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:
- Featured Snippets Back To Normal Levels In Google Search
On February 19th or so, Google significantly dropped the number of times featured snippets would show up in the Google Search results. Well, as of Friday morning, March 12th, it looks like the percentage of time Google shows featured snippets in the results are back to normal. - Poll: 60% Of SEOs Say SEO Is Harder Than Five Years Ago
Aleyda Solis posted a poll on Twitter asking SEOs if SEO "easier, more difficult or as difficult as 5 years ago to achieve results/goals in the SEO processes you work on?" Over 1,000 results came in and 60% of SEOs say it is harder now to do SEO than it was five years ago. - Google: Words In A URL A Very Light Weight Factor But Less After Indexing
Google's John Mueller said once again that Google does use the words in the URL as a ranking factor. But John explained that this is a "very very lightweight factor." John added that it becomes even less of a factor once the content is indexed. - Google: Location/Order Of rel Attribute Does Not Matter
Does it matter if you put the rel attribute in your HTML link before the link or after it? The answer is no. You can put the attribute in your HTML link where you want. Google will pick it up either way. - Microsoft Advertising Static Headlines For Dynamic Search Ads Available
Microsoft announced that you can now use static headlines within your Microsoft Advertising Dynamic Search Ads (DSAs). Static headlines are an additional column you can add to your Dynamic Search Ads page feed. This allows you to specify the specific ad title you want to show up for a particular URL you have in your page feed. - Vlog #111: Alex Genadinik On How To Start A Business During COVID-19
In part one, Alex Genadinik of Problemio and I spoke about why it is important to focus on niches for SEO. In part two here we talk about what you can do to make money online during COVID-19... - Google Logo Double Masks
Google on Friday posted a new Google logo, super G logo, on its Twitter account of the logo double masking. Google back in June 2020 added a mask to that same logo as well. But now it is promoting do
Other Great Search Forum Threads:
- This filter option was the result of a bug that is now being fixed, but no traffic was affected. This experiment is one of many small tests that select advertisers have opted into. We don’t have, Google Ads on Twitter
- Cached page is blank. Javascript, Reddit
- Google My Business clarifies Service Area Businesses. https://t.co/OI4kXgShaB "Important: If you don't serve customers at your business address, do not enter an address under the "Info" tab in Google My Business. Leave the "bu, Ben Fisher on Twitter
- It's not quite that simple. We index the mobile content, and rank the page based on that first (for relevance). Then we adjust the features, ranking, & URL shown depending on mobile/deskt, John Mueller on Twitter
- PSA: Amazon is probably making more money from ads than AWS. https://t.co/wUl7l4fdQ2, Benedict Evans on Twitter
- Retiring of Google Link Ads May Drive Revenue Up!, WebmasterWorld
Search Engine Land Stories:
Other Great Search Stories:
Analytics
- A Data-Informed Framework For Decision-Making, Search Discovery
Industry & Business
- House to unpack Big Tech’s effect on journalism, POLITICO
- Our ongoing commitment to supporting journalism, Google Blog
- Judge rules Google has to face lawsuit that claims it tracks users even in Incognito mode, The Verge
Links & Content Marketing
- Customer Personas Can Transform SEO, PPC and Content Marketing, Search Engine Journal
- How To Use Content Marketing To Build Brand Trust, Forbes
Local & Maps
- A Local Guide uses Google Maps to help those without homes, Google Blog
- Google Earth has a hidden time-traveling time-lapse mode, 9to5Google
- Google My Business: What It Is, How To Use It, and Why, Moz
Mobile & Voice
- Apple discontinues original HomePod, will focus on mini, TechCrunch
- Apple AirPods 3 not launching until Q3, says Ming-Chi Kuo, 9to5Mac
SEO
- Are Soft 404s Bad For SEO?, Koozai
- Google Search Central Live: Images Lazy Loading Case Study, MarketingSyrup
- International SEO: Growing From Zero To £2m/year (Case Study), Freddie Chatt
- Monitoring the Core Web Vitals Report in Seach Console, Tame The Bots
PPC
- Google Discover gets auto-advancing slideshow ad format, 9to5Google
- Optimize Your PPC Campaign For SaaS Products, PPC Hero
- Understanding Google's Updates to Modified Broad Match, DAGMAR
- #ChooseToChallenge part two: Brand values, Microsoft Advertising
- Preserving user privacy in advertising, Think with Google
Search Features
