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 released its Google Ads Saftey report showing how many ads they removed and advertisers they suspended. Google changed the definition of "Top ads" in their help documents, guess why... Google launched a number of maps and shopping features yesterday. Google Ads Share ad preview is now live. Google now lets you search for blockchain wallet addresses.
Search Engine Roundtable Stories:
-
Google Ads Suspended 90% More Advertisers This Year & Removed 5.5 Billion Ads
Google has released the 2023 Google Ads safety report sharing that Google has removed 5.5 billion ads, suspended 12.7 million advertiser accounts and restricted ads from showing up on 2.1 billion publisher pages. That is about 6% more ads removed, 90% more suspended advertiser accounts and 40% more ads removed from publisher pages. -
Google Updates Its Definition Of Top Ads; They May Not Be At The Top
Back in October we reported that Google has confirmed its search ads, Google Ads, can show up mixed in the middle of the organic search results. Now Google is updating its help documentation to change the definition of top ads to say the ads may appear below the organic results, ultimately not making the ads appear at the top. -
New Google Shopping & Maps Search Features
Google announced a number of new(ish) shopping and maps/local features yesterday, a lot of them using AI features that Google likes to tout. There are glanceable AI-generated reviews, swipe left/right shopping, AI-generated product ideas, local trip ideas, recommendation lists for locations, and more. -
Google Ads Adds Share Ad Preview For Performance Max
Google is now rolling out the ability to share ad campaigns within Google Ads for Performance Max campaigns without the need for the person you are sharing it with to have a Google Ads account. This is a new Share Ad Preview button available in Google Ads account for this. -
Google Can Search For Your Blockchain Wallet Addresses (Bitcoin & More)
You can now search Google for any of your wallet addresses across bitcoin and five new Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) networks. So you can look up your balances within those networks directly on Google Search. -
Google Calligraphy Class In NYC
It appears that Google held some calligraphy class or art class of some sorts at the New York City office. I found this photo on Instagram.
Other Great Search Threads:
- "Grow with Google" serves as a resource for training and tools to enhance your skills, career, or business. However, it appears that the platform is not regularly updated. Here are a few examples: [List examples under use-too, Shameem Adhikarath on X
- To help understand better the difference between key events and conversions, we’ve launched a detailed resource to answer all the questions you might have. Check it out!, Google Analytics on X
- Hreflang tag on individual blog post?, Reddit
- Webmasters, who may be less talented than you, have made significant mistakes in the past with this feature. They accidentally wiped out their entire sites. Since we have limited the usage of this feature to, Fabrice Canel on X
Search Engine Land Stories:
- Amazon ordered to publicly share details of ads it serves in the EU
- Google changes definition of ‘top ads’
- Google Analytics real-time reporting bug confirmed
- Google suspended 12.7 million ad accounts and blocked 5.5 billion ads in 2023
- Exploring Meridian, Google’s new open-source marketing mix model
- Maximizing your B2B spend: Is account-based marketing worth it?
Other Great Search Stories:
Analytics
- Goals, Conversions, Key Events → What’s Next, Measure Minds Group
- How to track AI traffic in GA4, Omi Sido
Industry & Business
- Google's Sergey Brin Convinced Employee to Reject OpenAI Offer, Business Insider
- Google in talks to acquire 22.5 acres in Navi Mumbai for Indian data center - report, Data Center Dynamics
Links & Content Marketing
- Trends in Content Localization, Moz
- 9 Signs You Are Writing Crummy SEO Content, JumpFly Digital Marketing Blog
Local & Maps
- Gemini updated to automatically start Google Maps navigation, 9to5Google
- Google Street View driver pleads guilty to 120 mph police chase, NY Daily News
- Online florist ordered to pay $1 million for misleading online star ratings and price representations, ACCC
- Open Apple Maps screenshot URL from macOS's Photos app, AppleInsider
Mobile & Voice
- Gemini in Google Messages sees a wide beta rollout, Android Police
- Meta’s Ray-Ban Smart Glasses Use AI to See, Hear and Speak. What Are They Like?, New York Times
SEO
- 6 SEO Experiments That Help Reveal How Google Works, Ahrefs
- 8 Free SEO Reporting Tools, Ahrefs
- Automated SEO Reporting (The Easy Way), Ahrefs
- Can holistic SEO and trending content coexist?, Yoast
- Detailed Q3: Analysing The SEO Playbook of Digital Goliaths In-Depth, Every Quarter, Detailed
- Making Sense of Google Updates, Being a Quality Rater & the Future of SEO, Near Media
PPC
- Deprecation of Structured Data Files v5.5, Google Ads Developer Blog
- Google Ads Testing Case Study - Brand Bidding: Manual or Target Impression Share, ZATO Marketing
- Six Practical Things You Should Doing In Your Paid Social Advertising Campaigns, PPC Hero
Search Features
Other Search
- How to drive bias out of AI without making mistakes of Google Gemini, CNBC
- OpenAI’s app store draws investors and students seeking artificial aids, Financial Times (Sub)
Feedback:
Have feedback on this daily recap; let me know on Twitter @rustybrick or @seroundtable, on Threads, Mastodon and Bluesky and you can follow us on Facebook and on Google News and make sure to subscribe to the YouTube channel, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts or just contact us the old fashion way.
