Daily Search Forum Recap: January 30, 2024

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.

Google provides specific feedback on why a piece of content is not helpful. Google Ads is testing a new format. Bing is testing ads on the left panel. Google hotel search results in the EU are different due to the DMA. Google tests search results from the web, yea... Google launched clippable coupons, discount rich results - maybe.

Search Engine Roundtable Stories:

• Google Offers Specific Feedback On Why An Article Might Not Be Helpful
  Danny Sullivan, the Google Search Liaison, replied to with very specific feedback on a specific article on how to make that article more helpful. I figured I'd share those details, even though it is a super specific example. But it may be useful for others to see this feedback.
• Google Ads Tests New Card Shaded Format
  Google Ads may be testing a new ad format that look more like those perspectives, where the ads are in these tall boxes or cards and those cards are on shaded backgrounds. Have you seen these before?
• Bing Testing Microsoft Ads On Left Side Panel
  Bing seems to be testing displaying ads on the left side bar of the Bing Search results. Previously, Bing had organic free listing details on that left side bar but now it seems they are testing showing Microsoft Advertising search ads on that panel.
• The New Google Hotel Results In EU With Digital Markets Act
  Google has been launching changes to its search results in the European regions to comply with the Digital Markets Act (DMA). We've seen tests of how this will change the search results for some time now but here is a step by step walk through of how the hotel search results changed in the EU.
• Google Clippable Coupons Live (Again?) - Discount Rich Results
  Google may have officially rolled out and launched the clippable feature for product snippets. We saw variations of this in the product results before and I thought it went live earlier but maybe now it is officially live?
• Google Search (More) Results From The Web
  Google is testing showing a section in its search results titled "Results from the web" and "More results from the web." I mean, why? Aren't all Google Search results from the web?
• Modeling At Google Pier 57 NYC
  Here are some photos that look like they are professional modeling shoots at the Google Pier 57 New York City office. I included the embed from Instagram. I guess anyone can go there and take photos or do you need permission?

Other Great Search Threads:

• #DoodleforGoogle is back! This year's theme asks U.S. K-12 students to imagine their future and create a Doodle that answers the prompt, "My wish for the next 25 years.” Learn more → https://t.co/Wsg3ZkftS7 Art Credit:, Google Doodles on X
• 80% of people say they are concerned about the state of their online privacy. @Google is dedicated to protecting your personal info. On #DataPrivacyDay, take a few minutes to do a privacy check-up at, Dan Taylor on X
• Couldn't find a good GSC tool in the GPT Store that didn't connect to third-party services, so I've played around and made Search Analytics for GPT which has: Direct Google API data fetch Performance data URL, Mihai Aperghis on X
• Google's image search is actually more egregious than you might expect. They actually provide a share link for the images, that links to an intermediary page That intermediary page is blocked by robots.txt The image might get hot-li, Andy Beard on X
• We have guidance for JavaScript-based websites & SEO - I'd check those out: https://t.co/k4aqpIwaUP, John Mueller on X
• When you do the migration., John Mueller on X

Search Engine Land Stories:

• Google search CPCs up 19%, pushing ad spend up 17%
• No, Google has NOT announced SGE isn’t going to happen
• Search universe analysis: A deep dive
• What is on-page optimization?

Other Great Search Stories:

Analytics

• 10 Key Steps to Leverage the Reports Snapshot in GA4, Online Metrics

Industry & Business

• Nvidia’s Big Tech Rivals Put Their Own A.I. Chips on the Table, New York Times
• Hottest Job in Corporate America? The Executive in Charge of A.I., New York Times
• Microsoft stole my Chrome tabs, and it wants yours, too, The Verge

Links & Content Marketing

• Don’t Hide — Mine Your Brand’s Flaws for Storytelling Gold, Content Marketing Institute
• Sentence-Level Semantic Internal Links For SEO, Search Engine Journal

Local & Maps

• Manage Menu Images for Restaurants Google Business Profiles, Online Ownership
• Google Maps “Suggest an Edit” Loophole: 2nd Reports Approved (Sometimes), Local Visibility System
• Yelp releases a series of new discovery, contribution, services and AI-powered features, Yelp - Official Blog

Mobile & Voice

• Chinese AR Glasses Maker Xreal Raises Funds to Compete With Apple, Meta, Google, Bloomberg
• Google inadvertently spills an Assistant with Bard demo video, Android Police
• Waze voice commands are broken on Android Auto again, 9to5Google
• Google Assistant with Bard details just leaked — including release info and new features, Tom's Guide

SEO

• Building an SEO Strategy in 2024, Online Marketing Blog
• Expert keyword research tips for news SEO, SEO For Journalism
• SEO Tips for Artists: 4 Steps to Help Get Your Artwork Seen on Google Search, Ethan Lazuk
• Shopify SEO Case Study - Ranking Above Retailers & Going DTC, Adam Riemer

PPC

• First-Party Data On Ice? How Conagra’s Birds Eye Brand Navigates The New Video Ecosystem, AdExchanger
• January 2024 update to Display & Video 360 API, Google Ads Developer Blog
• The future of search and the impact on ads, Hallam

Other Search

• Apple shares more details about the new default web browser prompt in iOS 17.4, 9to5Mac
• Publishers Question Related Website Sets, Google's Privacy Sandbox Solution for Cross-Site Tracking, AdWeek

Feedback:

Have feedback on this daily recap; let me know on Twitter @rustybrick or @seroundtable, on Threads, Mastodon and Bluesky and you can follow us on Facebook and on Google News and make sure to subscribe to the YouTube channel, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts or just contact us the old fashion way.