


Daily Search Forum Recap: November 3, 2023
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. The Google November…

Search News Buzz Video Recap: Google Core Update, Bug With Discov...
This was a fun week, being that you all ruined the internet. First up Google shocked us with a new core update…

Google November 2023 Core Update Rolling Out
Only two weeks after the October 2023 core update finished rolling out, we have a new core update rolling out – the November 2023 core update. This is a different…

Google AdSense Payment Revenue Share Structure To Change & Im...
Google has big AdSense news, which it says won’t result in a change to how much publishers get paid. Google said it is changing its AdSense revenue-share structure and will…

Google’s Helpful Content Update Is Sitewide; A Single Chara...
As a reminder, the Google helpful content system/update is a sitewide algorithm. It looks at your site as a whole when applying its ranking system to the Google Search results….

Google Ads Editor Version 2.5 Is Now Out
Google has released version 2.5 of the Google Ads Editor, this comes 17 weeks since version 2.4 was released in Jul 2023. The new version gains campaign level broad match,…

New Google Reviews Update Coming Next Week; It Will Be The Last C...
Google announced a new reviews update is going to roll out sometime next week and this new update will make the reviews update more real time. Thus Google will stop…

Google AdSense Launches New Ad Review Center
Google has announced it launched a new Ad review center for AdSense, Ad Manager, and AdMob. The new Ad review center should make it easier for you to approve ads,…


Daily Search Forum Recap: November 2, 2023
Here is a recap of what happened in the search forums today…

Daily Search Forum Recap: November 1, 2023
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 mobile first…

Google: Stop Thinking What Should I Do For Google When Writing Co...
Danny Sullivan, the Google Search Liaison, said that you need to stop thinking, “What should I do for Google” when you are writing content. He said just think what you…

Google Bard Responds In Real Time, Like Its Competitors
Google Bard now responds in real time, so you can watch it “type” the answer as it “thinks” up the response. So now Bard works like Bing Chat and other…

Google Mobile First Indexing Now Really Done
Google announced that its mobile-first indexing “trek” is now “complete.” Which is strange to me being that Google said it was done moving sites to mobile-first indexing last May but…

Google: Keyword Stuffing Isn’t About The Number Of Times A ...
While Google has a clear definition of what keyword stuffing is on its spam policies page, Danny Sullivan, Google’s Search Liaison, explained that it is not about the number of…

Google Merchant Center Next Adds Google Business Profile Details
Google Merchant Center Next, its upgraded version of its Merchant Center platform, reportedly just gained integration with Google Business Profiles. Emmanuel Flossie reported, “Google Merchant Center Next now allows you…


Daily Search Forum Recap: October 31, 2023
Here is a recap of what happened in the search forums today…

Google Ads New Intrusive Popup Survey When Pausing A Campaign
Google Ads is now popping up a short survey asking you why you are pausing your ads campaign before you end up pausing it. Yes, this adds more unnecessary time…

Google Search Generative Experience Now Triggers AI Answers For R...
The new Google Search, the Google Search Generative Experience, now shows AI-generated answers for recipe queries. I am told it did not show in early releases of SGE but sometime…

Report: Google Local Service Ads Showing Ads More Evenly
Google is reportedly showing its Local Service Ads more evenly. This means that previously, the same advertiser would often show up in the LSA spots in the Google Search results…

Google: Old Content Doesn’t Make It Unhelpful Content
Google’s Search Liaison, Danny Sullivan, said on X that just because content is old, it doesn’t mean that content is unhelpful. He said, “Just because something is older doesn’t make…

Google Expands Testing People Also Ask Speaker & List Icons
Google is expanding its testing the people also ask speaker and list icons. A nice number of people noticed these icons showing up in the Google search results within the…


Daily Search Forum Recap: October 30, 2023
Here is a recap of what happened in the search forums today…

