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 did a deep analysis on how Google uses AI in search on Search Engine Land and it is clear to me that a lot of folks think Google uses MUM for ranking, it does not, MUM is almost not used at all in Google Search right now. Google still has no method to control title links, even for legal reasons. Google has these buyer guides in search, which may be scary for affiliates. Google's John Mueller said Web 3.0 won't kill SEO. An SEO poll says SEOs feel page experience is still super important even though it is not a strong ranking factor. Plus, I posted my weekly SEO video recap - check it out and have a great weekend!
Search Engine Roundtable Stories:
- Google Doesn't Use MUM For Ranking Or Much Of Anything In Google Search
So I wrote this pretty deep dive into how Google uses AI in Google Search at Search Engine Land, and Google posted a shorter version on their blog. I noticed after that, some folks were saying that Google uses MUM for search rankings. Truth is, Google uses MUM for only two things in search, COVID vaccine names and a related topics in videos results feature - that is it. - Google: No Mechanism To Force Title Tag Changes Even For Legal Reasons
As you may remember, in August 2021 Google changed the algorithm it uses to determine your title links (tags) in the search results and it caused a huge issue in the SEO community. A couple months later, Google toned down some of those title changes for the better but they are still not where they were. - Google Buying Guides In Search Results
Google is testing, at least I can't replicate it right now, enhanced buying guides in the search results. Basically this "buying guide" in Google Search lets you really drill into the options around what products you can buy based on your query. - Googler Says Web 3.0 Won't Kill SEO
All the craze right now is Web3 or Web 3.0, the new iteration of the World Wide Web based on the blockchain, which incorporates concepts including decentralization and token-based economics. And some are concerned it will kill SEO, that Web 3.0 will be the final nail in the coffin for SEO. - SEOs Says Google Page Experience More Important Despite There Being No Impact
Aleyda Solis did a Twitter poll thread, multiple polls in a Twitter thread, around the Google page experience update. In short, the poll shows that page experience related metrics, such as core web vitals, is more important to their SEO recommendations despite most saying they saw no impact at all from implementing improvements there. - Search News Buzz Video Recap: Google URL Inspection API, Manual Actions Galore, New Partner Programs, Earnings, MUM, Web3 & More
I posted the monthly Google webmaster report for February 2022, so check it out. Google released a new API for the Google URL Inspection Tool - it is exciting. Google seems to be clearing out the manual action backlog. Google also issued a slew of new manual... - Google Beach Lounge Office Room
Here is a photo from the GooglePlex, the Google headquarters in Mountain View, California of a room that looks like a beach bum lounge room. You can see the beach chairs, surfboard, Google bike, fire
Other Great Search Threads:
- Is .webp worth it over a nice-looking image URL?, Reddit
- The simple way to think of this is that they are different words, so of course they're different content., John Mueller on Twitter
Search Engine Land Stories:
- How marketers can best optimize their Google Shopping ads
- Why you need Site Search
- Functions for Core Web Vitals Tactics with Cloudflare’s HTMLRewriter
- How Google uses artificial intelligence In Google Search
- 4 things to beware of with Google’s Performance Max automated campaigns
Other Great Search Stories:
Analytics
- Annoying SEO Encounters #1 - When you are not granted Google Analytics access, LinkedIn
- Introducing Optimize with Google Analytics 4, tl;dr Marketing
Industry & Business
- Facebook and Google's Ad Addiction Can't Last Forever Thanks to TikTok, Web3, Bloomberg
- Google balks at 'gamesmanship' claims in advertising antitrust case, Reuters
- Google’s Grown-Up Phase Won’t Be Boring, Wall Street Journal
- Investing in Detroit with Ford and Michigan Central, Google Blog
Links & Content Marketing
- Want to Scale Your Content Strategy? Hiring Isn't the Answer, Content Marketing Institute
Local & Maps
- The 10 Review Platforms Who Got FTC Warning Letters, Near Media
- Google Business Profile UTM Tagging for Multi-Location Businesses, BrightLocal
Mobile & Voice
- A User Programmable Automated Assistant from Google, SEO By The Sea
- Google Pixel updates: What you need to know, 9to5Google
SEO
- 301 vs. 302 Redirects for SEO: Which Should You Use?, Seer Interactive
- Common SEO Myths, Steady Demand
- Google Made Its Algorithm Public: What Will SEOs Do with It?, Internet Marketing Ninjas
- How to Read Robots.txt, Seer Interactive
- New SEO Features To Increase Your Organic Visibility, Conductor
- State of SEO Budgets, DealerOn
PPC
- How to Use STAT to Discover Extra Value in Your Keyword Data, Moz
- Why you should be using Share of Search to guide your marketing strategy, Hallam
Search Features
Other Search
- Building a better website for Steve, Search Off the Record
- Chrome 99: CSS Cascade Layers, a New Picker for Input Elements, and More, Chromium Blog
Feedback:
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