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're seeing big volatile and chatter around another Google search ranking update, is it product reviews related? Bing Webmaster Tools will be adding integration with Bing Chat and also a new index coverage report. Bing is testing summarizes from sources from the web answer boxes, it is wild. Google's people also ask is showing up less often. Google is testing blocking some news from Canadian users.
Search Engine Roundtable Stories:
- Google Search Ranking Volatility On March 1st, Is It The Product Reviews Update?
I am seeing a much bigger spike in chatter within the SEO community this morning around another Google search ranking algorithm update. It might be related to the ongoing Google February 2023 product reviews update or it might be something new. Right now, the tools and the chatter within the community are pretty extreme. - Bing Webmaster Tools Adding Bing Chat & Index Coverage Reporting
Yesterday, Fabrice Canel from Microsoft Bing announced at PubCon that Bing Webmaster Tools would get two new features. First is the Bing Chat integration, and the second is the index coverage report. - Bing Summarized From Sources & The Web Answer Box
Microsoft Bing seems to be incorporating more of its Chat AI features into answer boxes in the main search results. Bing is testing a "summarized" box that gives you summary answers from X sources and the web. - Google Search "People Also Ask" Showing Less Often
Both Semrush and RankRanger are reporting several point drops in the percentage of time a people also ask box shows up in the Google search results. The drop started on Friday, February 24th, a few days after the rollout of the February 2023 product reviews update. - Google Tests Blocking News Content For Canadian Users
Google has been testing blocking news in Google Search on about 4% of Canadian users. Google said, "We're briefly testing potential product responses to Bill C-18 that impact a very small percentage of Canadian users." - Google / YouTube Pottery
Here is a photo I found on Instagram of YouTuber, Sophie Foster, doing pottery at Google's YouTube office. I am not sure what event this was for, or if there was any event, but hey, pottery is fun, r
Other Great Search Threads:
- It's back: @danielwaisberg leads a brand new Search Console Training on exporting data to spreadsheets. Watch now → https://t.co/DjtyC0BI1X Learn how to: Add context to your reports, Enrich your data with sou, Google Search Central on Twitter
- No, if it's known to be robotted from a previous attempt, it won't be re-fetched, and it won't be used. There's always some skew / window between a change, John Mueller on Twitter
- Only a Google rep could build a slide showing that CPCs are consistently up Y/Y and say that they're going down. The little bubble that says -28% lol Without seeing the absolute numbers, we can't say if CPCs decreased, we can o, Mike Ryan on Twitter
- Sounds like an SEO tool is giving you unnecessary work., John Mueller on Twitter
- The useful thing about these kinds of blog posts is that a lot of low-effort sites follow the patterns, and then it's easier for search engines to find & demote the stuff., John Mueller on Mastodon
Search Engine Land Stories:
- Google local map pack goes missing in search results (now fixed)
- Last call for Google Ads API v11
- Bing Webmaster Tools to gain Bing Chat and index coverage reporting
- AI can’t write this: 10 ways to AI-proof your content for years to come
- 3 ways Google ensures safe online shopping
- 5 tips for capturing more enterprise-level leads with B2B search
- Microsoft Bing Chat launches quality improvements
- Case study: How to get rid of a negative ‘People also ask’ result
Other Great Search Stories:
Analytics
- GA4 Automigration – What you NEED to know, Krista Seiden
Industry & Business
- The Doodle for Google student contest turns 15, Google Blog
- CISA director praises Apple security, suggests Microsoft, Twitter need to improve, CNBC
Links & Content Marketing
- Start With Content To Deliver a Successful Integrated Marketing Strategy, Content Marketing Institute
- 5 Common Startup Content Marketing Mistakes, Forbes
Local & Maps
- Fake Review Attacks Increase on Google Business Profiles, Near Media
- Travel smarter with these lesser-known Google Maps features, Deseret News
- [Guide] Managing Google Business Profile Department Listings, Sterling Sky Inc
Mobile & Voice
- Future Siri could talk to whoever is calling you, and take notes, AppleInsider
- Google Assistant can't control home devices – 'I don't understand', 9to5Google
- Google rolls out fall detection on the Pixel Watch, The Verge
SEO
- 3 Ways to Grow Your SEO Client Accounts, Rank Ranger
- Are Blog Keyword Targets Necessary?, SEO Theory
- Google Product Reviews Update Feb 2023 - Examples of losing domains., SISTRIX
- How Google's Latest 'Helpful Content System' Update is Impacting SERPs, Amsive Digital
- Keyword Tracking Tools (To Suit All Budgets), Ahrefs
- Yoast SEO 20.2: Improving our database system, Yoast
- Google Search Console: The Ultimate Guide for 2023, Semrush
- How to Rank in People Also Ask Boxes, Rank Ranger
- Is the c-suite any place for an SEO?, SERP's Up SEO Podcast
PPC
- Google Ads API v11 sunset reminder, Google Ads Developer Blog
- How Ad Grants help UNCF connect to students and supporters, Google Blog
- Key differences between younger and older travelers, Microsoft Advertising
- Our commitment to fighting invalid traffic on Connected TV, Google Online Security Blog
- Out With Similar Audiences and Targeting Expansion, In With Optimized Targeting, Adswerve
- The Great Restructuring: How Generative AI Is Changing Creative And Media Agencies, AdExchanger
- The Ultimate Guide to Google Ads Management Services, PPC Expo
- Yandex open sources its tag for ads, Yandex
Search Features
- Datasets at your fingertips in Google Search, Google AI Blog
- Baidu to hold press conference on Ernie Bot on March 16, Yahoo Finance
Other Search
- Introducing the new Bing in Windows 11, Bing Search Blog
- Google Doodle celebrates St. David's Day 2023, 9to5Google
Feedback:
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