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:
- Vlog #46: Chris Boggs - US Marine Turned Expert & Seasoned Search Marketer
I've know Chris Boggs (@boggles) for over 15 years, he owns a company named Web Traffic Advisors. He is a great and smart individual that cares deeply about the SEM industry... - Google Local Algorithm Update: February 14th Through Today
It looks like there was a significant Google local search algorithm update starting this past Friday, February 14th, and still continuing through today. This seems to have impacted the rankings of local business listings in the Google local packs and Google Maps results. - Google Says Comments Technically Do Not Need To Be In AMP Version But...
Google wants the AMP version of your page to be equivalent to the main mobile version of that page. So if your page has a comments area, Google would like to see those comments in the AMP version as well. But technically, John Mueller said, Google would not consider the lacking of comments on AMP as a "content mismatch" error. - Google: There Are No Exceptions For Speed Tests Including Our Own Products
Google's John Mueller said on Twitter that it doesn't matter what slows down your pages, if your pages are slow, they are slow. So if it is a Google product, like Google Analytics, Google Tag Manager, AdSense, Ad Manager or something else Google offers that is slowing down your page, find a way to implement it where it does not slow down the page. - Google Processes Link Disavow Files Immediately But Taken Into Account As URLs Are Recrawled
Google's John Mueller added some clarity around how Google processes links within a disavow file. He said on Twitter that the disavow file is "processed immediately and taken into account as the URLs are recrawled." - Google: Text In An Image Alt Attribute Within An H1 Is Within The H1
Google's John Mueller said on Twitter that text within an image's alt attribute is generally seen as text "as a part of the page where the image is embedded." If that text is within an H1 tag, then Google will also see it as part of the H1. - Old Math Hat At Google
There is some story about this hat, I mean, it looks old and the comments on Instagram about it are somewhat telling that there is some sort of story. But I do find it funny that there is this black b
Other Great Search Forum Threads:
- I'm not involved with ads, but significant changes like that would surprise me., John Mueller on Twitter
- Wow- I don’t ever think I’ve seen a chairman of the board call out SEO before - but it’s a pot calling a kettle black. So many other broken things! Sorry Tevan and team y’all were always top notch in my book. https:, Christi Olson on Twitter
- It sounds like you're merging sites, not just setting geotargeting. Making significant changes like that always talked time., John Mueller on Twitter
- Regex - the cause of, and solution to, all the SEOs problems. Or ... maybe it's just an exponential source of problems, who can really tell with regex, right? https://t.co/mbsSKDlKTX, John Mueller on Twitter
- We don't always show all valid structured data as rich results, and I don't see a lot of app results in search, so my guess is the triggering is pretty limited &, John Mueller on Twitter
- I wouldn't worry about the non-rendered stage. I would worry about the other engines. But IIRC the original question was about Google. 😬, Martin Splitt on Twitter
Search Engine Land Stories:
- Google Partners clarifies why clients may be listed as ‘eligible users’ toward new certification requirement
- The state of tracking and data privacy in 2020
Other Great Search Stories:
Analytics
- Google Marketing Platform Products: 20 Questions, In Marketing We Trust
Industry & Business
- Australian court orders Google to reveal user who wrote a dentist’s bad review, Engadget
- Google in Talks to Pay Publishers for Content in Premium News Product, Wall Street Journal
- Google Clashes With EU in Court Fight Over Internet Power, Bloomberg
- Google to restructure Cloud business, with some roles eliminated, CNBC
- Google (GOOG) Waze Deal Is a Likely Target in FTC Antitrust Sweep, Bloomberg
Links & Promotion Building
- Link Rot Affects Rankings. How to Fight Back, Search Engine Journal
Local & Maps
- Apple Maps Transit directions go live in various locations in the EU, Apple Insider
- Google My Business: FAQ for Multiple Businesses at the Same Address, Moz
Mobile & Voice
SEO
- In search of the amp.dev search, The AMP Blog
- SEO Agency Week: How to Manage Partnerships with SEO Agencies - Tyson Stockton, Searchmetrics
- How To Understand Audience Emotions in Search Data, Seer Interactive
- SEO Best Practices for JavaScript-Based Websites, On Page Rocks
- How Influence and SEO Can Drive Customer Experience, Online Marketing Blog
PPC
- How to Implement An Accurate PPC Quality Assurance Process, Seer Interactive
- SMBs and smarter customer-centric marketing, Microsoft Advertising
- Tips for Easier PPC Analysis, PPC Hero
Search Features
- Spread the love this Valentine’s Day!, Bing Search Blog
