The past 30-days in Google webmaster land was incredibly busy. The most important things were around a broad core algorithm update that continued on for over ten days or so and we still see some fluctuations today. Google started rolling out the second batch of mobile-first indexing and we started to see some sites get mobile-first indexing enabled notifications finally.
Google also launched the more results button in Google mobile search to dynamically load more search results on the same page. Google also made some updates to autocomplete search predictions. Chrome started showing search suggestions as well.
Google said some job listings can lead to penalties if you do not follow those guidelines. Search Console added some features and filters to the new version. And there is so much more.
The ongoing WebmasterWorld thread still has a bit of chatter about ranking fluctuations but has settled down a bit recently.
Here is a summary of the topics over the past 30-days you should take a skim through if you didn't read them yet:
Google Algorithm Updates:
- Google Confirmed Last Week Algorithm Update As "Broad Core Update"
- Google Update & Ranking Algorithm Fluctuations Continue
- Google Ranking Algorithm Update Continues On For Over A Week
- Google Algorithm & Ranking Update Kicking Off?
- Google Now Sending Mobile-First Indexing Enabled Notifications
- Second Batch Of Google Mobile-First Indexing Began
- Why Google Is Moving Non-Mobile Friendly Sites To Google's Mobile First Indexing
- Google: Keeping Your Mobile Site Not Mobile-Friendly Is A Bad Strategy
- Reminder: Content Hidden In Tabs Is Okay With Google Mobile-First Indexing
- Google Checks Links On Desktop Vs Mobile Before Switching To Mobile First Indexing
- Google: Mobile-First Indexing Switch Is Based On Technical Setup, Not Search Query Volume
- Google Launches "More Results" Button, Drops Next Button & Ads Load Beneath Organic Results
- Google Autocomplete Search Prediction Changes
- Chrome Tests Google Search Suggestions With Explore On Start Screen
- Google Featured Snippets Expand By Category/Topic
- Google Rolling Out Featured Snippet Refinement Bubbles?
- Google Showing Titles On Some Featured Snippets
- When Google Assistant First Party Responses Fail, It May Failover To Third-Party App
- Google Tests Image Search Interface With Image Hover Over?
- Google "Interesting Finds" Shows AMP Pages & More
- Google: Closed Job Listings Can Result In Manual Action Penalty
- Google Page Speed Uses Desktop Or Mobile Based On Searcher
- Google Search Console Performance Report Gets Search Appearance Filters
- Google Search Console Job Posting Report Now With More Specific Errors
- Google: RSS Feeds Don't Help Your Site Rank Better
- Should SEOs Care About The Updated Google PageRank Patent?
- Google: Negative SEO Via Canonicals Redirects Don't Really Work
- Google: We Don't Always See Links With OnClick JavaScript Events
- Google: How To Reverse A Site Move & Go Back To Original URLs
- Google HTTPS Ranking Boost Is Very Subtle, Per URL & Not Industry Specific
- Google Is Able To Index CSS Grid Layouts
- Google: Linking To Noindexed URLs Is Not A Problem
- Google Doesn't Use rel=next On a-Elements For Search
- Study: Google Often Doesn't Use Your Meta Descriptions For Snippets
- PSA: Google Is Able To Figure Out Different Languages Without Hreflang
- Google Search Cannot Read Your Embedded & Interactive Charts
- Google: Do Not Use 403 Status Codes, Use 404s
- Google: Don't Change URLs When Replacing Old Content With New Content
- What Is Better Google: Wrong Hreflang Or No Hreflang?
- Google Does Not Use rel=me Microformats
- Google: Having Duplicate Meta Descriptions Doesn't Mean Your Site Is Broken
- Google Only Can Judge Site Quality Based On Pages They Index
- Google Generally Prefers One Stronger Page Versus Many Smaller Pages
- Google Cache 404 Error Does Not Impact Your Search Rankings
- Google: Content From APIs Are Copied Content
- Google Removes ccTLDs Part Of Generic TLDs From Help Doc
- Google Tests Mini Local Packs In Search
- Study: Google Local Pack Intentionally Showing Two Near Results & One Result Further Away?
- Google My Business Releases New API Features, Agency Dashboard & Partner Program
- Google Adds Photos Tab To Local Panel On Android Devices
- Google My Business Insights Mysteriously Disappears On Friday The 13th
- Google Tests Showing From The Businesses Section Higher
- Google Shows Save Button On Local Panel On Desktop
- Google My Business Adds Service Menus
For last month's recap click here.
Forum discussion at WebmasterWorld.
