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.
This weekend was pretty hot in terms of the Google search results volatility. Google launched blue highlights for featured snippets. Google updated its reviews content guidelines. Google's John Mueller spoke about a domain name with a long history of spamming Google and its chances of recovering. Google reminded employees that Bard is not Search. And I posted another vlog with Sam Michelson on pricing.
Search Engine Roundtable Stories:
- Google Search Ranking Fluctuations Continue Through The Past Weekend
Since the Google February 2023 product reviews update on February 21st, we've been seeing some pretty big swings in the search results - a lot of volatility, more than the norm. And that continued through the past weekend. - Google Reminds Employees: "Bard Is Not Search"
Jack Krawczyk, the product lead for Bard at Google, told Googlers at an all-hands meeting, saying, "I just want to be very clear: Bard is not search." - Google On A Site With A Long History Of Spamming - Can It Rank Again?
Google's John Mueller was asked about a domain name purchased several months ago but still does not rank well in Google Search. John explained that the domain has a "long and complicated history." "It's going to be hard to convince search engines that it's something very different & unrelated to what was done in the past decades," John added. - Google Blue Highlights In Featured Snippets Live
After many months of testing, Google has launched the highlights in the featured snippets within the Google search results. Google seems to have gone with the blue highlights, not the yellow, as we previously reported on both styles. - Google Updates Reviews Guidelines For Personal Information & Fake Engagement
Google has made a couple of updates to the Google Maps User Contributed Content Policy around prohibited and restricted content. Specifically, Google updated the definition of personal information under the Civil discourse section and fake engagement under the Deceptive content section. - Vlog #213: Sam Michelson On Pricing Your Digital Marketing Services
In part one, we spoke about who Sam Michelson is and his business development techniques. In part two, we dove into CRM software and how they use it, including looking at a new piece of software for partner management... - Another Google Fire Pit
We've seen many many fire pits at the Google offices and events. Here is a new one from what appears to be a leadership event by the Google Podcast folks.
Other Great Search Threads:
- If you're not automatically generating sitemap files server-side, you might as well not have sitemap files., John Mueller on Twitter
- [GA4 Item Scope Roll Out] It seems Item scope is in roll out. I have some GA4 properties with this feature [not alpha] And do you have it?, Matteo Zambon on Twitter
- What would you do if so?, John Mueller on Twitter
- I'd read up on what they do, and then make a choice together with your client based on the pros & cons for their specific situation. Asking someone who doesn't know the site & it's enviro, John Mueller on Twitter
- rel canonical is only officially supported for web pages (and things that get indexed like web pages, like pdfs), John Mueller on Twitter
Search Engine Land Stories:
- LinkedIn launches collaborative articles for users to share insights and advice
- Pinterest is experimenting a new premium video ad format
- The latest jobs in search marketing
- Brave Search adds AI Summarizer feature
- 3 new changes to the Google Ads dashboard
- How to create a winning content strategy framework
- Keyword research for SEO: 6 questions you must ask yourself
Other Great Search Stories:
Analytics
- How to Improve GA4 Engagement Rates, Go Fish Digital
Industry & Business
- Google conducting civil rights audit, caving to years of pressure, Washington Post
- Google China Starts Layoffs, Compensation Provided, Pandaily
Links & Content Marketing
- Repurposing Content, LoudGrowth
- 5 Content Marketing Ideas for April 2023, Practical Ecommerce
- ChatGPT: Thinking Outside The Content Marketing Box, Forbes
Local & Maps
- Apple Maps Redesign Expands to Finland, Norway, and Sweden, MacRumors
- Google Maps Android Rival Gets Big Update With New Navigation Features, AutoEvolution
- I Used Google Maps and Waze for a Two-Hour Drive and the Results Are Not Surprising, AutoEvolution
Mobile & Voice
- Google Pixel Watch Faces update tweaks Assistant complication, 9to5Google
- How to use ChatGPT with Siri, TechRadar
SEO
- How to use podcasting as part of your SEO strategy, Omi Sido
- ChatGPT For SEO: 50+ Uses, Example Prompts, And Tips, SEOSLY
- E-E-A-T Is the New E-A-T. What the New “E” Means for SEO, Ahrefs
- How To Audit An XML Sitemap, SEOSLY
- Image SEO: optimizing images using machine learning, WordLift Blog
- SEO fails: Horror stories from some of the world’s smartest SEOs, Traffic Think Tank
- How to audit JavaScript for SEO, Hallam
- Keyword Analysis for SEO: Deciding if (And How) to Target a Keyword, Ahrefs
PPC
Search Features
- The inside story of how ChatGPT was built from the people who made it, MIT Technology Review
- The new world of AI chatbots like ChatGPT, CBS News
Other Search
- In the future, we will finally Ask Jeeves, The Atlantic
- Google execs say in all-hands meeting Bard A.I. isn't all for search, CNBC
Feedback:
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