For years, I've been suggesting along with the SEO community that Google think about how to design an automated action viewer in Google Search Console. A report that shows which algorithms, Panda, Penguin, interstitial, page speed, core search, etc has impacted a specific site or page. Google thought about it but it ended up never happening and probably will never happen. But we still do want it.
In short, a tool to see which algorithms hit a site or page, like they do with the manual action viewer.
Glenn Gabe brought it up again on Twitter this week and I think it is worth bringing up again here. He even mocked it up for Google:
Of course, this is just a mock up and while Gabe is only half serious, he knows how interesting a feature like this would be. Google of course told us back in 2014 that this feature may come on day but later said it probably isn't going to happen.
It is tough, they don't want to share too much information where SEOs can use it to manipulate the search results. They also do not want to get SEOs too focused in on one topic and obsess over one issue, versus making their sites better overall.
We know Googlers themselves can look up specific algorithmic issues with specific sites, heck, we saw they have a penalty server and we know Google employees can look up issues on the automated algorithmic side.
Both John Mueller and Danny Sullivan from Google responded, so we know they are aware SEOs want this. Here are those responses, although one is sarcastic and the other was a response to a joke of some sorts:
So just the algorithms that you listed? :-)
— John ☆.o(≧▽≦)o.☆ (@JohnMu) August 17, 2018
So in seriousness, how do you suggest dealing with possibly millions of people hitting "Review" constantly? I don't mean that argumentatively. I have my own thoughts but curious to hear others.
— Danny Sullivan (@dannysullivan) August 17, 2018
In any event, it would be super amazing if Google did release such a tool. Will it ever happen? I doubt it but maybe in a very limited form?
Forum discussion at Twitter.
