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 had a search bug with some search features like top stories. Google said having duplicate content URLs in your sitemap does not hurt your rankings. Google Ads updated its policies for government documents and official services. Google Search also has a way to overlay videos in the search results. Plus, Google is testing the new site name and favicon design in the desktop search results.
Search Engine Roundtable Stories:
- Google Search Features Bug Impacted Top Stories & Other Features On October 18th & 19th
Google has posted a short note in the Search Consoles data anomalies that says there was a bug in Google Search that affected some search features, including but not limited to the Top Stories search feature. Google said this started to be noticeable around October 18th and 19th and a fix was pushed out on October 28th that will take a week to fully rollout. - Google Tests New Site Name & Favicon On Desktop Results
Google is already testing the new site name and favicon design change they launched just a couple of weeks ago on the desktop results. This brings the favicon and site name to the desktop search results as Google did for the mobile search results. - Google: Having Duplicate Content URLs In Sitemap File Won't Likely Cause Ranking Issues
Google's John Mueller confirmed on Twitter that having a Sitemap file that lists pages that are duplicative to others, won't necessarily cause ranking issues for your site. It might confuse Google when it comes to crawling but it should not impact rankings, John said. - Google Ads Changes Policies For Government Documents & Official Services
Google has announced some changes to the Google Ads policies for government documents and official services. Google said "in March 2023, the Google Ads Government documents and official services policy will be updated to allow government authorized providers to promote government documents and services." - Google Search Lets You Expand Video On Top Of Search Results
Google Search, for some videos, allows you to click an expand icon on some videos it shows you in the search results. That expand button will then overlay a larger playable video with more details. - John Mueller Holding A Google Webmasterplatz Sign
Here is a photo of John Mueller holding a webmasterplatz sign at the Google Zurich office. The sign is old, John is fairly old too in internet years :) but the photo is new and from Martin Splitt of G
Other Great Search Threads:
- I assume this is about the website in your Twitter profile? If so, my honest recommendation would be to start over. That's not said easily, and it's really rare that I'd be so direct, but, John Mueller on Twitter
- More info here: https://t.co/zXayTRWSXD #PPCChat "The new customer acquisition goal is currently available for Performance Max campaigns., Greg on Twitter
- Are these 2 things new? I would be very happy to hear from you. 1. Favicon and Site names on images within the Image Pack in this nifty lil format, Mordy Oberstein on Twitter
- In general, "losing authority" through URL filters is not a thing. For recommendations on how to handle filters, I'd check out our docs: http, John Mueller on Twitter
- Some fabulous tips from a variety of smart people (@sherrybonelli @mblumenthal @keyserholiday and others) on the Local Search Forum for using the new GBP editing interface, Joy Hawkins on Twitter
- Good catch, Kirk. You're correct, that should say Ad Rank. I've passed this along to get updated. And FYI, this Help Center article has more on how Ad Rank is used when more than one keyword, AdsLiaison on Twitter
- Learn how performance evolves through time — check out the recently launched date and hour dimensions in Google Analytics, Google Analytics on Twitter
- If you’re based in Tel Aviv, we have good news! We’re holding a Search Central live event at the Google TLV office on Dec 1. Fill the form by Nov 13 to register your interest to join, Google Search Central on Twitter
Search Engine Land Stories:
- Changing URLs for SEO reasons: When is it OK?
- BigCommerce teams up with Snapchat for a new app
- Snap partners with Amazon for new AR shopping experience
- How brands and agencies are reacting to Elon Musk’s radical changes at Twitter
- How to get the most out of the Google Search Console API using regex
- Enterprise SEO agency vs. in-house SEO team: What to consider
- 7 tips for a holiday-ready social media strategy
Other Great Search Stories:
Analytics
Industry & Business
- Google, IBM, Wells Fargo Begin Posting Salary Ranges for US Job Listings, Bloomberg
- Google’s new Viger office is an homage to Montréal, Google Blog
- Yandex Announces Third Quarter 2022 Financial Results, Yandex
Links & Content Marketing
- How Link Building Can Help You Grow Your Blog, Problogger
Local & Maps
- Local SEO Advantages For Enterprise Ecommerce ft Michael Carini & Shantel Branch, iPullRank
- New Advanced Google Map Markers Announced, I Love SEO
- Tanking Local Rankings? How to Turn Them Around If They’ve Gone Down, Local Visibility System
Mobile & Voice
- How to use Google Home's new 'household' routines, 9to5Google
- New features for parents and kids on Google Assistant, Google Blog
- Snap and Amazon partner on AR shopping in the Snapchat app, initially for eyewear, TechCrunch
SEO
- Backward Search, Fake Review Distrust, Google Budget Shopping, Near Media
- SERP’s Up | SERP Features - Google's secret sauce, SERPs Up
- The 9 E-Commerce SEO Trends You Need Know Now, Botify
- Video SEO: 8 Tips to Optimize Videos for Search, Lumar
- How does SEO work for branded, and non-branded keywords?, Koozai
PPC
- How To Get More Out Of Search Terms Reporting In The Age Of Privacy And Automation, Search Engine Journal
- The New York Times Reports Sluggish Ad Growth, But Subscriptions Pick Up The Slack, AdExchanger
Search Features
- 3 ways AI is scaling helpful technologies worldwide, Google Blog
- Google’s AI image model Imagen is getting a very limited public outing, The Verge
Other Search
Feedback:
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