Daily Search Forum Recap: June 17, 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 had another possible Google search ranking update this weekend. Google Ads is forcing some advertisers off credit card payments. Apple updated its Applebot documentation in a big way. Google Maps updated its fake engagement policy. Google updated its hreflang documentation. Google Ads now allows for some opioid painkiller ads. And a special piece from Glenn Gabe on tracking AI Overviews in Google Search Console - well, kinda.

Search Engine Roundtable Stories:

• Google Father's Day Weekend Search Ranking Volatility
  Happy Father's Day - it looks like we are seeing some pretty significant ranking fluctuations and volatility within the Google Search results over the past day or so. Yep, yet another big Google weekend update of sorts - of course - not confirmed by Google.
• The Maddening Adventure Of Tracking AI Overviews In Google Search Console
  Google launched AI overviews in the SERPs in the United States officially on May 14th at I/O. This follows the launch of Google's Search Generative Experience (SGE) in May of 2023...
• Google Ads Forcing Some Advertisers Off Credit Card Payments
  Google Ads is forcing many of its advertisers off the credit card option for paying for their ad accounts and onto bank-based payment methods, such as ACH, wire, or paper check. If you do not comply by July 31, 2024, your account can be suspended.
• Apple Updates Applebot Docs With Applebot-Extended, Reverse DNS & More
  Apple has made some really big changes to the Applebot documentation after the Apple WWDC event, where Apple announced Apple Intelligence. Apple added more about Applebot, reverse DNS details, Applebot-Extended and much more.
• Google Maps Updates Fake Engagement Policy With More Detail
  Google has updated its Google Maps contributor fake engagement policy to flesh out in more detail how the policy works. The new text is like 40% longer and seems to have received a nice refresh.
• Google Updates hreflang Documentation While I Was Offline
  Google has tweaked its hreflang search developer documentation to clarify that link tags for denoting alternate versions of a page must not be combined in a single link tag. Google said it wanted to document this "quirk" in its documentation.
• Google Now Allow Some Opioid Painkillers Ads
  Google Ads will update its Healthcare and medicines policy this month to allow advertisers to discuss opioid painkillers without promoting or selling them. The example given is that you can have ads to discuss public policy solutions for opioid painkiller abuse.
• Googler In Training Jacket
  Here is Mike Ryan's kid wearing a Googler in Training red rain / wind jacket. He posted about the Google merch a year ago and I guess now his kid is old enough to wear it and shared this photo of his kid wearing it.

Other Great Search Threads:

• Advertisers will get a notification (under the Notifications icon) in their account. Click the notification to view the automatically paused keywords OR go directly to the "Keywords" page under "Campai, AdsLiaison on X
• (New) Google Circle to Search now testing 3 new tabs in its results (mostly shows up for product images) Products Visual Matches About this image, Gagan Ghotra on X
• First time seeing an attribute get denied with a emailed response. Apparently you are not considered small business if you are part of a chain or franchise. This particular location has 5 total. I would still consider that small busin, ClaudiaT on X
• Update: Bing is showing a # button at the bottom of the search results. Clicking it lets you explore the Tag filter, Shameem Adhikarath on X
• Google's VP of Search Liz Reid on driving forward with AI: "It is important that we don’t hold back features just because there might be occasional problems, but more as we find the problems, we address them,” “We should take t, Glenn Gabe on X
• Being a bit more serious, I represent both, in a way. I work for Google, but I rep how Google thinks about things externally and also very much rep and advocate for what people externally think back in internally., Google SearchLiaison on X
• Google finally cleaned up the Search Console data anomalies page. Before and after attached (shorter one is new), Barry Schwartz on X

Search Engine Land Stories:

• Google Ads phasing out card payments
• Google streamlines product listings via website crawl
• Pinterest launches AI ad tools
• The latest jobs in search marketing
• Head of Google Search: AI mistakes won’t prevent progress
• Why video is key to building brand identity and engagement
• Agile SEO: A playbook for online brand management

Other Great Search Stories:

Analytics

• Alternatives to Google Analytics, Cornwall SEO

Industry & Business

• Apple's New AI Is Made in Google Data Centers, Business Insider
• Google Ad Tech Antitrust Suit Will Go to Trial, Judge Rules, Bloomberg
• Google C.E.O. Testifies in Ozy Media Founder’s Fraud Trial, New York Times
• Google lodges plans for pub in Dublin, RTE
• Microsoft AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman audits OpenAI’s code, Semafor

Links & Content Marketing

• Is It OK for Platforms To Train Their AI With Your Content?, Content Marketing Institute
• Global audiences suspicious of AI-powered newsrooms, report finds, Reuters
• AI took their jobs. Now they get paid to make it sound human, BBC News

Local & Maps

• Hindsight: Self-Preferencing Behind Google Maps' Rise, Near Media
• Apple Maps Is Making It Easier to Explore National Parks With Its Latest Update, Travel and Leisure

Mobile & Voice

• What Is the Apple Vision Pro? A Lifesaver for Disabled Users, NY Mag
• Some Apple Intelligence features won't arrive until 2025, AppleInsider
• Sorry, VR: The Meta Ray-Ban Wayfarers Are the Best Face Computer, Wired
• Apple joins the race to find an AI icon that makes sense, TechCrunch

SEO

• 4 Surprising SEO Test Results — Whiteboard Friday, Moz
• June 2024 Google SEO Office Hours Transcript, Google Search Central Blog
• Recommended Format for Schema Markup, Schema App Solutions
• Top 10 SEO Rules to Improve Your Google Rankings, Semrush
• The 6 Biggest SEO Challenges You'll Face in 2024, Ahrefs

PPC

• Google faces GDPR complaint over Privacy Sandbox, The Register
• The Ultimate Guide to Cookie & Marketing Consent Management Platforms, PPC Hero

Search Features

• 'Devastating' potential impact of Google AI Overviews on publisher visibility revealed, Press Gazette

Other Search

• Google Gemini proves a better health coach than humans, VentureBeat
• Reduce AI Hallucinations With This Neat Software Trick, Wired
• Google Chrome's upcoming search feature will use AI to dig deeper into your browsing history, Android Authority
• How and Why Google Made its Own Product Worse, Jess B Peck
• What Do Google’s AI Answers Cost the Environment?, Scientific American
• Perplexity AI Is Lying about Their User Agent, Robb Knight

Feedback:

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