Daily Search Forum Recap: January 4, 2023

Jan 4, 2023 • 4:00 pm | comments

(0) by Barry Schwartz | Filed Under Search Forum Recap

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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.

More Google search ranking algorithm update volatility to report on in the past couple of days - was it helpful content or link spam update related? Google no longer has a 110 character limit on the headline for article structured data. Google's URL inspection tool shows nofollow links as the referring page. Google explains why giving start and end dates for algorithm updates is not so easy. Google has a "popular next steps" search refinement feature.

Search Engine Roundtable Stories:

Google Search Ranking Algorithm Update Signals On January 3rd & 4th
As the Google December 2022 helpful content update and link spam update continue to roll out, I am now seeing more signs of volatility and chatter within the SEO industry in the past 24 hours. It seems like there is another algorithm update, or maybe a continuation from the previous ones, taking place on January 3rd and 4th.
Start & End Dates For Google Algorithm Updates Aren't Always Exact
If you've been following my coverage here on confirmed Google search algorithm updates over the years, you would see that the dates Google gives to the start of an update and, more often, the completion of an update are not always so exact.
Google Drops 110 Character Limit From Article Headline Structured Data
Google has updated the article structured data help documentation by removing the 110-character limit from the headline properties. It now says, "Consider using a concise title, as long titles may be truncated on some devices."
Google URL Inspection Tool Referring Page Can Show Nofollow Links But It's Rare Say John Mueller
Google's John Mueller said it is possible that Google Search Console's URL inspection tool can show a nofollowed link as the referring page but he also said it is rare. It does make you question if Google holds by the nofollow as a very strict hint or not but John said we are "too focused on links."
Google Search "Popular Next Steps" Option
Google is testing or has launched a new search refinement or expansion feature named "popular next steps." If Google thinks
Google Toothpicks Signage
I have almost no context on this one but this super G Google logo sign of sorts seems to be made up of massive toothpicks. I found this on Twitter via Menachem Ani and Google Lens does give some clue

Other Great Search Threads:

Canonicalization is sometimes complex & challenging, but it's definitely not the case that Google just makes something up, John Mueller on Mastodon
Dropping links to your site on random pages on the web isn't a useful strategy, and even if those pages were indexed, the links there would likely be ignored if you're dropping them there, John Mueller on Twitter
I'm sure if a link-focused SEO tool tells you to make more links, it must be true :-), John Mueller on Twitter

Search Engine Land Stories:

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