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 is testing a local finder blend of search results. Google is also testing slider buttons for product result images. Google tests a new placement for request a quote in the local pack. Google can show booked reservations in the local pack. And Google says branded search with keywords don't help you rank. I also posted a pre-recorded video, in addition to this pre-written newsletter - I am offline for Passover.
Search Engine Roundtable Stories:
- Unconfirmed Google Update, Bard & Bing Chat Upgrades & More SEO & PPC Search News
I posted the monthly Google Webmaster report, and it is an excellent way to catch up on the last month of Google SEO topics. Google said they upgraded Bard’s math and logic support. Bing Chat was also upgraded with images, videos, better local results, and more. - Google Local Finder With Blended Query Results
I don't know if this is new (sorry Mordy) but Google is showing this blended local finder result set that seems to bridge two or more different but similar queries in the same set of results and then Google shows a line of text on what the local results are matching on. - Google Tests Slider Buttons For Product Result Thumbnail Images
When you see product results in the Google Search results, sometimes on mouse over, the images will rotate when there are more than one product image available. Google is testing giving searchers the ability to click to the next image, as opposed to the image automatically sliding by itself. - Google Local Search Tests New Placement For Request Quote Buttons
Google is testing new placements for the request a quote feature in the local search results. I am not sure how new this is, but Joy Hawkins, a local SEO expert, said it was new, and I trust her. - Google Local Pack Displays Booked Reservations
Google has let you book reservations within the local pack and via Google Assistant for a while now. But what may be new is that Google may show you if you have already booked reservations in the local pack, if you booked those reservations using the reserve with Google feature. - Google: People Searching For Your Brand With Keywords Don't Help You Rank
Google's John Mueller said people searching for your brand name and a keyword phrase does not help you rank better in Google Search or perform better SEO-wise. So having people search for your brand name followed by a keyword phrase won't help you rank better. - UN Chamber Music Society Performance At Google
Did you know that the UN Chamber Music Society performed at the Google New York office a month before Google closed its offices due to COVID?
Other Great Search Threads:
- I hope you saved your ideas. It's gone (at least for now). Will Content Ideas in GSC return with new functionality? Hard to say, but it's possible. Again, I provided a ton of feedback, including how to enhance the feature. Stay tuned., Glenn Gabe on Twitter
- I hacked into a @Bing CMS that allowed me to alter search results and take over millions of @Office365 accounts. How did I do it? Well, it all started with a simple click in @Azure… This is the story of #BingBang, Hillai Ben-Sasson on Twitter
- AFAIK (it would really really surprise me) Google doesn't special-case Shopify sites in terms of URL structure & indexing. We have to make do with the weird wide web as it comes, UR, John Mueller on Twitter
- Google Search Results page in 2000 #WebDesignHistory, Web Design Museum on Twitter
- It started as a passion project for one of PMs on the Edge Mobile team, suddenly we found ourselves using it a lot..., Mikhail Parakhin on Twitter
- Starting to see some publishers add a disallow rule in their robots.txt for Common Crawl's CCBot. OpenAI trains GPT on Common Crawl's data, so this seems a defensive move to keep proprietary content out of generative AI, Barry Adams on Twitter
- Twitter has been an integral aspect of my professional life for more than a decade. I don't need a blue check mark for that to continue. But my case is not why the verification program has been so important for the health of, Ginny Marvin on Twitter
Search Engine Land Stories:
Other Great Search Stories:
Analytics
- Do's and Don'ts of a GA4 Migration, Measure Minds Group
Industry & Business
- Google Search Contractors Move to Testing Chatbot in AI Race, Business Insider
- Washington AG Ferguson Joins Antitrust Suit Against Google Over Online Ad Business, The Daily Chronicle
Links & Content Marketing
- 8 inspiring content marketing campaigns and what you can learn from them, The Drum
- How to Use Ephemeral Content on Social Media + Examples, Sprout Social
Local & Maps
- Google Business Images Keep Being Rejected? Try This, Online Ownership
- Google Earth’s improved Timelapses show how your city’s changed over decades, TechRadar
- Interesting Case of Keyword Rich GBP Name to No Keyword Brand Name, Online Ownership
- What to do in Krakow: Google Arts & Culture’s guide, Google Blog
Mobile & Voice
- How to Replace Siri With ChatGPT on Your iPhone, How To Geek
- Siri Features That You Probably Had No Idea Existed, Brandsynario
SEO
- Ahrefs SEO Toolbar: One SEO Extension To Rule Them All, SEOsly
- Another Underused Local SEO Tool in Google Search Console: the Internal Links Report, Local Visibility System
- How to Analyze the Results of Your SEO Split Tests, seoClarity
- How to Effectively Assign the Work in Enterprise Local SEO, BrightLocal
- Staging and launching a site, Search Off the Record
PPC
- Announcing Aimclear AI Marketing Lab: Our AI-Focused Think Tank, Aimclear
- Cross-Channel Marketing: Improve Paid Social Ads With PPC Keywords, Portent
- Maximize Your Online Presence with Keyword Opportunities, PPC Expo
- S2, E1: Why Are Google Reps The Way They Are? - with Ben Kruger, Google - PPC Ponderings Podcast, ZATO Marketing
Search Features
- How Google is protecting users from North Korean hackers, Google Blog
- SearchResearch Challenge (4/5/23): What's this architecture all about?, SearchReSearch
- Under the Hood of an AI Powered Search Engine ft Sridhar Ramaswamy, iPullRank
Other Search
- Google's Bard often misinform users, new study finds, Fortune
- Typo Domains, Majestic
- We asked Bing with ChatGPT and Google Bard what phone to buy — here’s what happened, Tom's Guide
Feedback:
Have feedback on this daily recap; let me know on Twitter @rustybrick or @seroundtable, you can follow us on Facebook and make sure to subscribe to the YouTube channel, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts or just contact us the old fashion way.
Note: This was pre-written and scheduled to be posted today, I am currently offline for Passover.
