Daily Search Forum Recap: June 21, 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.

Google unleashed a new spam update - the June 2024 spam update - here is what we know. Google had a big indexing issue last night, that lasted several hours. Google spoke more about the images not showing up in search and that it is more likely a quality issue with your site. Google Local Service Ads will soon show on Google Maps. Google Discover is testing a floating search bar. Google Safe Search has a new set of FAQs. Plus I posted the SEO video recap - it was a busy week!

Search Engine Roundtable Stories:

• Google June 2024 Spam Update Takes Target
  Google has released a new algorithm update the search company is naming the Google June 2024 Spam Update. This update does not have anything new specific changes that we are aware of, like some previous updates. Google just wrote, "Today we released the June 2024 spam update. It may take up to 1 week to complete, and we'll post on the Google Search Status Dashboard when the rollout is done."
• Google Search Bug: Not Indexing or Serving New Content
  Google Search may be having a new indexing or serving (or both) bug where it is now showing new content from sites that are creating new content. Sites like the Wall Street Journal, NY Times, CNN, Forbes, and others are showing very few new pages being indexed in the past hour by Google Search.
• Local Service Ads Coming To Google Maps On iOS
  Google is notifying some advertisers that use Google's Local Service Ads program that soon their ads will be shown on Google Maps. It will start with the iOS version of the Google Maps app and then expand to other platforms and surfaces from there.
• Google Search Images Go Missing? Might Be A Quality Issue.
  For the past several months, generally around the helpful content update in September and the various core updates we had over the past several months, there have been complaints with image thumbnails for some sites not appearing in the Google Search result listings. Google responded again to the issue, saying it is not a technical thing for most sites but rather a quality issue.
• Search News Buzz Video Recap: Google Spam Update, Volatility & Indexing Bug, AI Overviews Tracking & FAQs, Google Maps Exploit, Google Ads, AppleBot & More
  We had a new Google spam update, the June 2024 spam update and what would be an SEO video recap within Google Search ranking volatility, at least this time it was on Father's Day weekend. Google Search seemed to have an indexing bug last night. If your image snippets disappeared from Google months ago, it is likely a quality...
• Google Posts Safe Search FAQs
  Ashwarya, the Community Manager for Google Search, posted a bunch of resources around Google Safe Search. He wrote, "We are going to help you out in every way possible. Here are a few articles to get you started on Safe Search."
• Google Tests Floating Search Bar In Google Discover
  Google is testing a floating search bar in the Google Discover results. So when you load up the Google home page on your mobile device and scroll through some Discover stories, the search bar sticks to the stop and floats over the stories.
• Google Dublin Whiteboard Signage
  Here is a Google sign that is at the Google Dublin office which also is a whiteboard. You can write messages on the Google logo. I think this is old but I found it on Instagram recently.

Other Great Search Threads:

• Hi Menachem, There is no action to take to opt out of or change an account’s segment designation., AdsLiaison on X
• Not certain if this is what you're referring to, but you can hide the second menu by clicking the hamburger menu next to the logo (see item #3 under "What we're learning from your feedback" in l, AdsLiaison on X
• OMG. My world is shaken. @rustybrick did you ever realize the line under the knowledge cards changes color depending on the card background? OMG! Also, I realized this randomly by Googling, Mordy Oberstein on X
• Reminder! We’re less than 2 weeks away from the turndown of Universal Analytics. - Beginning July 1, you will no longer be able to export data from your UA properties. - This is also the migration deadline for UA360 customers, AdsLiaison on X

Search Engine Land Stories:

• Google Search bug with indexing over the past several hours
• Analyses: Google AI Overviews showing less often, with less Reddit
• Google streamlining YouTube, Display ad content controls
• Display & Video 360 instant reports coming to Bid Manager API
• Google unleashes June 2024 spam update
• Beyond personalization: Mastering the win-win
• 4 pillars of an effective enterprise AI strategy
• Key ad platform updates of 2024 (so far): A B2B marketer’s review
• So, you want to be an SEO rockstar?

Other Great Search Stories:

Analytics

• Google Analytics Adds User Conversion Rate Metrics, Search Engine Journal

Industry & Business

• I just want to live long enough to see Google die, BGR
• NYC digital marketing meetup | Better branding to attract quality clients, Wix SEO Hub
• Google’s attempt to dismiss child privacy lawsuit defeated, The Register

Links & Content Marketing

• 59% of Marketers Report New Business Opportunities from Content Marketing, Digital Information World
• 73% of Marketing Creatives Think AI 'Will Elevate Content' - Study, Indie Wire
• Did Cannes Lions Awards Just Say Content Beats Advertising?, Content Marketing Institute

Local & Maps

• 11 Tips to Improve Your Google Maps SEO, Semrush
• Optimize and Elevate Your Google Business Profile in 5 Minutes, DAGMAR
• Google Is Killing Off Another Feature Everybody Forgot Existed, AutoEvolution

Mobile & Voice

• “Listen to this page” replaces a Google Assistant feature, Chrome Unboxed
• How to change the lock screen buttons in iOS 18, AppleInsider

SEO

• 12 Important Image SEO Tips You Need To Know, Search Engine Journal
• AI Overviews Are Breaking Search (Here's How They Could Fix It), WordStream
• Branded vs. Non-Branded Keywords: What’s the Difference?, Semrush
• Competitive Intel: Here’s What an SEO Competitor Analysis Tells You, TopRank
• How Sites With Less SEO Win Google + 4 More SEO Tips, Zyppy SEO Consulting
• How To Submit a Reconsideration Request To Google, BruceClay
• Initial Impact of Google’s AI Overviews: SEO Research Study, seoClarity
• SEO Insights from Google Engineer Ni Lao's Work on ML, IR & NLP, Ethan Lazuk
• The Scary Surge and Drop in Indexing in Google Search Console (GSC) And Why That Might Be Totally Fine, GSQI
• What Is YMYL & How Does It Affect SEO?, Semrush

PPC

• Performance Max and the Google Ads API, Google Webinar
• Google's Manifest V3 will make the fight against third-party adblockers even worse, TechRadar
• The death of third-party cookies: How to future-proof your strategy for a cookieless world, PPC Hero

Search Features

• Good Search Borrows, Great Search … Steals?, Wired
• Staying Safe with Chrome Extensions, Google Online Security Blog

Other Search

• Google now sells a LEGO-like Chrome Dino set, 9to5Google
• Microsoft And Google Chrome Users Targeted By Sophisticated Malware Campaign, NDTV

Feedback:

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