Daily Search Forum Recap: June 12, 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.

Yesterday I interviewed Google's Elizabeth Tucker about the core update, the old helpful content update, Reddit, AI Overviews and the Google Search leak. Google now supports return policy markup at the organization level. Google Maps is testing QR codes in Business Profile listings. Google Ads will ad a new optional verification method. Google is testing shaded site names and favicons in the search results. Google has drop the home activities cards from its search results. As a reminder, I am offline today, this newsletter was pre-written and scheduled.

Search Engine Roundtable Stories:

• I Interviewed Elizabeth Tucker, Googler Responsible For The March Core Update
  Yesterday at SMX Advanced, I interviewed the Google executive who announced the March 2024 core update on the main Google blog. I asked Elizabeth Tucker a boatload of questions around SEO, the core update, the helpful content update, the search data leak and of course AI Overviews. Heck, I even made a comment about Reddit ruling the Google Search results.
• Google Adds Return Policy Structured Data Support To Organization Level
  Google has expanded its support for return policy structured data to allow you to add the return policy to the organization level, and not have to specify that policy on each and every product detail level. Last year Google began supporting return policies in structured data but at the individual product level - now it is also supported at the organization level.
• Google Home Activity Removed From Search
  Google Search no longer shows home activities after launching the feature just under four years ago. Google has pulled down the home activities structured data from its search developer documents last night and wrote, "The home activity feature no longer appears in Google Search results."
• Google Maps Tests QR Codes On Business Profiles
  Google is testing QR codes on the Google Business Profile listings within Google Maps. The QR code shows on the right side of the action buttons (i.e. directions, save, share, etc).
• Google Ads Adding New Optional Verification This Month
  Google Ads announced it will add a new optional verification to verify the affiliation of the advertiser/individual with the organization they are verifying. This starts sometime this month, June 2024, but it is not clear to me what the new verification is exactly.
• Google Tests Shaded Site Name & Favicon For Search Results
  Google is testing shading the background color in gray behind the favicon and site name and URL for the mobile search results. It brings a little bit more of a design flair to the ten blue links, don't you think?
• Giant Spinning Rock At Google
  At the Google visitor center they have this giant spinning rock. This rock is mounted on this device that slowly spins it in circles.
• Programming Note: Offline For Shavuot On Wednesday & Thursday
  This is a programming note that I will be completely offline for the holiday of Shavout/Shavous, from Tuesday night, June 11th, through late Thursday night, June 13th - I return Friday, June 14th. Any stories published here will be scheduled, written beforehand, and not written during the holiday hours.

Other Great Search Threads:

• In case you're wondering, that test that @randfish had us do on the webinar with @iPullRank where a few hundred people searched "vietnamese restaurant seattle" and clicked on the Google Business profile for a specific business. This, Joy Hawkins on X
• Recently viewed artists that only you can see?, Mordy Oberstein on X
• Google > Mobile Google is again testing Price range Slider on SERPs., Saad AK on X

Search Engine Land Stories:

• LinkedIn drops user targeting based on Groups data
• Google Ads rolls out new design to all markets on Aug. 30
• Google to struggling sites: Focus on your audience, content quality
• Google Search Console Performance report adds merchant listings to images report

Other Great Search Stories:

Analytics

• OneSix Acquires Strong Analytics, Bill Hartzer
• Updates to attribution models in GA4, Google Analytics Help

Industry & Business

• Exclusive: Search optimization company Yext to explore a sale, sources say, Reuters
• Google eyes affordable homes site to launch downtown San Jose village, Mercury News
• Lots Of Questions On Google’s “Trillium” TPU v6, A Few Answers, Next Platform
• OpenAI Hires CFO, Product Chief to Expand Its Business, Bloomberg

Links & Content Marketing

• A Better Way To Build a Content Strategy, Content Marketing Institute
• Custom Media Launches Content Marketing Report, EIN Presswire

Local & Maps

• Apple Maps: Topographic maps announced at WWDC 2024, Mashable
• Apple takes aim at AllTrails with major upgrade for hikers, San Francisco Chronicle
• When Google Maps Misleads: A Traffic Nightmare in Italy, Gizchina

Mobile & Voice

• Apple confirms plans to work with Google's Gemini 'in the future', TechCrunch
• Apple Intelligence won't be on tvOS, watchOS, visionOS just yet, AppleInsider
• Apple Just Schooled Google in How to Talk About AI, CNET
• Elon Musk's latest anti-Apple tirade is about a ChatGPT feature that doesn't exist, AppleInsider
• How Apple and Google Are Overhauling Our Phones With AI, New York Times
• Leaked Google Pixel Watch 3 renders suggest it will get thicker but not bigger, The Verge
• Thoughts on the WWDC 2024 keynote on Apple Intelligence, Simon Willison
• WWDC 2024: Everything Apple announced today including iOS 18, AI with Apple Intelligence and more, Engadget

SEO

• AI Overviews: Initial Tests and Studies, Practical Ecommerce
• Dispelling the Misconceptions of SEO: How Businesses Can Better Leverage This Technical Advantage, IBTimes
• How to Run a Title Tag Test for SEO + 7 Test Ideas, seoClarity
• There’s still hope for September HCU impacted sites, Marie Haynes
• Something Weird Is Going On In Google's SERPs, Search Engine Journal

PPC

• Changes to how you contact “Content API for Shopping” Support, Google Ads Developer Blog
• You’re Creative, Not AI: your guide to advertising image prompt mixology, Microsoft Advertising
• Meet the Google TV network, Google Blog

Other Search

• Apple's Biggest AI Challenge? Making It Behave, Wired
• Craig Federighi & John Giannandrea talk Apple Intelligence, AppleInsider
• Apple WWDC 2024: OpenAI Gets Brief Mention at AI Event, Bloomberg

Feedback:

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Note: This was pre-written and scheduled to be posted today, I am currently offline for Shavout.