Daily Search Forum Recap: January 23, 2024

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 confirmed a bug with Google Search after I reported the teetering in and out of the results over the weekends (story updated). Google may improve how publishers get into Google News (maybe). Google has updated its Search Console performance reports to change how it evaluates impressions and clicks metrics with job listing and detail pages. Google is now sending emails to publishers, app owners, and others if their sites and apps are not compliant with the GDPR EU User Consent Policy. 60% of SEOs are concerned with the new Google Search Generative Experience. Google Discover feed is adding a "viewed" label to some product listings.

Search Engine Roundtable Stories:

• Google Ranking Teetering In & Out Over Weekends - Confirmed Bug
  Google Search seems to be ranking some websites just fine during the weekdays and then removing that ranking over the weekends. It seems to be focusing heavily on non-standard TLDs, you know, those new vanity TLDs that you can make up. I am just not sure if this is a Google Search issue or if the issue is with the quality of those websites (it was a bug with Google Search).
• Will Google Improve The Google News Publisher Acceptance Process?
  Ever since December 2019 when Google removed the requirement for publishers to manually apply for inclusion into Google News, publishers have been pretty upset about the lack of transparency around Google News inclusion. Danny Sullivan, Google's Search Liaison, said on Mastodon that he would like to this process get better.
• Google Performance Reports Changes Job Listing & Detail Pages Evaluation
  Google has updated its Search Console performance reports to change how it evaluates impressions and clicks metrics with job listing and detail pages. Google said nothing has changed with how it ranks or displays job listings and detail pages, but the metrics within these reports may change because Google has changed how it tracks clicks and impressions.
• Google Ads Sends Suspension Email Threats For Non-Compliant GDPR Consent Banners
  Google is now sending emails to publishers, app owners and others if their sites and apps are not compliant for GDPR EU User Consent Policy. The email says, "We may take action, including suspension, if the Policy violations have not been resolved."
• Poll: 60% Of SEOs Are Worried About The Impact Of Google SGE
  60% of SEOs are worried about the impact that the new Google Search Generative Experience will have on their jobs and performance. About 30% are not worried about Google SGE and the rest are just not sure yet.
• Google Product Discover Feed With "Viewed" Label
  Google is showing a "viewed" label on product results that you recently viewed or visited within the Google Search results. Google has also launched the "you visit often" label a month or so ago, so it is not surprising to see something similar on product listings.
• Google Atlanta Aluminum Panels Grafitti Art
  Here is a photo from the Google Atlanta, Georgia office that shows off some graffiti art project. Google has these aluminum looking panels they have in construction projects spray painted with art hanging in the lobby area in that office.

Other Great Search Threads:

• My hot take: Google does not have one single visionary leader. Not a one. From the C-suite to the SVPs to the VPs, they are all profoundly boring and glassy-eyed., Diane Hirsh Theriault On LinkedIn
• Reviews appear on the top of knowledge panels for schools now. Prior it was pushed down to the bottom. This includes any school category., ClaudiaT on X
• Search engines don't know the internals of your infrastructure, so I would push your technical team to solve these issues, if you want something specific to happen., John Mueller on X
• What is that icon at the top left @google, Barry Schwartz on X

Search Engine Land Stories:

• Google performance reports updates how it counts clicks and impressions for job listing and detail pages
• Google confirms a search ranking bug where sites disappear from search results over the weekend
• Google tests new Nearby Events and Deals feature in SERPS for local businesses
• Meta steps up data privacy measures in Europe amid targeted ad concerns
• The great SEO heist: The untold story
• A/B testing mistakes PPC marketers make and how to fix them
• Google to cut thousands of search quality rater jobs after dropping contract with Appen

Other Great Search Stories:

Analytics

• Safary Raises $2.4M to Build Google Analytics Platform for Web3, PR Newswire

Industry & Business

• Google employees blast 'profoundly boring' management which lacks 'visionary leader' amid layoffs, NY Post
• Google Layoffs Saga Continues as Alphabet’s X Cuts Dozens of Jobs, Seeks Funds, Bloomberg

Links & Content Marketing

• The Art of Developing a Compelling Content Brief, Level343
• Owned Media Demands This New Content Role for Long-Term Success, Content Marketing Institute
• Solo Stove Burns Marketing Team Over Snoop Campaign, Content Marketing Institute

Local & Maps

• Wireless CarPlay upgrade coming to select Honda Accords, AppleInsider
• Google Maps takes the guesswork out of restaurant reviews, Android Police
• The Google Maps Effect: Authorities Looking for Ways to Prevent Cars From Going Down Steps, AutoEvolution

Mobile & Voice

• Gboard rolling out Assistant voice typing toolbar on Pixel, 9to5Google
• Google’s goals for 2024 include improving Bard, helpful Pixel products, and cost savings, Android Police
• Only 150+ apps have been designed specifically for Apple’s Vision Pro, so far, TechCrunch
• Vision Pro’s first-weekend pre-order review: expectations in line, but concerns raised, Ming-Chi Kuo
• Gboard ‘Seamless voice typing’ lets you instantly start talking, 9to5Google

SEO

• Dear Warhammer, let’s talk about SEO, JavaScript, and website migrations, I Love SEO
• 8 Retention Strategies to Keep Your Best SEO Talent From Fleeing, Moz
• Being An SEO Consultant Vs Having A Job As An SEO, SEOSLY
• Google Organic Product Grids: How Ranking Works, Brodie Clark
• Headless SEO Explained + 6 Best Practices, Ahrefs
• How to do keyword research 101, WTF is SEO?
• SEO Tracking: Key Metrics to Monitor Your Success, Semrush
• Top 5 Website Redesign Mistakes That Will Ruin Your SEO, Dagmar Marketing
• What to Look For in an SEO Analysis of a Website, Online Marketing Blog
• Why Does Google Have a Spam Problem? An SEO Investigation, Ethan Lazuk

PPC

• Decoding Performance Max’s Impact on Paid Search, Amsive
• Woman gets scammed of over Rs 5 lakh due to simple Google Search; two held in Jharkhand, BusinessToday

Feedback:

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