Vlog #247: Chris Long on Improving Technical SEO Skills & Pla...
In part one, we learned about Chris Long and his experience working with Bill Slawski. Then, in part two, we spoke about helping people with SEO on LinkedIn and using…

Google To Recipe Bloggers: We’ve Heard Complaints, Ensure K...
Google’s Search Liaison, Danny Sullivan, posted that he is aware of the complaints about recipe pages being too long and hard to find the ingredients and directions. He added that…

Google On Algorithm Updates: The “Web Changes. Content Chan...
Danny Sullivan, Google’s Search Liaison, defended why Google pushed out search ranking algorithm updates, saying on X, “The web changes. Content changes. People’s expectations change. That’s why we keep looking…

Google Again Says Schema Does Not Make Your Site Rank Better
Google once again said that adding schema or structured data markup to your pages will not result in those pages ranking better in Google Search. Danny Sullivan, the Google Search…

Google Helpful Content System Uses Machine Learning To Understand...
This is just a reminder that Google uses machine learning to understand if content is helpful or not within the Google helpful content system. This is not new, we’ve known…

Google Ads To Enforce Certified Click Tracker Policies Soon
A few months ago we reported that Google Ads may disapprove some ads for using third-party click-tracking services that are not on their approved list. Google updated us and now…


Daily Search Forum Recap: October 27, 2023
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’re seeing signs…

Search News Buzz Video Recap: Google Ranking Updates, Google On U...
Google may have had an unconfirmed Google search ranking update on October 25th and a new one this morning on the 27th. Google provided information on what it thinks is…

Google Search Algorithm Ranking Update October 27 (Unconfirmed)
On the heels of the last unconfirmed Google search ranking algorithm update that touched down on October 25th, I am seeing signs of another tremor this morning – October 27th.

Google Maps Local Listings Are Now “Photo-First” Resu...
Google is now showing, in some regions, “photo-first” search results within the Google Maps search result listings. Google said this is to help search “find inspiration” a different way.

Google SGE AI Snapshot Answer With Bolded Text & New Link For...
Google seems to be bolding text within the Google Search Generative Experience AI answer snapshot when that text matches part or all of the query. Google does this with the…

Google Ads Beta Search Themes For Performance Max
Google announced the beta launch of Search themes for Google Ads Performance Max campaigns. Search themes are an optional signal you can use to inform Google AI about your business…

Google Tests Perspectives Search Filter On Desktop
In June, Google launched the perspectives search filter in the mobile search results. Now, Google is testing that filter within the desktop search results.

Microsoft Officially Relaunches The Old pubCenter As New
Here is an interesting announcement from Microsoft, announcing the new launch of Microsoft pubCenter – which is actually not new, it is from 2006 and had a slow painful death….


Daily Search Forum Recap: October 26, 2023
Here is a recap of what happened in the search forums today…

New Google Business Profile Suspension Emails
Google has updated its suspension notice emails from Google Business Profiles. Now when your business is suspended, Google will send an email explaining why it was suspended, i.e. for a…

Google Local Services Ads Shows Competitors After You Selected A ...
Google will show a searcher a list of competing businesses after you clicked on a Local Service Ad and sent a message to that business to learn more about doing…

Google About This Image Now Live Recency Of Image, AI Details &am...
In May, Google announced the “about this” feature will be coming to Google Images with “about this image.” It is now live and it shows history of the image, how…

Google Search Generative Experience Gains “Supportive”...
Google announced yesterday that the Google Search Generative Experience has added new “supportive” links to the AI-powered answer snapshots. Google wrote, “you’ll now be able to see AI-generated descriptions of…

New Google AR Beauty Ads
Google has a new ad format called AR beauty ads. In Google Shopping ads you can now add the “try-on experience” in place of the search ad’s product image. “With…


Daily Search Forum Recap: October 25, 2023
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 is now…

Google Search Algorithm Ranking Update October 25 (Unconfirmed)
I am seeing signs of another possible Google Search ranking algorithm update today that kicked off last night into today (October 24 and October 25). This is an unconfirmed update,…

Google Provides Signs That You’re Writing Unhelpful Content
Google’s Search Liaison, Danny Sullivan, has provided examples of unhelpful content types. He also provided examples of strategies writers may use to write unhelpful content. As a reminder, the general…

Confirmed: Google Tests Ads Mixed Within Free Search Results
Google is testing showing ads within the organic (free) search results. Generally, Google would show the ads at the top of each page set, even within the continuous scroll interface….

