Last month I reported that it looks like Google won't release a feature in Google Search Console's Search Analytics tool for featured snippet reporting. Well, it looks like I was right. Even thought they were testing it and beta users had access to it, it seems Google cannot release it to us because of internal politics.
Gary Illyes said at SMX Advanced that the feature is there but they are not allowed to give it to webmasters and SEOs because his bosses and their bosses don't want to. They simply do not think there is value in giving the data to webmasters. He called out one Googler, I believe Ben Gomes who is the VP of core search at Google, who isn't a fan of giving this data to us.
Gary said they need to convince them that webmasters can use this data to make their web sites better. So you should all tweet to Gary at @methode with the use case so he can show his bosses and they can release it to us. Maybe use the hashtag #freefeaturedsnippets or something like that. :)
Here is a screen shot from the beta interface showing the feature:
Here are relevant tweets from the panel:
Will we get stats on featured snippets for our site? Loooooong pause. "We are not actively working on that." @methode #smx
— Marie Haynes (@Marie_Haynes) June 13, 2017
So @methode bosses at Google doesn't want to release featured snippets data in Google Search Console. #smx
— Barry Schwartz (@rustybrick) June 13, 2017
So Google has a solution to give us data on featured snippets, but they can't release it
— Greg Gifford (@GregGifford) June 13, 2017
via @methode #smx #11a
Data on featured snippets: not actively working on that. @methode #smx
— Jennifer Slegg (@jenstar) June 13, 2017
Google has the ability for giving more data on featured snippets, but some Googlers don't want to give publishers that data. @methode #smx
— Jennifer Slegg (@jenstar) June 13, 2017
How would you use a featured snippets report? Tweet at @methode and @googlewmc! #smx
— Jennifer Slegg (@jenstar) June 13, 2017
It's an internal political situation apparently. @methode #smx
— Patrick Stox (@patrickstox) June 13, 2017
Free the featured snippets data Google! But first, tell Google why it is important for us to have such data!
Forum discussion at Twitter.
