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's Index Bug With Pages Being De-Indexed Is Almost Fixed
Just to keep you all up to date on the issue with pages dropping out of the Google index starting last Thursday. It is currently still not fully resolved and we are in day five now. But Google seems to be just about done resolving it fully. - Google: More Crawling Doesn't Mean Things Are Better (i.e. Rankings)
Google's John Mueller had to reiterate what he said a couple times now, this time on Reddit - saying "More crawling doesn't mean things (like rankings) are better." He said it is a common misconception but he did add "it just means Google is able to see changes a little bit faster." - Matt Cutts Wants Google To Bring Back The + Operator
This is funny - back in 2011 when Google+ launched, Google removed the + search operator from Google search so it can work better with the Google+ strategy. Now that Google+ is dead, Matt Cutts, a former Googler, posted on Twitter "On the bright side, if Google+ is gone, maybe the folks in Google search will reclaim the + operator:" - Google Assistant Results Now Include Ads With Updated Design
Google announced they have updated the design for the Google Assistant search results on Android. They slid into the announcement that now Google Assistant results can have ads - search ads - displayed. Google said "When relevant, these results may include the existing ads that you'd see on Search today." - Live: Google Sitelinks Images
In September we covered a report that Google has in their Sitelinks images or icons. Well, I have never seen it live in action before until today when Mike Blumenthal shared an example on Twitter. - Googlers At The Okinawa Google Webmaster Conference
Takeaki Kanaya from Google is posting some pictures of Gary Illyes throughout the past week while he is in Japan for the Okinawa Google Webmaster Conference. Here is him trying to hide at the event.
Other Great Search Forum Threads:
- No, there's nothing to block web-pages on a per-country basis in search.…, John Mueller on Twitter
- Google My Business now showing an email address field?, Local Search Forum
- LOL - reading through the thread I fear @JohnMu and just sent us SEOs down a rabbit hole (unintentionally - but it's what we do). Hope @rustybrick doesn't get wind of it. Oops. :)… https://t.co/W35pZmKTX0, Beanstalk IM on Twitter
- Usually a few hours - it's pretty quick, and with site-removals, does all URLs at once.…, John Mueller on Twitter
- Are health sites even worth it anymore?, WebmasterWorld
- Best pagination approach since Google next-prev announcement, Reddit
- Huge Drop in revenue: Unbillable clicks, WebmasterWorld
- We just haven't moved everything over -- feel free to continue using it in the old Search Console in the meantime!…, John Mueller on Twitter
Search Engine Land Stories:
- Ready, Set, Go! Googlebot Race
- There’s no shortcut to authority: Why you need to take E-A-T seriously
- Consumers largely unaware of fake reviews problem on Amazon
- Why search marketers need call tracking and analytics
- Google Search Console adds Android app filters to performance report
Other Great Search Stories:
Analytics
- 5 steps to improve media performance using Google Analytics, Google Blog
- CSS Selector Guide For Google Tag Manager, Simo Ahava's blog
- How to Use UTM Parameters in Email, UTM Parameter Checker
- The Ultimate Guide to Google Analytics in 2019, Hubspot
Industry & Business
- Grow with Google NYC Learning Center to open for five months in NYC, Google Blog
- With Google Next Just Around the Corner, How Will the Stock React?, Smarter Analyst
Links & Promotion Building
- 6 Things I Wish I Knew My First Day Building Links, The Upper Ranks
Local & Maps
- How to Find Your True Local Competitors, Moz
- Google beats Amazon to launching drone delivery service in Australia, Business Insider
Mobile & Voice
- 20 Million Vehicles Shipping in 2023 will Come Equipped with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant or Both, Business Wire
- Google Assistant vs Amazon Alexa: The battle for the best virtual assistant, Hiptoro
- Voice-Readiness Study Indicates Vast Majority of Businesses Fail Basic Listings Test, Street Fight
SEO
- Preventative Online Reputation Management, Go Fish Digital
- Reviving Retired Search Console Reports, Screaming Frog
- Google Webmaster Hangout Notes: April 5th 2019, DeepCrawl
- In Search SEO Podcast: How to Optimize Your LinkedIn Account for SEO, RankRanger
PPC
- 5 Strategies to Improve PPC Lead Quality, WordStream
- Sunset of the Ad Manager API v201805, Google Ads Developer Blog
- Tips to Lower Rising CPCs, PPC Hero
Search Features
- 13 Top APIs for Search, ProgrammableWeb
- Google reminders are broken in search, again, Android Police
- In a world of Google and Amazon, libraries rethink their role, CNET
