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.
I posted a big list of the Google Search Console feature requests. Google Groups spam may be fixed by dropping out Usenet content. Google Search get style recommendations adds swipe right and left. Google said why some important links may not be important. I also posted the big Google Webmaster report for January 2024.
Search Engine Roundtable Stories:
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Big Google Search Console Feature Request List For 2024
I asked the search community to let me know what features they would like to see within Google Search Console that they do not have yet. I received well over a hundred responses, so I figured I'd highlight and summarize them in a blog post here - Google, are you listening? -
Google Groups To Fix Spam Issues By Removing Usenet Groups
Remember when we reported that Google Groups seems to have seen a visibility boost in Google Search, which resulted in a lot of spammy and sometimes dangerous information showing up in Google's search results. Bleeping Computer now reports that Google is ending support for Usenet groups on Google Groups to fight spam. -
Google On Why Important Links Might Not That Be Important Or Helpful
Google's John Mueller explained why some links that you think are important might not be that important for search ranking purposes. He responded to a question on Reddit asking why an important link is not shown by the third-party link trackers. -
Google Search "Get Style Recommendations" Swipe Left Or Right
Google added this "get style recommendations" feature to the search results months back but did you know you can swipe left and right on those style recommendations while on mobile search? Then after several swipes left and right, Google will give you a carousel of product results it thinks you may like. -
January 2024 Google Webmaster Report
It's time for the big Google Webmaster Report, the January 2024 edition. This month we saw the November 2023 Google reviews update completed after 29 days. But that wasn't the end of the volatility, it was a very volatile month. Google also confirmed it tweaked its local ranking algorithm to strengthen openness for non-navigational queries. -
Bard Ads In The Tokyo Subway Cars
Google launched Bard in Japanese and Korean last week and I guess to advertise the launch Google paid for some ads on the Tokyo subway system.
Other Great Search Threads:
- Critical is always relative (in this case, most sites aren't even showing FAQ rich results anyway), and the subject line is already long. But, perhaps there's something which could be done. Thanks!, John Mueller on X
- I've been following this closely, pun intended. :) If Discover is important for your business, a big heads-up that I'm now seeing *many* topics to follow in the SERPs based on queries that surface news information. This has expanded, Glenn Gabe on X
- Looks like Google updated this chart. Moved some things from currently offered with Discovery to "New Demand Gen Features" Added Device, Greg on X
- The "3rd-party cookie deprecation" (hashtag#3PCD) doesn't affect everyone & every site - but if you don't check, you won't know. And if you have checked, you can stop reading now., John Mueller on LinkedIn
Search Engine Land Stories:
- The state of SEO in 2024: Are you AI-ready?
- LinkedIn ad prices surge as advertisers’ X boycott continues
Other Great Search Stories:
Industry & Business
- Ex-Googler of 15 Years Says Tech Giant Is Rife With Fiefdoms, Business Insider
- Google settles $5 billion consumer privacy lawsuit, Reuters
Links & Content Marketing
- Forget Resolutions; What’s Your Word for 2024?, Content Marketing Institute
- Nine of the Best Internal Linking Tools for 2024, SEOTesting
Local & Maps
- How Google is using AI to reduce traffic and emissions, CBS News
- How to optimize your GBP landing page, SearchLab Digital
- Overture Maps Foundation adds Google Open Buildings Data, Geo Week News
- This New Feature Would Make Google Maps the King of Offline Navigation, AutoEvolution
Mobile & Voice
- Apple Just Broke a Tradition It Held for 12 Years, MacRumors
- Apple Vision Pro 'imminent' with end of January launch, AppleInsider
- As Assistant with Bard inches toward launch, here's its UI in action [Video], 9to5Google
SEO
- Content consolidation for SEO: How to revitalize duplicate and outdated pages, Wix SEO Hub
- Top Trends & Predictions for News SEO in 2024 by the Top SEO Experts, NewzDash
- SEO Trends for 2024, SERP's Up SEO Podcast
PPC
- The 5 Biggest Google Ads Trends for 2024 (+6 Predictions), WordStream
- How Google Blends Search, Social, Local, Shopping, AI, And Ads, Search Engine Journal
Search Features
- I put Google Search AI image generator to the test on adding text to images — it was better than expected, Tom's Guide
Feedback:
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