Daily Search Forum Recap: May 9, 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.

There is another Google search ranking update going on today, May 9th - Google did not confirm it. Google's CEO, Sundar Pichai, responded to concerns about search quality. Google renamed its AI Answers back to AI Overviews. Google is testing a new Notes button in the search results. Google Analytics 4 conversion performance reports for Google Ads.

Search Engine Roundtable Stories:

• Google Search Ranking Update Volatility Starting On May 9th
  I am seeing signs of a possible Google search ranking update today, May 9th, between a spike in early chatter this morning within the SEO industry and many of the tools showing a significant lift in ranking volatility in the Google Search results.
• Sundar Pichai, Google's CEO, Responds To Google Search Quality Issues
  Google's CEO, Sundar Pichai, was interviewed by Emily Chang at Bloomberg before the big Google I/O event. They talked a lot about a lot of things, but there was 25-second clip where they spoke about core search quality. As you can imagine, he didn't say much but he did respond.
• Google Tests New Search Notes Button
  Google is testing a new button to add a note to the search results. As a reminder, Google launched Notes in Google Search and Discover last November as a labs feature. The new note button is much smaller and just has an icon of a notebook with a plus sign within it.
• Google Renames AI Answer Back To AI Overview
  A week ago, we saw Google renamed the AI overview experimental results to simple "AI Answers." Well, that didn't seem to last long. Google renamed it back to "AI Overview" but left off the "experimental" text on that label - at least in the forefront.
• Google Analytics Gains Google Ads Conversion Performance Beta
  Google Analytics has a new beta Google Ads report named "conversion performance." This is a beta feature right now, so you might not be able to see it. But you must link your Google Ads account to your GA4 account. Then you will see the conversion performance over time, analyze conversions and segment by channel groups.
• Doogler Resting At Google NYC Rooftop
  Here is another Doogler, Google dog, photo. This Doogler is resting on a rooftop at the Google New York City office. I Googled the breed of the dog and I was told it is a Goldendoodle?

Other Great Search Threads:

• Seems like Bing is testing a feature called 'Searches you might like', similar to Related searches. However, the suggested search terms appear unrelated to the main query. Any idea on how these suggestions are generated?, Shameem Adhikarath on X
• Site Hacked and Now Down After Google Search Console Phishing Email Got Me, Reddit
• Google has added a bunch of new business categories! Some notable ones include: * Gutter service * Junk removal service * Home staging service, Joy Hawkins on X
• We’re launching saved comparisons to help you save time when comparing the user bases you care about. Learn how you can do that without recreating the comparison every time! → https://t.co/29nN2MiPtm https://t.co/r8924rAT05, Google Analytics on X

Search Engine Land Stories:

• TikTok highlights its value to brands and search experience
• Reddit eyes potential in search ads following Google traffic gains
• ChatGPT search feature rumors heating up
• PPC landing pages: How to craft a winning post-click experience
• The SEO-UX paradox: Achieving visibility without sacrificing user delight

Other Great Search Stories:

Analytics

• What is Engagement Rate in GA4? Your Engagement Rate Questions Answered, SEO Testing
• Google Launches New 'Saved Comparisons' Feature For Analytics, Search Engine Journal

Industry & Business

• Google CEO Sundar Pichai and the Future of AI, The Circuit - YouTube
• Google fights $17 bln UK lawsuit over adtech practices, Reuters
• Google Is Bailing From Its Offices at Trophy SF Building One Market Plaza, SFist
• Google staffers question execs over 'decline in morale' after earnings, CNBC
• Video: Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai Lays Out Google’s AI Roadmap, Bloomberg
• Reddit Earnings Got a Google Boost. Why That’s Worrisome for the Stock., Barron's

Links & Content Marketing

• Leverage BigQuery for Advanced Internal Link Analysis, Moz
• What is Backlink Relevance and Why Does It Matter?, Koozai
• Content Pruning: A Step-by-Step Guide to Improving Your SEO, Semrush

Local & Maps

• Using Local Pack Grid Rankings for Competitive Local SEO Analysis, Local SEO Guide
• Google Found a Way to Improve Google Maps Navigation During Bad Weather, AutoEvolution
• Walking To Taipei Through a Google Maps Glitch, Bloomberg

Mobile & Voice

• Google Assistant explained: Tricks, devices, and latest updates, Android Central
• New Microsoft AI model may challenge GPT-4 and Google Gemini, Ars Technica
• Siri Not Working After 17.4.1 Update? Here’s How To Fix It, The Mac Observer
• What to expect at Google I/O 2024: Gemini, Android 15 and more, Engadget

SEO

• Google Search Claims Another Victim: Tripadvisor Lowers Outlook, Yahoo Finance
• Reddit is Seeing Explosive SEO Growth. But Is It Truly Helpful to Users?, Amsive
• SEO Use Cases for Vectorizing the Web with Screaming Frog, iPullRank
• What is going on with the Site Reputation abuse policy?, Marie Haynes
• 9 Common Technical SEO Issues and How to Fix Them - Beginners' Guide, HackerNoon
• How to Use Keywords for SEO: The Complete Beginner’s Guide, Ahrefs
• Unlocking Global Potential: A Comprehensive Guide to Multilingual SEO, SEO Webster

PPC

• Empowering small and midsize businesses for growth with generative AI, Microsoft Advertising
• Google Ads Audience Segments: Types, Tips, and Best Practices, Semrush
• Google Launched Local Inventory Ads In 23 Additional Countries, FeedArmy
• How Consent Mode V2 Affects Google Ads: What to do About it, Measure Minds Group

Search Features

• Google brings a variation on 'Circle to Search' to iPhone users, TechCrunch
• Google is bringing a "Circle to Search" variation to Chrome for Desktop, Android Authority

Other Search

• Google DeepMind unveils AI model for living cells, Financial Times (Sub)
• How Google built generative AI tools for the Chrome browser, Google Blog
• Microsoft is ‘turning everyone into a prompt engineer’ with new Copilot AI features, The Verge
• OpenAI posts Model Spec revealing how it wants AI to behave, VentureBeat

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