New: Google Search Supports Syntax Graph Merge
Google Search as of last week now supports syntax graph merge. This allows you to use two different forms of structured data, such as JSON-LD and Microdata, on the same…

Google Ad Revenue Up 9.5% & Bing Ads Revenue Up 10%
Both Google Ads and Microsoft Advertising revenue were up big this past quarter, both up about 10%. Comparing it to last quarter, Google was only up 3% and Microsoft was…


Daily Search Forum Recap: October 24, 2023
Here is a recap of what happened in the search forums today…

Google Ads New Dynamic Overview Carousel
Google Ads is testing (or rolling out) a new overview design for the advertiser console. It lets you pick which metrics you want to show in that view, and you…

Google Search Tests Displaying User Uploaded Images For Products ...
Google seems to be testing displaying user-uploaded product images within the Google Search product section. So that when you click on a product, instead of showing the official product image,…

Google Knowledge Panel Cards ‘People Also Search For’...
Google seems to have fully rolled out data overlays on top of the knowledge panel cards for both the main card and the sub-cards for the people also search for…

Google Local Listings Show How Soon You Can Get A Doctor Appointm...
Google is now showing for some urgent cares and other medical offices, how long it would take to get an appointment at that facility. This shows both in the local…

Google Search Product Overlay Nearby Store Filter
For many years now, Google Search has offered ways to find products that are in stores near your location. Now the product overlay feature within Google Search also lets you…


Daily Search Forum Recap: October 23, 2023
Here is a recap of what happened in the search forums today…

Vlog #246: Chris Long on E-Commerce SEO
In part one, we learned about Chris Long and his experience working with Bill Slawski. Then, in part two, we spoke about helping people with SEO on LinkedIn and using…

Google: Cumulative Layout Shift Not The Reason For Sudden Ranking...
Google’s John Mueller said that an issue with Cumulative Layout Shift scores would not be a reason why your website suddenly and significantly drops in the Google search results rankings.

Google Search Console Failed: Hostload Exceeded Error
Since late last week there has been a spike in Google Search Console’s URL Inspection Tool showing a “failed: hostload exceeded” error. Google’s John Mueller said on Friday they are…

Google News For Context “By The Numbers” Tag
Google Search is testing a “by the numbers” tag or label in the Google News / Top Stories “For Context” section. I guess Google adds this tag if it thinks…

Google Ads API Version 15 Now Available
Google has released version 15 of the Google Ads API last week but I did not notice until over the weekend. The big updates include but are not limited to…

Google “Do More With Search” Feature
Google seems to be testing a new search feature to encourage more searches from its user base. There is this new “Do more with search” box that shows other searches…

Google AdSense Vignettes Ads New Frequency Controls
Google AdSense this morning rolled out frequency controls for vignette ads format in Auto ads. These frequency controls let AdSense publishers decide how often vignettes are shown to their users.


