Daily Search Forum Recap: March 15, 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.

We're seeing more ranking fluctuations likely related to the Google March core and spam updates. Google Merchant Center Product Studio has new AI generated themed templates, one ready for St. Patrick's Day. Google Image search is testing thumbs up like buttons. Google tests dishes near me. Google has trending icons in the people also search for section. Plus, I posted the weekly SEO video recap.

Search Engine Roundtable Stories:

• Google March 2024 Core & Spam Update Movement Today
  Today is day 10 of the Google March 2024 core update rollout and Google March 2024 spam update. We believe we saw the core update touch down on March 8th and 9th and some possible recoveries or fluctuations on March 12th. Now I see more signs of Google search ranking volatility likely related to the core and spam updates today.
• Search News Buzz Video Recap: Google Core Update Rumbling, Manual Actions FAQs, Core Web Vitals Updates, AI, Bing, Ads & More
  This past weekend (a week ago) we saw the first ranking volatility likely from the Google March 2024 core update. We also some saw possible reversals or recoveries a few days later. Then today, Friday, March 15th, I am seeing more ranking volatility likely related to the core and spam updates. Google posted....
• Google Merchant Center Product Studio With Themed Templates Including St. Patrick's Day
  Google Merchant Center has added new themed templates to the Product Studio. The new theme was for St. Patrick's Day, which is coming up this Sunday. But Google will soon add Easter, Spring, and Mother's Day themed templates to the Product Studio as well.
• Google Image Search Results Testing Like Button
  Google seems to be testing a like, thumbs-up, button on image search results. The thumbs-up icon is near the share and save button and below the image, description and visit button.
• Google Search Dishes Nearby Carousel
  Have you seen the "dishes nearby" carousel in the mobile Google Search results? I am not 100% sure if it is new, but I don't think I've covered it before. But Google will show dishes served by nearby restaurants in a carousel interface.
• Google People Also Search For Trending Icons
  Google is placing trending icons on some of the people also search for people in the knowledge panel. We've seen various forms of this and I don't think this is specifically new, but I don't think I covered this specific example.
• Wall Of Superstars At Google
  Here is a photo from the Google Hong Kong office of a wall that says "Superstars at Google" and it then shows photos, names and descriptions of specific Googlers.

Other Great Search Threads:

• Bing is testing a large font size for the first title on Bing SERP., Shameem Adhikarath on X
• Google, in an effort to display and prioritize even more expertise, is showing a short bio of who the person is who’s writing or tweeting about a “Perspective” Notice how they add “covers technology” This looks very ve, Shalom Goodman on X
• Are these JavaScript Errors Anything to Worry About?, Reddit
• I think this might be new (DMA), for bus and train searches. Don't recall a "Transport sites" module (like the Places sites one) being mentioned in Google's announcements..., Lluc B. Penycate on X
• Perplexity's integration of Yelp data is imperfect but points to exciting times ahead for "Local AI.", Greg Sterling on X
• Want your mind blown today? -> Ray Kurzweil is Google's AI visionary and has over *61* years of experience with AI. Yes, 61. On Rogan's podcast, he covered a number of topics that would blow your mind. To say he knows his stuff AI-wi, Glenn Gabe on X

Search Engine Land Stories:

• Google Product Studio launches seasonal themed templates
• Amazon apologizes after its AI advertising system makes costly error
• Reddit launches new ad format that closely resembles user posts
• Google SGE could cost publishers $2 billion in ad revenue
• LinkedIn now allows brands to sponsor any organic post
• Google’s March 2024 core update: 5 things you need to know
• How to identify and rank for ‘hidden gems’ in SEO
• SEO testing: Shifting from reactive to proactive strategies

Other Great Search Stories:

Industry & Business

• Apple Buys Canadian AI Startup DarwinAI as Part of Race to Add Features, Bloomberg
• Google Employees Will Get Smaller Pay Bumps This Year, Business Insider
• Google Is Trying to Reduce Its Food Waste Without Irritating Employees, Bloomberg
• Google teases I/O 2024 with 'Break the loop' puzzle, 9to5Google
• Google's pledge to support carbon removal solutions, Google Blog

Links & Content Marketing

• 17 Content Distribution Strategies to Try in 2024, WordStream
• The Problem With AI Headlines, Content Marketing Institute

Local & Maps

• How Local Businesses Inspire Love, Loyalty, and Friendship, Moz
• Apple Maps Cycling Directions Expand to Austria, Belgium, and Sweden, MacRumors
• Apple Maps vs. Google Maps: Which Is Better?, MacRumors
• Istanbul construction pit mistaken as lake on Google, Apple, Yandex maps, Daily Sabah

Mobile & Voice

• Google restricts election-related queries for its Gemini chatbot, CNBC
• Researchers Highlight Google's Gemini AI Susceptibility to LLM Threats, The Hacker News
• Which AI is best? Our tech expert put three free versions to the test, USA Today

SEO

• 8 Best SEO Podcasts to Improve Your Strategy in 2024, Siege Media
• A Free, Mini SEO Copywriting Course, BruceClay
• BrightEdge Integrates Google's INP Metric, BrightEdge
• How to create SEO proposals that get approved, Wix SEO Hub
• How to Put Out SEO Fires Without Compromising Your Roadmap, Botify
• What is a web crawler, really?, Search Off the Record

PPC

• Celebrating our partner: Interactive Strategies, Microsoft Advertising
• Google cookie changes—how advertisers are searching for new ad tech to prepare, Ad Age
• Removing support for .NET 5.0 in the Google Ads API client library for .NET, Google Ads Developer Blog

Other Search

• Bringing Microsoft Copilot to more customers worldwide, Microsoft 365 Blog
• Google Chrome introduces real-time Safe Browsing protections, Google Blog
• Adobe Firefly repeats the same AI blunders as Google Gemini, Semafor
• Google’s Bad Gemini Rollout Did the World a Favor, Bloomberg
• Hackers can read private AI-assistant chats even though they’re encrypted, Ars Technica

Feedback:

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