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:
- Google: Sponsored Content Needs Nofollow On External Links But Does Not Need Noindex
We know that it is okay to have sponsored content on your site, in fact, Google says in its news publisher guidelines is acceptable as long as it doesn't exceed your primary content and is not mislead as editorial content. Google's webmaster guidelines add that you need to nofollow links on content that is sponsored. - Google: You Can Use Multiple Types Of Structured Data On Same Page
We know you can use different forms of markup types, like microdata, RDFa, or JSON-LD on the same page. Google also allows you to use multiple types of structured data on a page. - Google My Business Adds New Service Options For Some Industries
Joy Hawkins posted in the Local Search Forums that Google has added, for some industries, new service options that these businesses can choose. She posted about plumbers, music schools, piano instructors, and more. Other local SEOs are seeing this as well. - Google: XML Sitemaps Still Second Most Important Source Of URL Discover
Gary Illyes from Google confirmed that XML Sitemaps are still the second most important source Google uses to crawl and discover URLs. He confirmed this on Twitter the other day after someone quoted him as saying this back in 2014. - Google Search Console API Removes App Indexing Features
This should come as no surprise, but Google has removed the app indexing features within the Search Console API. Google announced this on its blog the other day saying it "no longer support these Android app search appearance types." - Google Cambridge Office With Wise Owl Android Statue
Here is a photo from within the Google Cambridge / Boston office. This is of an Android statue or figurine. As you can see, this one is a wise owl, because hey - it is an academic town. Danny Sulli
Other Great Search Forum Threads:
- 304 is suitable for appropriate if-modified-since requests; how you determine that is ultimately up to you., John Mueller on Twitter
- FYI, negative Local SEO appears to work very well. GMB has determined my big, expensive, real, physical office is a virtual office address., Joe Youngblood on Twitter
- If @Salon is syndicating from @RawStory and wants to help that publication, it could canonical to it, per our guidelines. Or @RawStory could insist that syndication partners, Danny Sullivan on Twitter
- The sitelinks search box is an organic search feature that has nothing to do with YMYL., John Mueller on Twitter
- We've been able to lift a few manual actions with just disavowing. But if you're struggling to remove an unnatural links penalty, you likely will have to make legitimate efforts to physically remove some of the manipulative, Marie Haynes on Twitter
Search Engine Land Stories:
- Google Search Console API drops more app features
- Choosing a CMS
- Video: Local search expert Joy Hawkins shares an unexpected finding from her Google reviews research
- Google’s inconsistency with third-party reviews is a confusing user experience
- Google testing highlighting content on-site based on the search result clicked
Other Great Search Stories:
Analytics
- Google Tag Manager for newbies: What is it, why you need it and how to use it, Google Analytics Blog
- How to Set Up Google Analytics: The Complete Guide (with video), Orbit Media Studios
Industry & Business
- Canalys: Baidu replaces Google to become number two in smart speaker market in Q2 2019, Canalys Newsroom
- Google and Dell team up to take on Microsoft with Chromebook Enterprise laptops, The Verge
- Google is clamping down on political speech inside the company. Here’s what that changes., Slate
Links & Promotion Building
Local & Maps
- Google Assistant revamps 'Your people' for adding contacts, 9to5Google
- Google Maps rolls out new Android Auto shortcut buttons, 9to5Google
- How to Report Fake Listings on Google Maps, Lifehacker
- Kindness as Currency: How Good Deeds Can Benefit Your Local Business, Moz
Mobile & Voice
- Assistant picking up new silent-response option so you can finally get some peace and quiet, Android Police
- Google app 10.49 preps Android 10 Assistant gesture tutorial, dark Driving Mode, 9to5Google
SEO
- 6-step SEO Indexation Audit for Ecommerce, Practical Ecommerce
- WordPress 5.3, Block Lab, and Members Block Permission add-on, Yoast
PPC
- Should You Be Using Microsoft Advertising?, Seer Interactive
- Google Warns Against Blocking ‘Cookies’ Entirely, Triggering Criticism, Wall Street Journal
Search Features
