Daily Search Forum Recap: February 15, 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.

We have another unconfirmed Google search ranking update that touched down yesterday. Google featured snippets disppaeared this morning, they are back now. Google added new support for DMA based rich results, aggregator units, refinement chips and flight results. Google will clarify its policies for using AI to generate content and Google Search. Google is testing new hotel search result layouts. Google updated is canonical documentation, you should read it. Google Search Console filters and dialog menus are now more curved with larger fonts. Google top stories has a new label.

Search Engine Roundtable Stories:

• Google Search Ranking Algorithm Update Hits On February 14 & 15 (Unconfirmed)
  I see signs of another unconfirmed Google search ranking algorithm update that kicked off yesterday and is rolling into today. The SEO chatter within the SEO industry started yesterday and has only escalated today, while the Google volatility tracker tools are mostly all picking up big swings today.
• Google Search Featured Snippets Have Gone Missing
  It seems that Google has stopped serving featured snippets in its search results this morning. It started around 7 AM ET today, just about an hour ago. I cannot trigger any featured snippets to load.
• New Google Search DMA Rich Results, Aggregator Units & Refinement Chips
  We've been seeing changes to the Google Search results in the European regions related to Digital Markets Act (DMA) comparison sites and hotels, etc. The Google Search team now posted about how the search experiences are changing with new rich results, aggregator units, and refinement chips - most of what we covered already but now it is official.
• Google Will Clarify Use Of AI To Generate Content For SEO Purposes
  Danny Sullivan, Google's Search Liaison, said last week that the search company will issue additional clarifications around the acceptable or unacceptable use of AI to generate content for SEO purposes. In short, Google has already said you cannot use AI (or other means) to generate content to manipulate ranking in search results.
• Google Search Console Launches User Interface Changes
  Google Search Console has quietly launched some relatively small user interface changes. It seems like the filters and sorting boxes are now curved and more modern.
• Google Updates Canonical Docs Explaining Which Attributes Break The Canonicalization
  Google has added a section to the use rel=canonical link annotations section of the canonical search documentation to clarify that rel=canonical annotations with certain attributes are not used for canonicalization.
• Google Top Stories - New Stories Since You Last Searched
  Google is testing a new top stories feature and label that tells you that there are new top stories available since the last time you searched for that query. There is a new label that reads "new" and says, "There are new results since your last search."
• Google Testing New Layouts For Hotel Search Pack Results
  Google is testing two new layouts for the hotel search results - the hotel pack. Instead of just listing the results in a list view, Google is testing show the results side by side in columns and rows.
• Google NYC Gets Snow Tuesday
  I live about a 45 (could be two hours if bad traffic) drive from the Google NYC office and we got 9 inches of snow on Tuesday but NYC rarely gets any snow accumulations because its the city. Google NYC did get a few inches of snow in front of the Google building. Most of it didn't stick but Central Park clocked 4 inches.

Other Great Search Threads:

• For non-AI #SEO topics which is most interesting..., Danielle Rohe on X
• Food Ordering and Booking integrations can no longer attach their subsidiary companies to a merchants GBP. Thanks to Google's new third-party policies, ClaudiaT on X
• Gemini (https://t.co/4axIwqpUYX) Wednesday update: 1) Refusal reduction: we eased refusals on many images with people in them. Gemini will extract the text and reason upon it. This will especially help on images with screenshots, Jack Krawczyk on X
• Gemini mobile update: rollout started in English in more countries and will continue over next few days., Jack Krawczyk on X
• I'd look at the traffic and not SEO-Juice. Are too many people getting lost when they want to visit you? That seems like something worth fixing if you can., John Mueller on X
• It's more if you accidentally 404'd something and fixed it. You obviously don't have to fix 404s that you want to be 404s. Also, this is more about tracking for you ("I fixed this, tell me when you see it fixed too")., John Mueller on X
• Today’s advertiser focus for EEA preparedness *by March* will be on #GA4, your first-party data, enhanced conversions and customer match., AdsLiaison on X
• We keep at improving our ranking systems. Being in the top results often means you're lined up with what our systems are looking for (not always, because our systems aren't perfect). But you probably don't have any fundamental issues, and it *might* be th, Google SearchLiaison on X

Search Engine Land Stories:

• Google Analytics 4 adds new consent mode setting section
• Google warns Universal Analytics 360 users must migrate to GA4 ‘urgently’
• 3 new YouTube features including live stream product tagging
• Reddit shown excessively in Google product review search results, study finds
• How each Google Ads bid strategy influences campaign success
• Google local pack not showing for many searchers
• Google Analytics 4 launches new trend detection insight
• How to use AI to elevate social media campaigns
• The synergy of customer journey mapping and ecommerce SEO

Other Great Search Stories:

Analytics

• How to Find & Increase Average Time on Page in Google Analytics, Semrush
• How to Back Up Universal Analytics in GA? - Export Your Data, Data Driven U

Industry & Business

• How Google partners to advance AI boldly and responsibly, Google Blog
• NYC Mayor Eric Adams sues TikTok, YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat, Axios
• OpenAI Develops Web Search Product in Challenge to Google, The Information
• Yandex Announces Fourth Quarter and Full-Year 2023 Financial Results, Yandex

Links & Content Marketing

• 5+ Ways AI Can Benefit Your Content and Marketing, Content Marketing Institute
• How to Create a Content Plan & What Should It Include, SEOTesting

Local & Maps

• Using AI, satellites and algorithms to map methane, Google Blog
• Google Maps goes to extreme lengths to create a detailed Immersive View, Android Police

Mobile & Voice

• Period?, Spyglass
• Vision Pro returns: Early adopters throw in towel on Apple headset, Cult of Mac

SEO

• 6 Common SEO Issues & How to Solve Them, WordStream
• The Discussion Forums Dominating 10,000 Product Review Search Results, Detailed

PPC

• Announcing v202402 of the Google Ad Manager API, Google Ads Developer Blog
• Marketers are starting to test alternatives to third-party cookies amid Google’s changes, Digiday

Search Features

• With the rise of AI, web crawlers are suddenly controversial, The Verge

Other Search

• Learning the importance of training data under concept drift, Google Research Blog
• The Year Chatbots Were Tamed, New York Times
• Google enables OS upgrades for older PCs post-Windows 10 support cutoff, Reuters

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