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 Engine Roundtable Stories:
- Why Are My Search Query Counts in Google Webmaster Tools The Same?
If you ever login to see your Google Webmaster Tools search query reports you may notice that from day to day, the chart may display the same number of queries. One person questioned this in Google Webmaster Help asking how this is possible. This webmaster didn't believe his eyes and asked, "How come that the queries can be the same 4 days in a row?" Here is a screen shot from my report and I - Difference Between Video Sitemaps & Video Sitemaps Labs Report in Google Webmaster Tools
A couple weeks ago, Google released a new labs report named video sitemaps errors. So now there are two reports in Google Webmaster Tools reporting on your video sitemaps. What is the difference between the one in the Site configuration section and the one currently in the Labs section? A Google Webmaster Help thread has a response from Google's JohnMu on the key differences. He said: The general Sitemaps section gives you information on whether - Google Updating Search Results As You Type
Rob Ousbey spotted Google updating the search results as he typed in the Google search box. This is literally shocking and intriguing for me. Here is his video, you must watch it: I assume Google is testing this on users with only fast internet connections, because this can take time to run. Unless they are prefetching stuff, but even then... Tedster has three excellent points in a WebmasterWorld thread: (1) I have a feeling it - Google Thinks Some Searches Are Worth A Single Domain Of Results
Last week I covered the news that Google was letting a single domain dominate the search results for some particular queries. So when you searched for something, sometimes, 80% or more of the search results Google provided would be from the same web site. I thought this was a bug, I mean - seriously, how is that useful? But I was wrong. According to Google, this is not a bug but rather a feature, a - Google's International Filter Loosened Up?
A WebmasterWorld thread has several webmasters and SEOs claiming a huge increase in traffic to their country specific web sites. The first example given was a site that primarily targets Australia and has done well in Google Australia is now receiving a ton of traffic from other Google properties. He said he has seen an uptick in traffic referrers: US up by 120%UK by 90%India by 380%Brazil by 360% WebmasterWorld administrator, Tedster, confirmed these findings
Other Great Search Forum Threads:
- "Rolling 301 Redirects from Back-up Domains" - Risky?, WebmasterWorld
- Clean URLs are Good for SEO, Sphinn
- Could a Consumer Advocacy Group Help the Reputation of the SEO Industry?, Sphinn
- Doodle elections Australia, Google Blogoscoped Forum
- If Google Places usage is to be extended, then Google Places needs fixing, Sphinn
- Interview from WS Journal with Eric Schmidt Google CEO, DigitalPoint Forums
- Seo Secrets For 2011 By Mike Monahan (book), HighRankings Forums
- Doodle August Bournonville, Google Blogoscoped Forum
- Dashes in URLs: Good or Bad since Mayday Update?, WebmasterWorld
- Known Issue: Incorrect announcement on the account snapshot page, Google AdWords Help
