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 finally finished rolling out the super long December 2022 link spam and helpful content updates. Google spoke about conducting link-buying sting operations. Google product listing results test sponsored labels. Google has a recent images carousel for some knowledge panels. Don't forget to check your local business photos; they appear everywhere. And I posted this week's video recap today.
Search Engine Roundtable Stories:
- Google's Helpful Content & Link Spam Updates Done Rolling Out On January 12th
After a long slow and paused rollout, Google has said that both the December 2022 helpful content update and December 2022 link spam update are now done rolling out. Google said both completed rolling out on Thursday, January 12, 2023. - Search News Buzz Video Recap: Google Helpful Content & Link Spam Updates Done, Linking To Sellers, AI Content & Apple Business Connect
This week, the December 2022 Google helpful content update and link spam updates are finally complete after a long, long wait. There was a lot of movement on Wednesday... - Does Google Conduct Link Buying Sting Operations? They Don't Need To.
A Reddit thread asks if Google engages in link-buying sting operations where they will pretend to want to buy a link and then use that to penalize the network. John Mueller of Google responded by saying "I get sent offers all the time, to an official Google email address." That means, Google does not need to proactively do that, they come to Google without any official or necessary operation. - Google Knowledge Panel Recent Images Carousel
Google has a "recent images" photo carousel for some knowledge panels. For example, Google had this for a search on the [golden globes] last week, where it shows photos from the event that were recently taken and published. - Local SEOs: Check Your Photos In Your Google Maps Pin Overlay
Mike Blumenthal dropped a simple but thoughtful local SEO tip that all businesses should do some time in the near future. Just check the featured photos that Google selected to be displayed in your Google Maps pin overlay. - Google Sponsored Label In Product Listing Results
Google is now testing the Google Ads sponsored label in the product listing results within the more products section in an additional result. I cannot replicate this, but Saad AK spotted it and posted two videos of this in action. - Google Premier Partner Awards Event
Google held an award ceremony event at the new Google Pier 57 location in New York City. This was the Google Premier Partner Awards for Google Ads agencies and others. Please note that this was a mont
Other Great Search Threads:
- 12 ago I founded Online Behavior with the goal to help analysts and website owners to make better decisions using data. Today, I’m really happy to say that it has a new home with @jeffalytics, good friend and the founde, Daniel Waisberg on Twitter
- But spammers have been doing that for 10-20 years now., John Mueller on Mastodon
- Disappointed to see over the past year, Google has continued ranking its own subdomain's web stories from https://t.co/nJ9DqJZG0L built by influencers over other sites in organic search. They can rank anywhere - in feat, Brian Freiesleben on Twitter
- El registro para participar en la Search Central Virtual Unconference en español 2023 ya está abierto y su nueva fecha es el 17 de febrero. Regístrate antes del 1 de febrero, Google Search Central on Twitter
- I am seeing cases where businesses are not displaying photos, Local Search Forum
- Whenever I see an article online that has a Contents section at the top I close the tab. I just assume that it is SEO BS., Zac Belado on Mastodon
Search Engine Land Stories:
- Google’s December 2022 helpful content update is now done rolling out
- Google December 2022 link spam update done rolling out
- Google search responds to BankRate, more brands using AI to write content
- 8 dangers of copying another brand’s SEO
- A PPC guide to permission-based audiences
- This day in search marketing history: January 12
Other Great Search Stories:
Analytics
- Why Is Google Analytics Not Working? - Fix Errors in GA4, Data Driven U
Industry & Business
- Alphabet robotics division Intrinsic hit with layoffs, TechCrunch
- Building The Next B2B Digital Marketing Success Story: KoMarketing Acquired by Walker Sands, KoMarketing
- Gonzalez v Google and the future of an open, free and safe internet, Google Blog
- Google Keyword Search Warrants Questioned by Colorado Lawyers, Bloomberg
- Google Says Supreme Court Ruling Could Potentially Upend the Internet, Wall Street Journal
- Google, Nvidia Express Concerns to FTC About Microsoft’s Activision Deal, Bloomberg
Links & Content Marketing
- CNET Is Quietly Publishing Entire Articles Generated By AI, Futurism
- How To Write Better Than ChatGPT AI, Joe Hall
- Private Blog Networks (PBN): The Myths and the Risks, Semrush
- How Zapier Built a Content Marketing Machine, Ahrefs
Local & Maps
- Porsche, Google discuss Google apps access, report says, Automotive News Europe
- Google Maps for Wear OS rolls out phoneless navigation on LTE, 9to5Google
Mobile & Voice
SEO
- How Many SEO Keywords Should a Page Really Target?, Ahrefs
- 5 Times ChatGPT Steered Me Wrong in Local SEO, Moz
- How to calculate the ROI of SEO for small businesses, Wix SEO Hub
- Local search and local SEO: the ultimate guide, Yoast
PPC
- Brand Safety in PPC - January 10, 2023, PPCChat
- Microsoft Store Ads and product updates for January, Microsoft Advertising
- Result Driven Keyword Research Process for Marketing, PPC Expo
Other Search
- Google Image Search shows only one result for some users, Piunika Web
- Search Console Help Center, Search Off the Record
Feedback:
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