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 clarifies that page experience is not a direct ranking signal but core web vitals are (a limited one). Google shows reviews related to photos. Bing Webmaster Tools tells you when you have inadequate links. Microsoft Copilot now uses GPT-4 Turbo. Bingbot is rolling out support for Brotli compression. Also, for some reason, John Mueller's site was deindexed from Google...
Search Engine Roundtable Stories:
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Google Clarifies Page Experience & Core Web Vitals Related To Search Rankings
Google has updated the Understanding page experience in Google Search results help document to clarify how page experience and core web vitals are used or not used as signals for search rankings. In short, core web vitals are used in a limited way, while other page experience signals are not directly used as ranking signals. -
John Mueller's Site Dropped From Google Search
Everyone in the SEO community is talking about how John Mueller's website is no longer listed in the Google Search results. It seems like it was deindexed and removed from Google completely. The question is why? -
Google Local Reviews Related To Photos In Local Panel (& Related Photos)
Google is smart enough to showcase related reviews to a photo someone is looking at in a Google local business profile listing. In the case below, you can see a photo of vodka being served at the restaurant and then below it, Google shows a "related review" to that photo that mentions "Vodka." -
Bing Webmaster Tools Tells You When Your Inbound Links Are Inadequate
Last week, Bing Webmaster Tools introduced top SEO insights that give you some SEO tips for your site. It even tells you when you don't have enough good links pointing to your site. Bing can show a message that reads, "Inadequate inbound links from high quality domains." -
Microsoft Copilot Now Using GPT-4 Turbo
In November, Microsoft said we would soon see Copilot powered by GPT-4 Turbo instead of GPT-4. Well, it took several months, and now Copilot uses GPT-4 Turbo. -
Bingbot Supports Brotli Compression
Bingbot is now rolling out Brotli compression for its web crawler, Bingbot. Fabrice Canel from Microsoft said on X that Bing "enabled it on a small percentage of URLs crawled each day, and we'll gradually increase traffic throughout this spring." -
Dog Shopping In Google Store In NYC
Here is a photo of a dog going shopping in the Google Store in New York City. You can see the dog has its Google merchandise bag and everything.
Other Great Search Threads:
- The Core Web Vitals now officially has a new member: INP (interaction to next paint) replaces FID. We announced this change in January, and have been reporting on INP in Google Search Console since last June. https://t.co/, Google Search Central on X
- @Googleorg teamed up with @Highlights to help kids spot online scams, create strong passwords, take breaks from their tablets and more, Google on X
- Yes there's a double standard. Removing your affiliate site from Google doesn't harm users. Removing a national brick and mortar retailer, car company, or major newspaper makes people think search is broken. Your goal should be to be, Ryan Jones on X
- Yes, Google's teams have to do the same work as everyone else to make their sites work well., John Mueller on X
Search Engine Land Stories:
- YouTube unveils 4 new features, including Tagged Product error notifications
- TikTok announces major expansion to creator monetization program
- Google unveils new ad tools and updates for mobile app developers
- Google updates its page experience docs to clarify ranking signals
- TikTok reportedly developing new app to rival Instagram
- Apple testing new tool for optimizing App Store ads
- Microsoft Ads introduces faster and easier access to performance data
- 6 tips for better PPC ad copy
- Creating Google Ads campaigns with Gemini conversational AI: How good is it really?
- What we’re seeing a week into the Google March 2024 core and spam updates
- Internal link building for an E-E-A-T-focused content strategy
Other Great Search Stories:
Analytics
- GA4 Conversion Paths Report - How Did Leads Find Your Site?, Data Driven U
- Google Analytics 4 Users: What They Are & How to Track Them, Semrush
Industry & Business
- Europe Lifts Sanctions on Yandex Cofounder Arkady Volozh, Wired
- Brave: Sharp increase in installs after iOS DMA update in EU, Bleeping Computer
- Google Paid Out $10 Million via Bug Bounty Programs in 2023, SecurityWeek
Links & Content Marketing
- Content Spam 101: What It Is + What to Do About, Semrush
- Does Adding a Related Post Section Help Your Blog? We Tested It, Ahrefs
- The AI-powered content factory: How to generate blog posts, articles, and social updates, DAC
Local & Maps
- Android Auto 2022 Issue Returns to Make Using Google Maps and Waze Dangerous, AutoEvolution
- iOS 18 features: Google Maps default navigation app, BGR
- Google Maps vs. Waze: Which map app goes the distance?, Android Police
Mobile & Voice
- 7 Tips To Make You a Google Gemini Expert, Gizmodo
- Google's Gemini AI Vulnerable to Content Manipulation, Dark Reading
SEO
- Interaction to Next Paint is officially a Core Web Vital, Web Dev
- SEO crisis management: How to respond to a sudden drop in website traffic, Oncrawl
- XML sitemaps: How to help Google discover your pages, Wix SEO Hub
PPC
Other Search
- Google confirms it’s restricting Gemini election queries globally, TechCrunch
- Perplexity brings Yelp data to its chatbot, The Verge
Feedback:
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