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.
There may have been an unconfirmed Google Search ranking algorithm update this weekend - although Google today announced a link spam update (more on that tomorrow). Google Ads is dropping the old target CPA and target ROAS bid strategies soon. Google is testing indenting search results from the same domain. Google's Gary Illyes kind of makes fun of core web vitals and how SEOs obsess over them. Google clarified that FAQ structured data can be in expandable areas of the page and more.
Search Engine Roundtable Stories:
- Unconfirmed Google Search Ranking Algorithm Update July 23rd & 24th
We may have had one of those smaller unconfirmed Google Search algorithm and ranking updates over the weekend. It may have started on Friday, July 23rd and spiked more on Saturday July 24th. I am also wondering if the fluctuations may be related to the soft 404 bug fix, but I do not know. - Google Ads Old Target CPA and Target ROAS Bid Strategies Going Away Soon
As Google told us in April, in the next couple of weeks, the the old Target CPA or Target ROAS bid strategies for standard campaigns are going away. Google said instead you can use the updated bid strategies by setting optional targets. - Google Tests Indenting Search Results From Same Domain
Google is testing indenting search results snippets from within the same domain name. So if Google shows two results from domain.com, it will show the first one and then under it, indent it a little under the one above it. - Gary Illyes From Google Mocks Core Web Vitals SEO Work
Gary Illyes from Google said on Twitter "I don't know who needs to hear this but putting work in core web vitals doesn't mean that the site can't lose rankings over time." He then added "I also washed my car hundreds of times and it still left me standing on the highway." - Google Clarifies FAQ Markup Should Be Visible On The Page Even Expandable Sections
On Friday, Google updated its FAQ structured data guidelines to provide examples around the guideline that reads "all FAQ content must be visible to the user on the source page." The examples explain that it is okay to have the content in expandable sections. - Vlog #130: Udit Mhatre On SEO in India vs United States & Consumer Experience On SEO
Udit Mhatre is the Senior SEO Manager at DuMont Project, he started his SEO journey in India at Performics and has quickly grew his career in a short four years. - Google High Heels
Here is a photo from 2018 of a Googler wearing Google branded high heels (or are they pumps). We've seen lego based on high heels before and I may have seen other ones but had to remove them. Amanda
Other Great Search Threads:
- Just submitted a change that updates all https://t.co/UaBPJb2oO7 references to HTTPS instead of HTTP on Search Central. This change was requested a number of times, but it's a no-op change: it doesn't change h, Gary Illyes on Twitter
- Content is indexed, no keywords appear in GSC, WebmasterWorld
- This Core Web Vitals nonsense - fluctuating reports, WebmasterWorld
- Thousands of "Indexed, though blocked by robots.txt", WebmasterWorld
Search Engine Land Stories:
- Online summit: How customer-obsessed marketers succeed with personalization
- Google publishes timelines for Privacy Sandbox proposals
- Google fixing two search bugs; review snippets and soft 404 detection
- Google’s three-strikes ad policy isn’t the problem, it’s policy application that worries advertisers
- Why did Google rank this site? Well, now they’ll tell you; Friday’s daily brief
Other Great Search Stories:
Analytics
- Google Data Studio Dashboard for Local Keyword Research, BrightLocal
- Preparing for the Future of Privacy-Focused Digital Measurement, Bounteous
Industry & Business
- Google launches Intrinsic: a new company to build software for industrial robots, The Verge
- How DuckDuckGo makes money selling search, not privacy, TechRepublic
- Meeting Google's climate change goals 'stresses out' CEO Sundar Pichai, CNBC
- Google's Search Disambiguation Doesn't Create Initial Interest Confusion-Aliign v. lululemon, Eric Goldman
Links & Content Marketing
- Alliance Linking: More Stories behind a real-life Link Building Case Study, Majestic Blog
- Curiosity May Have Killed the Cat But It Could Save Your Content, Content Marketing Institute
- Understanding How Backlinks Influence Organic Traffic (Webinar), Majestic Blog
Local & Maps
- Google Maps and Waze are good at different things, and that's a huge road trip hassle, Android Central
- Google Maps for Android Updated With New Features That Just Make Sense Today, AutoEvolution
Mobile & Voice
SEO
- 10 Holiday SEO Tips to Boost Your Site’s Sales, Inflow
- Core Web Vitals: How The New Ranking Signals Impact SEO, Terakeet
- How to Optimize for Google Featured Snippets, Know Agency
- SEO Audit Tools: A List Of 65 Tools For SEO Auditing, SEOsly
- Adding "with Video" to Titles: SEO Split Testing Lessons, SearchPilot
- How to Structure an eCommerce Website for SEO – 4 Key Steps, Business 2 Community
- SEO for enterprise & large websites, Dom Woodman
- The 80/20 Guide to SEO, VUDU Marketing
PPC
- Google publishes Privacy Sandbox timeline for Chrome, 9to5Google
- The Latest Google and Microsoft Paid Search Feature Updates You Should Know About, Adswerve
Search Features
Other Search
Feedback:
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