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:
- Google New Years Search Algorithm Update? Mixed Signals.
There is some significant chatter in the SEO industry around a possible new years update that started late December 31, 2019 and throughout January 1, 2020. The chatter is high but similar to the Christmas update chatter, the tracking tools are not showing huge signs of an update. It leads me to believe the same as I did with the Christmas update, that I doubt there was a big update on New Years. - Google: Persistent 5xx Result In Slower Crawling But Won't Say How Many URLs Required
Google's John Mueller said that persistent 5xx error responses to Google's requests by your server would result in Google slowing its crawl of your web site. John wouldn't say if there is a specific percentage of your site's URLs that are required or a specific number. But he just said if Google sees persistent 5xx errors, Google will slow how it crawls your site. - Google Video Spam Through Text-To-Speech Technology
Roger Montti posted on Twitter that he is seeing more and more spammers using a technique to spam Google through videos. In short, the spammers would find the top ranking content, use text-to-speech software to create automated videos of the content, while using the featured image as the background to the video. Then those videos would rank in Google search. - Google Local Pack "Choose Area" Feature Now Live
About six months ago Google was testing an option to select or "choose" your area or location when a local pack comes up in the search results. Well, now I even see the "choose area" link for local pack results after six-months of testing. - Google Displays "Get More Reviews" For Local Knowledge Panels You Manage
Google has changed the button for your local knowledge panel from "write a review" to "get more reviews" for the businesses you manage. When you click that new button, Google gives you a way to share with people the ability to leave reviews for your business, as opposed to taking you to write a review. - Google Hyderabad Gazebo
Here is a photo of a Googler at the Google Hyderabad, India office standing in a gazebo. It looks like a greenhouse of some sorts at the Google office there but I am not sure. Either way, it looks v - John Mueller Of Google Helping Webmasters On New Years 2020
Just like on every Christmas, John Mueller from Google dials up to the internet and logs on to the support channels on New Years and helps out folks in the Google Webmaster support and social media channels. He has done it year after year on New Years and this year is no different.
Other Great Search Forum Threads:
- Showcase your business online 🛒✨ In the first episode of Search for Beginners, we discuss how to choose the right type of online presence - be it a website, a blog, or a social media account - for your business and, Google Webmasters on Twitter
- Has the old rich result for podcasts been officially replaced by the new version? Is podcast schema useful anymore? cc: @JohnMu @rustybrick https://t.co/k5LyCRdbOs, Drew Marlier on Twitter
- It looks like it's indexed in the meantime. FWIW, while you can make URLs that long, the pages won't rank better just because they include all those keywords., John Mueller on Twitter
- No, that's fine. We just want to be sure that the video you describe as being "about cats" isn't about "politics in science fiction". Super-long descriptions aren't going to be that useful, but that's up to yo, John Mueller on Twitter
- Are too many 301 redirects harmful?, WebmasterWorld
- Google to Stop 'Double Irish, Dutch' Tax Scheme, WebmasterWorld
- Happy New Year!, WebmasterWorld
- Predictions for 2020, WebmasterWorld
- Noindex my low-value blog content?, WebmasterWorld
- What are the daily tasks of an SEO specialist?, WebmasterWorld
Search Engine Land Stories:
Other Great Search Stories:
Analytics
Industry & Business
- Google to end 'Double Irish, Dutch' tax scheme: filing, Reuters
- Google veterans: The company has become 'unrecognizable', CNBC
- Thousands of Google cafeteria staff have unionized, and it's the latest group of Google's 'shadow workforce' to join a union, Business Insider India
- Mountain View's employee head tax goes into effect, Google to pay $3.3 million a year, Mercury News
- 10 in-demand skills to learn if you want to transform your career in 2020, NY Post
Local & Maps
- Protect Your Restaurants Google Listing from Menu Provider Hijack, Online Ownership
- Best CarPlay apps to download on iPhone, 9to5Mac
- My Car, My Voice: Skip Siri, Google Assistant and get directions in your own voice, Gulf News
- New Microsoft Flight Simulator video confirms multiple dynamic seasons, Tweak Town
- The Pathway to In-Car Connected Commerce, Innotech Today
Mobile & Voice
- The Decade of Voice Assistant Revolution, Voicebot
- Voice AI 2020 Predictions from 46 Voice Industry Pros, Voicebot
SEO
- Google Explains How to Use Headings for SEO, Search Engine Journal
- Title Tag Optimization: A Complete How-to Guide, Search Engine Journal
PPC
- Google Ads is Killing Message Extensions - What You Need to Do NOW, Business 2 Community
- White Extremism Faces a Subversive Foe Online: Google Ads, New York Times
Other Search
