Daily Search Forum Recap: March 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.

I have a deep dive into the new Google March 2024 core update, March 2024 spam update and the new spam policies. Google also updated its search quality raters guidelines. Bing Deep Search is live again, yes, again. Bing Webmaster Tools launched IndexNow Insights and top SEO insights. Also, Search Console said event rich results changed.

Search Engine Roundtable Stories:

• Google March 2024 Core Update Rolling Out - It's A Big Core Update
  Google announced the March 2024 core update has now started to roll out and that this core update will take up to a month to fully roll out because it has updates to a few systems within the core ranking system. Google's Helpful content system is now also part of the core update. In addition, Google also released the March 2024 spam updates, with new spam policies.
• Google March 2024 Spam Updates Rolling Out - Scaled Content, Expired Domain & Site Reputation Abuse
  Google is rolling out its new March 2024 spam updates accompanying the very big March 2024 core update and three new spam policies. The new spam updates kick off this week and target scaled content and expired domain abuse, plus other spam, while giving notice of site reputation abuse for a May 2024 update.
• Google Search Quality Raters Guidelines Untrustworthy Pages Section Updated
  Google has updated the Google search quality raters guidelines untrustworthy pages section. The previous version was 168 pages and not it is 170 pages and that previous version was released last November 2023. This update is probably to fit the changes with the new March 2024 core update and spam updates / policy updates.
• New Bing Webmaster Tools IndexNow Insights & Top SEO Insights
  Microsoft updated Bing Webmaster Tools to build out the IndexNow reports, now named IndexNow Insights, add new Top SEO Insights to the main page and also cleaned up the side bar navigation within the tool. Plus, Fabrice Canel announced how IndexNow has grown to over 2.5 billion submitted URLs.
• Search Console: Google Search Changes How Event Rich Results Appear
  Google posted a notice in the Google Search Console data anomalies section that "Google Search has changed the way event rich results appear in Search results." This was dated March 4th and onwards.
• Bing Deep Search Now Live Again
  Microsoft has relaunched Bing Deep Search today after pulling it offline after a failed initial launch. Now the Deep Search link comes with a disclaimer "GPT-powered results takes ~30 secs." But it does seem to work better than my last test.
• Doogler Working With Glasses At Google NYC Office
  Here is a photo of another dog working at Google's New York City office but with eye glasses on. These Google dogs are named Dooglers by the way. I wonder what this dog is coding up...

Other Great Search Threads:

• Currently, the download option is unavailable from the experiments page. But I'll pass the feedback on to the team, thanks!, AdsLiaison on X
• Hi Derek, The frequency that dismissed recommendations can resurface varies by recommendation. But a few other things to note that might be helpful (from the Help Center article link below): - If you dismiss a recommen, AdsLiaison on X
• I don't think there's a fixed time - the attention on the old URLs will drop over time; the longer you wait, the less attention there will be. Is it worth fixing if there's still a little bit of attention? Personally, maybe, if only just for the occasiona, John Mueller on X

Search Engine Land Stories:

• Bing Webmaster Tools gains new IndexNow Insights & top SEO insights report
• TikTok gives users enhanced data control for Digital Markets Act compliance
• Google releasing massive search quality enhancements in March 2024 core update and multiple spam updates
• Facebook, Instagram and Threads down in ‘global outage’
• Google investigating error impacting AdMob messages
• Google unveils major changes to ensure Digital Markets Act compliance
• Why information satisfaction is key to Google’s ranking algorithms
• Google Business Profile websites are now redirected to Google Maps
• Repurposing content with AI: Streamlining blog roundups and skyscraper posts

Other Great Search Stories:

Industry & Business

• Google to Vacate 52K sf Office Building in Seattle, The Real Deal
• OpenAI and Elon Musk, OpenAI
• Google's Gemini Firestorm Shows the Pitfalls of Big Tech's AI Race, Business Insider

Links & Content Marketing

• Building Quality Links Without Quality Content (7 Examples), The Upper Ranks
• 50+ Blogs, Newsletters, Podcasts, and Video Channels, Content Marketing Institute

Local & Maps

• 6 updates to Waze to help you get around safely and conveniently, Google Blog
• Waze will show alerts before the speed limit drops, more, 9to5Google
• Why Is My Business Not Showing Up on Google? [+ Solutions], Semrush

Mobile & Voice

• AR/VR headset market experiences surge in Q4 2023, BetaNews
• Google Gemini Can Be Saved: Remember Apple Maps?, Business Insider
• Google messed up Gemini launch, Sergey Brin says, CNBC
• HomePod will now automatically choose a default media app, 9to5Mac
• Siri Will Learn Your Music Preferences With HomePod Software 17.4, MacRumors

SEO

• 10 Common SEO Mistakes To Avoid in 2024, Siege Media
• Free E-E-A-T/YMYL/Helpful Content/Google Quality Audit Template, SEOSLY
• The best techniques to improve web performance & speed, Oncrawl
• Yep & Ahrefs Support IndexNow. Fresher Data, Faster Indexing, & Announcing a Game-Changing Site Audit Feature, Ahrefs
• Yoast SEO 22.2: Fine-tune your content for maximum impact, Yoast
• Boosting Topical Authority with SEO Content Strategies & ChatGPT, Screaming Frog
• The ins & outs of starting SEO from scratch, SERP's Up SEO Podcast

PPC

• Deprecation of Full Path and Path Attribution reports in Bid Manager API, Google Ads Developer Blog
• Setup Advanced PMax Campaigns Using Performance Data, FeedArmy
• The future of private advertising, Microsoft Advertising
• The Power of PPC and SEO Working Together, Semrush
• OpenAI's ChatGPT, Google's Gemini, and Microsoft's Copilot test advertising, QZ

Search Features

• Building a web that works for everyone, Microsoft Advertising
• Google Search Quality, Email Appreciation, DMA Dilemma, Near Media
• Hands on: Microsoft Copilot now lets you create your own custom GPTs, Windows Latest

Other Search

• Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, and Threads are all down, The Verge
• Something Like Fire, City Journal

Feedback:

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