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.
Search Engine Roundtable Stories:
- Search Buzz Video Recap: Google Indexing Bug, Google Search Podcasts, Evergreen GoogleBot, SEO, Google Ads, Maps & More
This week I mentioned the monthly Google webmaster report I posted. Google also had another indexing bug where it was not able to index new content for a 24 hour period, it does seem to be resolved now. Google updated its algorithm to show less... - Google Indexing Bug Is Recovering
Yesterday, Google was not indexing new content from many sites - including this one, the New York Times, Wall Street Journal and many others. Google confirmed the issue but has not yet confirmed the indexing issues were resolved yet. It does seem to me that the indexing issues are indeed recovering. - Google: When Linking Images, Make Sure There Is Alt Text On Images
Google's John Mueller said in a video hangout this morning at the 1 hour, 5 minute mark, that when you link using images, make sure those images at least have some alt text on them. He said this would "to kind of give us the anchor text" for that link. - Google Maps Adds AR & Travel Features & Will Guarantee Flight Prices
Google announced new Google Maps travel features and also promised to show you the best prices for that travel or your money back - this is no joke. - Google My Business Missing Store Codes Widespread Bug
Tons of local SEOs are reporting seeing a notice in Google My Business for "missing store code" for listings. Justin Mosebach posted in the Local Search Forums "Just checked the dashboard in Google My Business this morning and noticed that all of the locations (for multiple clients) are suddenly missing store codes." He is not alone, this is widespread. - Google Adds Playable Podcasts To Search That Indexes Spoken Words Within Podcasts
Google announced yesterday that they have launched playable podcasts in the desktop and mobile search results that actually surface podcast episodes for words spoken within the podcast. So Google will not just show podcasts that match the title or meta data of the podcast but it can also surface podcasts where the audio has those words within the podcast. - Goat Yoga At The GooglePlex
Did you know Google has goat yoga at the GooglePlex, Google's main offices in Mountain View, California. I am not sure if this is a one off thing but I am seeing lots of photos on Instagram of goats a
Other Great Search Forum Threads:
- So lots of buzz about Google tracking user purchases recently. See https://t.co/FKjNYahl5t for example. /1", Pierre Far on Twitter
- The links report includes nofollow links by design., John Mueller on Twitter
- @jroakes It feels like the days of wrapping your whole page in a h1 are past, and many CMSs seem to do a good job with semantic headings, so I could imagine it's actually pretty useful overall., John Mueller on Twitter
- Come with me if you want to master the web ⚙️ In this episode of #AskGoogleWebmasters, @JohnMu explains whether Google Search detects client-side JavaScript redirects and how Googlebot uses Chromium for renderi, Google Webmasters on Twitter
- Looks to me like Google is going more and more crazy with News oneboxes. I like it. #google #seo #mobile cc @rustybrick https://t.co/J9OCYaXvkm, Valentin Pletzer on Twitter
- Well, if it's the same as other copies of the same hymn, why should it show in the search results?, John Mueller on Twitter
Search Engine Land Stories:
- Reservations, AR navigation coming to Google Maps
- Yes, Googlebot can detect JavaScript redirects
- Martech is Marketing: A Live Q&A with Scott Brinker
- Google adds playable podcasts directly in the search results
- Google not able to index new content, again
Other Great Search Stories:
Analytics
- How to analyze the target audience of your site with Google Analytics, SERP Stat
- Google Analytics unifies App and Website Measurement, E-Nor
Industry & Business
- 3 Reasons Why Alphabet Stock Is Still a Solid Buy, Nasdaq
- Alphabet: Valuation Update - Alphabet Inc, Seeking Alpha
- Apple isn’t the most cash-rich company in the world anymore, but it doesn’t matter, Ars Technica
Links & Promotion Building
- Link Building with Local Charities & Events, Search Engine Journal
- Supercharge Your Link Building Outreach! 5 Tips for Success - Whiteboard Friday, Moz
Local & Maps
- Google Flights will refund the difference if prices drop unexpectedly, Engadget
- Google Maps details upcoming navigation turns in refreshed UI [APK Download], Android Police
- Is Google Sunsetting the Local Finder in Favor of Google Maps?, Mike Blumenthal
- When to Respond to Online Reviews (And How), Go Fish Digital
- Google Opt-Out Live AR View In Maps For More Devices, Asap Land
Mobile & Voice
- Announcing AMP Toolbox 1.0, The AMP Blog
- Google has disabled Assistant reminders for G Suite users, Android Police
- Google is forcing reminders to go through Assistant, Android Police
SEO
- How to Improve Your Keyword Rankings in Google, Search Engine Journal
- SEO Best Practices and Trends to Help Stay on Top in 2019, Social Media SEO
PPC
- Announcing v2_1 of the Google Ads API beta, Google Ads Developer Blog
- ‘The underlying arrogance’: Media buyers are frustrated with Google and Facebook ad reps, Digiday
- Google Ads scripts now supports price extensions, Google Ads Developer Blog
- Google Very Quietly Releases Item ID Targeting for Smart Shopping Campaigns, Sales and Orders
- Key Drivers of Increasing Ad Spend Across Social Media, Merkle
Search Features
