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 now says that Google Discover visibility can be impacted by the Google helpful content update (yes, core updates and some other updates did impact Discover). Did you see the mobile version, with voice search, of the new Bing AI chat? Google Business Profiles testing a "see photos" button, seems duplicative. Google Search Console updated the user and permissions management. Google now says you no longer have to host the favicon image on the same domain as the site.
Search Engine Roundtable Stories:
- Google: Google Discover Impacted By Many Search Signals, Including Now The Helpful Content Update
Google has updated both the Google Discover help documentation and the Google helpful content system page documentation to clarify that Google Discover uses many of the same signals as Google Search for ranking. The big news is that previously Google told us the helpful content update did not impact Discover, but now Google says it does. - New Bing AI Chat Now On Mobile With Voice Search
Yesterday, Microsoft announced that the new Bing AI Chat features are available for some users on the Bing mobile app and Edge mobile app on iOS and Android. And with that, voice search using Bing AI chat is just so sweet. - Google Search Console Updates Users & Permissions Controls
Google Search Console pushed out a security control update that reworked how the user and permissions management works. This is to bring over the old Webmaster Tools version to the new Search Console, and Google will sunset the old version in the coming months. - Google: Favicons No Longer Need To Be Hosted On Same Domain
Google has updated its favicon search developer documentation to now say that you don't need to host the favicon in the same domain in order to be eligible for a favicon in Google Search results. Google removed the line, "the URL must be in the same domain as the home page." - Google Business Profiles "See Photos" Button
Google Business Profiles lets you access and edit your business profile from web search (like it or not) and recently, Google has been testing showing a "see photos" button in addition to the normal "add photos" button. - Valentine's Day at Google
Here are some photos from last week, on Valentine's Day, from the Google Netherlands office. You can see Google had heart shaped donuts, red velvet cake, balloons, and more.
Other Great Search Threads:
- Hi Andrew, Thank you for bringing this to our attention and I'm very sorry this happened. This is not appropriate, and I also understand this isn't an isolated incident. I will follow up with you directly and fla, Ginny Marvin on Twitter
- Overflow Menu for iOS Users, Google Search Community
- Using a cctld is fine for a global site is fine -- the problem (for Google SEO) is more about using it to target a specific, different country. (That said, I agree that .ai seems like a g, John Mueller on Twitter
- We investigate as many reports as we can and it is the same set of people that do the core improvements, so every time we are on a fool's errand - it delays relaxing constraints. I wish there was an easy
tag we could f , Mikhail Parakhin on Twitter
Search Engine Land Stories:
- Social media engagement hits a new low, except for TikTok
- Musk gave engineers one week to make Twitter’s ad targeting work like Google
- Google Search Console users and permissions management updated
- [Next week] All-new training on ChatGPT, GA4, and more
- 3 ways to stay on top of PPC performance
- New Microsoft Bing Chat rolling out to mobile devices with voice search
- ChatGPT and SEO content: Where do we go from here?
- Microsoft explains how Bing AI Chat uses ChatGPT and Search with Prometheus
- This day in search marketing history: February 22
- Google releases February 2023 product reviews update
- Microsoft and NVIDIA announce a new partnership
Other Great Search Stories:
Analytics
- 20 Google Analytics Alternatives, Moz
- DebugView With GA4 Measurement Protocol, Simo Ahava's blog
- The GA4 Process Toolbox: How to get the most out of GA4, Measure Minds Group
Industry & Business
- DOJ pushes ahead with Google Maps antitrust probe, POLITICO
- EU antitrust regulators to decide on Google's maths app buy by March 28, Reuters
- Microsoft aggressively trying to keep Chrome users in Edge, 9to5Google
- Semrush Acquires Leading Marketing Education Company Traffic Think Tank to Bolster Semrush Academy Offering, Business Wire
- Why Google Was Smart To Let Microsoft Launch Its AI First, Seeking Alpha
- Google asks some employees to share desks amid office downsizing, CNBC
- Google tests blocking news content for some Canadians in response to government bill, The Canadian Press News
Links & Content Marketing
- Enterprise Content Marketing Research 2023, Content Marketing Institute
- Google Doesn't Care About AI Content. Here’s Why., Ahrefs
Local & Maps
- Google Maps can now open while Android Auto is running, 9to5Google
- Mercedes partners with Google to bring Maps and YouTube into its vehicles, TechCrunch
- Unlocking the Power of Google Tabs to Determine Keyword Intent, Sterling Sky Inc
- Justice Department Revives Google Maps Antitrust Investigation, Bloomberg
Mobile & Voice
- Baidu to deploy conversational AI across search, in-car entertainment and more, TechCrunch
- Apple's mixed reality headset development taken over by Chinese supplier, AppleInsider
- Mozilla Study: Data Privacy Labels for Most Top Apps in Google Play Store are False or Misleading, Mozilla Foundation
SEO
- 10 Ways to Use SERP Sonar To Increase Rankings and Improve SEO, Serpsonar
- ChatGPT for SEO: 9 Best Use Cases (And 4 Suboptimal Ones), Ahrefs
- Google’s Martin Splitt – Semantic HTML, Search & Google Search Console [Q&A], Search Engine Journal
- How to optimise product pages to minimise returns, Builtvisible
- Organic Keyword Research: How to Use N-grams to Find New Opportunities, Local SEO Guide
- What Is Dynamic Rendering and How It Affects SEO, Onely
- SEO tutorial for beginners, Hobo
PPC
- Advertisers remain committed to Google as TikTok and AI-powered Bing try to become search competitors, Digiday
- Announcing v202302 of the Google Ad Manager API, Google Ads Developer Blog
- Five considerations for the EU’s new political ads rules, Google Blog
Search Features
- 6 ways Google can help you solve everyday math problems, Google Blog
- Microsoft's Bing AI Chatbot Ends Conversation When Prompted About ‘Feelings’, Bloomberg
Other Search
- Explore Korea’s demilitarized zone through its history, nature, and art, Google Blog
- Our progress toward quantum error correction, Google Blog
Feedback:
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