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's John Mueller said that the Penguin algorithm not only ignores bad links but also can, in some cases, distrust the whole site and demote the whole site. Google uses various methods to detect guest blog posts, it is not just about the links. Google My Business messaging added a read receipts setting. Google has a new "behind the Doodle" search results box. Google Merchant Center added new deal features and reporting. Google Search app has a new recent queries card. There is a new vlog out (reminder you can now also subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, YouTube and more.
Search Engine Roundtable Stories:
- Google Said The Penguin Algorithm May Not Just Ignore Links, It May Target Whole Site
When Google released Penguin 4.0, Google said that update was about devaluing links, not demoting links. Meaning, Google would simply ignore the spammy and bad links and your website would not be demoted because of those links. Well, Google said sometimes Penguin can also demote your site. - Google: We Use Many Signals To Detect Guest Posts, It's Not Just Link Anchor Text
Google's John Mueller was asked how Google detects and determines if a piece of content is written as a guest post? John said "we use lots of different signals to try to figure out what might be a guest post." He added, it is not just that the anchor text makes the guest post problematic. - New Google My Business Messaging Read Receipts Setting
Google has added a read receipts setting to the Google My Business messaging platform. Now you can decide to show your customers who are messaging you via Google Maps and Search if you read their message or not through read receipts. - Google Kills Ranking For Google Doodles With Behind The Doodle Box
Google has now killed off getting traffic for ranking for Google Doodles. Back in the old days, if you wrote a news post about a Google Doodle, and if you could rank in the top stories carousel or news box, it would send tons of traffic. Now, Google has added a "Behind the Doodle" box to the top of the search results. - Google Merchant Center Adds Reporting For Google Shopping Deals Badges
Google announced that it is not only showing more flavors of deal badges and showcases but also has added more reporting to the performance report in the Google Merchant Center to report on these deal badges. - Google Search App Recent Queries Card
Google is showing a new card in the Google Search app for "recent queries." The recent queries are pulled from your Google Search history and can show up with your Google Discover personalized stories. - Vlog #144: Bryan Cush On Using Health Data For Content & Search Marketing
Bryan Cush, the co-founder of Tidal Health Group, a healthcare marketing company, stopped by my office to chat SEO and healthcare marketing... - Banana Man At The GooglePlex
I spotted this Halloween costume from a Googler at the GooglePlex, the main Google offices in California. Bananas have a very special place in the SEO community, just ask John Mueller. That being sai - Google Logo Wishes You An imPECKable Halloween
Google has a special Doodle, Google logo, on its home page today and last night for Halloween. The theme of this Halloween Doodle is around wishing Google searchers an "imPECKable Halloween."
Other Great Search Threads:
- To me it feels like accidentally making something that breaks SEO / UX in HTML + JS-sprinkles is hard, while doing these things with many frameworks is quite easy. You have to watch out for issues, John Mueller on Twitter
- Yep, the new more visual shopping SERP is wild. Every few listings you have more product visuals, which when tapped, expand to provide more details and places you can buy the product. Oh, and with continuous search. :), Glenn Gabe on Twitter
- Google's Seller Rating test for organic listings on mobile is back. This time with a similar label to last month, now including the text 'STORE RATING'. We've now seen 3 different variations of this test – maybe we can exp, Brodie Clark on Twitter
- How bad are Google search results now?, WebmasterWorld
- Additional Store Rating Rich Snippet. Is this new? :) First time I’m seeing it., Vlad Rappoport on Twitter
- I doubt that has any negative effect at all, and I doubt we'd see your UK site as being bad suddenly. I'd focus on your users and plan for the long run., John Mueller on Twitter
- Yeah, that's always an interesting aspect. Just because something still exists doesn't mean it still has the same "importance". It would be interesting to track something like the normalized, aggregat, John Mueller on Twitter
Search Engine Land Stories:
- November 1: The latest jobs in search marketing
- Google introduces new ‘Deals’ features for the Shopping tab and Merchant Center
- Meta or meh? Facebook’s new rebrand; Friday’s daily brief
- Google removes 12 structured data fields from the help documents
Other Great Search Stories:
Analytics
- CMOs: How to prepare for the GA4 switchover, Builtvisible
- Google Website Analytics, Semrush
- Líder drives in-app purchases at a lower CPA with Google Analytics, Google
- Unnest Your BigQuery Google Analytics 4 Data With Adswerve’s New Open-Source Tool, Adswerve
- Using an Analytics Helper Class With Firebase and Google Analytics, Adswerve
Industry & Business
- Email is 50 years old, and still where it’s @, Google Blog
- Osborne’s ‘Google tax’ on overseas profits now raises zero revenue, Treasury reveals, The Guardian
Links & Content Marketing
- 3 Pre-Launch Steps To Make Your Content Project Stronger, Content Marketing Institute
Local & Maps
- Google Maps Go: Everything You Need to Know, AutoEvolution
- How to use Waze and Google Maps to find cheaper gas, Mashable
- Memory lanes: Google’s map of our lives | Google Street View, The Guardian
Mobile & Voice
- Apple's AR and VR headset may launch in 2022 as a premium device, Appleinsider
- Google will fix Pixel 6 Pro 'display residual light' flickering, 9to5Google
SEO
- Keywords grouping using Google Search Console data - Google Search Console, Mecagoenlos
- Ransomware gangs use SEO poisoning to infect visitors, Bleeping Computer
PPC
- Snap, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube lose nearly $10bn after iPhone privacy changes, Financial Times
- 10 Reasons Your Google Ads Aren’t Showing, Koozai
Other Search
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 or just contact us the old fashion way.