Daily Search Forum Recap: October 20, 2023
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 News Buzz Video Recap: Google Heated Core Update Done, Spa...
For the original iTunes version, click here. This week, we covered that the Google October 2023 core update is done rolling out…

Google October 2023 Core Update Finished Rolling Out
It took almost the full 14 days, but the Google October 2023 core update is now officially done rolling out. The October 2023 core update started rolling out on October…

Google Local Pack Tests Card Design For Reviews, Menu & More
Google is testing a new local pack design that shows reviews, menu details and more in these card design. It is not too far off from the original local pack…

New: Google Ads Certification Requires You To Record Yourself Tak...
Google Ads has a certification program and has had one for a while. But Google is now requiring some, if not all, advertisers who take the certification exam to record…

Google Ads Verification Form Too Long For Advertisers?
As you know, Google Ads has been requiring advertiser verification from more and more of its advertisers. Well, one advertiser posted on X saying it is too much, the length…

New Google AdSense Related Search For Auto Ads
Google has added a new auto ads option to AdSense named related search for auto ads. Related search for Auto ads lets publishers show their users search terms related to…

Google October 2023 Spam Update Finished Rolling Out
Google has finished rolling out the Google October 2023 Spam Update that started 15 days and 12 hours ago. That update began on October 4th at 12:52 pm ET and…


Daily Search Forum Recap: October 19, 2023
Here is a recap of what happened in the search forums today…

Twitter (X) Now Is Blocking Bing Search
X, well, Twitter.com, is now blocking Bing Search, specifically Bingbot, from crawling and accessing content posted on Twitter.com, on the X platform. Twitter specifically added to its robots.txt file a…

Google Places ‘Shop All Deals’ Banner In The Search R...
Google is testing placing what looks like a banner ad in its own search results. It says “Shop all deals” and takes you to a query for “shop deals” but…

New Google Rich Result Test Paywalled Content Structured Data Che...
Google upgraded the Rich Result Test now to support the validation of structured data for paywalled content. This means you can check live sites, any site, to see if they…

Google: Search Generative Experience May Link To Paywalled Conten...
Google has updated its paywalled content search developer documentation to explain that Google Search Generative Experience may link to content behind a paywall. Google wrote, “SGE overviews may include links…

Google Search Stop Showing Even Rich Results – Bug?
Google seems to have stopped showing rich results for event markup in the Google search results. The event lists are no longer showing up event URLs in the Google search…


Daily Search Forum Recap: October 18, 2023
Here is a recap of what happened in the search forums today…

Google Drops Favicon User Agent & Requires Googlebot-Image an...
Google has updated its favicon search developer documentation to remove the section for the Google Favicon user agent and to clarify that if you want Google to show your favicon…

Google Top Stories Tests “Mentioned In These Stories”
Google is testing another version of these “mentioned in” features. This one is in the top stories section and it is called “mentioned in these stories.”

Bing Webmaster Tools Comprehensive Performance Insights Reports
Microsoft Bing is now sending out new emails through Bing Webmaster Tools named “Comprehensive Performance Insights Reports.” These are reports that show you how your site is performing in Bing…

Google Business Profiles Adds Disabled-Owned & Indigenous-Own...
Google has added two new attributes for businesses listed in Google Business Profiles. These attributes are identifies as disabled-owned and identifies as Indigenous-owned.

New Google Graphical Choose Location For Search Results Overlay
Google is testing a new method to ask users to choose their location to better localize or personalize the search results presented to that searcher. This overlay says, “choose location…


Daily Search Forum Recap: October 17, 2023
Here is a recap of what happened in the search forums today…

PSA: Google’s Helpful Content Update Does Not Yet Find Hidd...
This is just a reminder that despite Google saying the helpful content update will one day be able to find hidden gems in its search results, it does not yet…

Google Adds New Vehicle Listing Structured Data With Search Conso...
Google has new structured data markup for car dealerships, it is called vehicle structured data. You can use it to communicate to Google information about your new car listings for…

Google Bard With Side By Side Drafts
A couple of weeks ago, Bard posted that for some questions, it might show you two drafts side-by-side. I have yet to see that in action, that is until now.

Google Explore Section Coming Up Closer To Page Two Of Search Res...
Google Explore is a section in the mobile search results that generally shows up after scrolling several pages of search results. Google at some point decides to give you a…