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.
Search Engine Roundtable Stories:
- Google Search Algorithm Ranking Update Signals In Early February 2020
I am seeing renewed signs from mid-last week of yet another Google search ranking algorithm update from over the weekend. There is significant chatter from over the weekend with many of the tools spiking over the past couple of days. - Complaints Of Indexing Issues Via Google Search Console
Over the weekend there has been numerous complaints about using Google Search Console to get content indexed faster - in short, SEOs are saying it doesn't work. I guess this is through the "request indexing" feature in Google Search Console. To be clear, Google has not confirmed the issue, in fact, John Mueller implied nothing is wrong. - Vlog #42: Jennifer Van Iderstyne On Better Content & Multimedia For SEO
When I was scheming to give Lisa Barone a hard time before our interview, Lisa recommended I sit down with Jennifer Van Iderstyne (@vanetcetera) to discuss SEO with her... - Google Analytics Conversion Data Now Exporting To Google Ads By Default
If you have conversion data for your web site or app in your Google Analytics profiles and you are running Google Ads, Google by default will export the data from Google Analytics and bring it into Google Ads. Google announced this in Google Ads and on Twitter. - Google: Most Sites Do Not Have Toxic Links
Google's John Mueller said on Twitter "Most sites don't have "toxic" links, or at least, created them on their own." He then added his line that there are "more important things to focus on, by our engineers, and definitely by site owners." - Google My Business Local Listings Showing Massive Photos
Mordy Oberstein posted on Twitter a GIF of a Google local panel for a business showing a new interface for displaying photos of the business. The photos are really large and show in a grid-like format. This is not the normal interface, so it seems Google is testing this. - Google Kendall Square Ground Breaking
Here is a photo from the Boston area where Google did a ground breaking on a new building they will be putting up in Kendall Square - the tech epicenter of Boston. I have embedded the photos below, w
Other Great Search Forum Threads:
- I’ll pass this on. We recently made improvements along these lines & hopefully we can further work from that: https://t.co/rd2qB26czx, Danny Sullivan on Twitter
- There are many types of featured snippets and various types of query intent. When analyzing the deduplication change, it's important to isolate the URL, query, device, & even country to make sure you have accurate data. You mi, Glenn Gabe on Twitter
- There's also no need to preemptively fix crawl errors., John Mueller on Twitter
- Google doesn't use DA at all, John Mueller on Twitter
- I'm sorry, you can't pre-emptively add links to the links report., John Mueller on Twitter
- Palindrome Day, WebmasterWorld
- First time seeing the “Cook” button in @Google search results (I’m connected to my Google Home.) However, when I follow the instructions in the black box below, the Home does not pick up the recipe. Thoughts f, Rebecca B. Hofstetter on Twitter
Search Engine Land Stories:
- Meta descriptions and branding have the most influence on search clickthrough, survey finds
- SMX Overtime: Here’s how multi-location brands can manage their local listings
- Microsoft: Search advertising revenue grew slower than expected last quarter
- Why outsource SEO?
Other Great Search Stories:
Analytics
- Google Marketing Tools: Ultimate Guide, In Marketing We Trust
Industry & Business
- Why Google Backtracked on Its New Search Results Look, New York Times
- Alphabet's stock and sales could get a boost from more transparency, Business Insider
- Google's Super Bowl ad: How voice assistant can help you remember, USA Today
Links & Promotion Building
Local & Maps
- Android Auto 5.0 breaks accept/decline call button on wheels, 9to5Google
- Google Maps 'hack' creates virtual traffic jams [Video], 9to5Google
- Google Maps Hacks, Simon Weckert
Mobile & Voice
- Worldwide Tablet Shipments Continue to Decline in Q4 2019, According to IDC, IDC
- Google Assistant Has Almost Ten Times More Voice Apps in Hindi than Alexa Despite Trailing Overall in the Country When Counting Skills in English, Voicebot
SEO
- 2020 Prediction Month: Why Visual Search Will Surpass Voice Search in 2020 – Eric Enge // Perficient Digital, Search Metrics
- How Google's Featured Snippet Update Will Affect Search, iPullRank
- Have Teachable Moments at Google Been Replaced with Related Questions?, Go Fish Digital
- Tracking a Brexit SEO Bubble, SISTRIX
PPC
- Content Exclusions on the Google Display Network: How to Use Them, Metric Theory
- Bloomberg buys up Google search ads to shift Super Bowl attention away from Trump, Washington Examiner
Search Features
- Supporting the 2020 U.S. election, Google Blog
Other Search
