Google Helpful Content Update Promotes, Google Algorithm Update, Bard Gains Citations, Drop In Local Packs & More

This week we learned that the upcoming Google helpful content update would soon promote content, not just demote content. Google also pushed out a search ranking algorithm update, but it was not confirmed. Google Bard now shows citations like Bing Chat, but they are not really good. I explained why I think Google must encourage clicks to publishers with the new Google Search Generative Experience. Google reduces how often the local pack shows up in Google web search. Google Search Console insights has a notice about data changes due to Google Analytics 4. Google has a new bot named Google-InspectionTool. Google is testing a new product detail user interface. Google is testing a circled-in favicon design. Google added more languages to the translated search results feature. Google’s John Mueller said gambling with SEO shortcuts is stupid. Google is testing sharable maps and local pack links. Google is testing new sponsored boxed-in map results, Google Business Profile pending label and a new location for reviews are not verified. Bing Chat is rolling out some new features, including mobile, visual search comparisons, and knowledge cards. Bing Chat is rolling out unauthenticated access support. Bing Chat does show Microsoft Start Partner labels for some answers. Microsoft Advertising is pushing pubCenter, its AdSense alternative, to smaller publishers. Google Shopping Ads and Free listings now allow COVID-19 terms. And if you want to help sponsor those vlogs, go to patreon.com/barryschwartz. That was the search news this week at the Search Engine Roundtable.

SPONSOR: Wix – did you know they now have a headless solution for your content platform and they also announced this week they have integration with Google Ads.

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