search Features
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.
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