Daily Search Forum Recap: February 6, 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 explains the difference between ranking signals, ranking factors and ranking systems. Google said it will clarify E-E-A-T and quality raters guidelines. Google Search Console may lose verification with the Google Domains to Squarespace Domains migration. Google is testing adding "web results" to the search menu. Google AdSense is scaling publishers up to CPM bidding. Google Ads confirmed a bug with "confusing ad text" and there is another bug with updating credit card details.

Search Engine Roundtable Stories:

• Google Explains Systems Are Machines That Use Ranking Signals & Factors Which Are Fuel
  Danny Sullivan, the Google Search Liaison, gave a good analogy of the differences between ranking systems, ranking signals and ranking factors. He said signals and factors are the same, the "signal/factors are like fuel; systems are the machine that uses them," Sullivan wrote.
• Google To Clarify E-E-A-T & Quality Rater Guidelines Documentation
  Danny Sullivan, Google's Search Liaison, said we should expect to see more clarification from Google on its creating helpful content page, specific to the section "Get to know E-E-A-T and the quality rater guidelines."
• Google Tests Adding Web Results To Search Menu (Return Of Ten Blue Links)
  Google is testing adding the ability to search for just web results, like you would filter by just video results, just image results, just news results, just shopping results and so on. Google is testing placing "web results" to the top search bar under the search box.
• Google Ads Bugs With Confusing Text In Ads & Updating Credit Cards
  Google Ads has some new bugs today, one that Google confirmed over advertisers received a notice for "confusing text" for their ads and the other not yet confirmed around advertisers being unable to update their credit cards on file.
• Google AdSense Publishers CPM Bidding Hitting Close To 100%
  Last November, Google told its AdSense publishers that it would be switching how it pays them for the Google Ads they embed on their websites. Now, it seems like many AdSense publishers are noticing that Google has completely switched over to this new payment model. Note that not all are switched from CPC to CPM bidding fully.
• Google Search Console May Lose Verification With Squarespace Migration
  Google is sending some domain holders who were with Google Domains and who are automatically being migrated to Squarespace notices that their Search Console verification may go away. This is only if you do not host your DNS records with Google and you set up DNS verification with Google Search Console.
• Search Liaison Visits Google Search Central Team
  Danny Sullivan, the Google Search Liaison, went to visit the Google Search Central team in Zurich last week. Here is a photo with Sullivan with Martin Splitt, Lizzi Sassman and John Mueller. Gary Illyes I think was in Kolding, Denmark for a conference.

Other Great Search Threads:

• What are web 3.0 backlinks?, Reddit
• Right now on a small flight, but hope to ramp up to a 100% quickly., Mikhail Parakhin on X
• "Available on" typically refers to the platforms where we can watch a movie. However, Google is showing a Reddit discussion about it instead. Why does a Reddit thread consistently appear as the first result for many search q, Shameem Adhikarath on X
• Google with call put snippet in image, Khushal Bherwani on X
• Depends on the use case. But yes, I personally am still the Creative fan :-), Mikhail Parakhin on X
• I don't see how it would matter for search either way - you could even see this as a chance to do some A/B testing, or just do whatever you want :-), John Mueller on X
• That's a violation of our spam policies. It's called cloaking: https://t.co/cvM3FCS4D2 We don't depend on cache pages to detect it., Google SearchLiaison on X
• This is answered on our page about the helpful content system: https://t.co/hqkloXPHln "A natural question some will have is how long will it take for a site to do better, if it removes unhe, Google SearchLiaison on X

Search Engine Land Stories:

• Google will face a new U.S. antitrust jury trial in September
• Amazon strikes landmark deal in response to Google’s third-party cookie deprecation
• Google ‘cannot proceed with third-party cookie deprecation’
• SEO KPIs: Embracing user-centric metrics
• Yandex search engine sold in $5.2 billion deal
• Does HTML structure matter for SEO?
• Will AI replace SEO professionals?

Other Great Search Stories:

Analytics

• How to Identify Bot Traffic in Google Analytics (GA4), Tech Junkie
• Second time's a charm – Spanish DPA's decision on NOYB vs. Google Analytics Part 2, JDSupra

Industry & Business

• Google to face US antitrust trial over digital ads in September, Yahoo Finance
• Don’t Ignore Employee Wellbeing — SEO Agency Owners, Moz
• Google agrees to pay $350 million settlement in security lapse case, Washington Post

Links & Content Marketing

• AI Content Is Short-Term Arbitrage, Not Long-Term Strategy, Ahrefs
• How To Help Your Internal Teams Fall in Love With Innovative Ideas, Content Marketing Institute
• The Do's and Dont's of Link Building [infographic included], Koozai
• Why user behaviour could have replaced links as a top ranking factor, SISTRIX

Local & Maps

• Towing victim taken for a ride by fake business on Google, Action News Jax
• Google Maps is now bringing 3D buildings during navigation to more Android Auto users, Android Central

Mobile & Voice

• YouTube says a Vision Pro app is ‘on the roadmap’, The Verge

SEO

• How does Google search (ranking) may be working today, Kopp
• How to Write SEO Product Requirements Documentation That Serves Stakeholders & Streamlines Projects, The Gray
• IndexWatch Sweden: The Winning Domains of 2023, SISTRIX
• Technical SEO Issues — How to Resolve Them, Moz
• What Is Ecommerce SEO?, BruceClay
• Wix SEO Case Study, Google Search Central Blog
• How To Add Bulk Price In Google Merchant Center / Shopping, FeedArmy
• Practical Guide to SEO Strategy (EP5), Compass Digital Strategies

PPC

• Digital ads show signs of rebound as Meta, Amazon point to growth, CNBC
• How to Use the Google Ads Library to Spy on Competitors, WordStream
• Seasonal Spotlights: Valentine’s Day, Microsoft Advertising

Other Search

• 3 things privacy pros should know about AI and data privacy, Google Blog
• Google calls out spyware firms and advocates for tighter regulation, Yahoo Finance
• Quiz: Google Search Trends for Valentine’s Day 2024, Google Blog

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